D DRIVE - Don Mancuso + Phil Naro

USA melodic hard rock quintet from NY.
Old mates Phil Naro (Talas, Peter Criss, 24K) and Don Mancuso (The Lou Gramm Band, Black Sheep, Cheater) joined forces in 2003 for a new project; D DRIVE.
Produced by canadian veteran Steve Major, the 1st album came out in the late 2004, as "Don Mancuso - D:Drive" .
The album did so well that it was decided to put together the forthcoming release "Straight Up The Middle" in 2007.

Melodic Rock with some twists, you like it or not, but you can't argue they're not original.
One track has a 'rap' by Naro, weird, but original.
You can hear Mancuso's FOREIGNER / LOU GRAMM influences in 'Pray For Tomorrow', a beautiful midtempo with all kind of keyboards, guest backing vocals by Gramm.
Drummer Joe Lana shines in 'Diamond Star Halo', another not-by-numbers song.
'I Am A Little Outside' riff is very good, that's why GRAMM recruited this guitar player, the man has a great tone, and his solos are non-common.
'Missing' is and old CHEATER (legendary AOR band) song written by Mancuso, I like this new version a lot.

This is a 'promo career cd', 5 tracks from the last album, 6 from the debut.
I've added a little gem, a song recorded by Mancuso with his old CHEATER bandmate JEFF COSCO, a fantastic pure AOR mid-tempo never released. Don't miss this song!

01 - D:DRIVE - 2007 - A Little Bitta Sunshine
02 - D:DRIVE - 2007 - Straight Up The Middle
03 - D:DRIVE - 2007 - Pray For Tomorrow
04 - D:DRIVE - 2007 - Diamond Star Halo
05 - D:DRIVE - 2007 - I Don't Wanna Wait
06 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - I Am A Little Outside
07 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - Why Is Everybody
08 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - You're Never Alone
09 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - Missing
10 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - Build My Castle
11 - Don Mancuso/D:Drive - 2004 - Lock Lips
12 - Cosco-Mancuso - 198? - Call Of The Eagle

Phil Naro (Vocals/Guitar)
Don Mancuso (Guitar/Vocals)
Andy Knoll (Keyboards, sequencing)
John Taylor (Bass/Vocals)
Bobby Bond (Drums)
Joe Lana (Drums)
Richard Gramm [Lou's brother] (Bass/Guitar)
Lou Gramm (Backing Vocals)


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