ETERNAL JAM

Sedona - Dragonfly

I was never looking forward to hearing a CD as much as I was this one. With all the time and effort the band put into it, I knew it had to be great. They spent a great deal of time fine tuning it, and sent out a beta-version to friends to work the bugs out of the enhanced portion of the CD. The day that I got Dragonfly in the mail, I immediately put it in. It was everything I expected, and more.

Since the minute I heard Sedona, I was hooked. Their last CD was great, but Dragonfly is twice as good. The band seems to have matured so much in the last few years. They sound tighter than ever, and Mike Fox's voice blows the top off the "growl" meter. They recorded a CD that is very diverse and there isn't one song on it that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. This would definitely be my top pick CD of 1998. It is a perfect representation of the greatness that Sedona is capable of. When Dragonfly finds its way to the right record exec's desk, they'll definitely be signed. Anyone would be a fool to pass these guys up.

Trying to pick a favorite song on this CD is a difficult task. My favorites vary but most often I'd choose "My Sacred Garden" and "Run Wild Horses." "My Sacred Garden" is the most unusual song on the CD. If I didn't know that it was a Sedona song, I'd have a hard time figuring that out. I'm not sure how to accurately describe why without knowing the technical terms, but I've never heard Mike's voice sound quite like this before. It's a calm, "trancy" rockin' tune with a great beat. "Run Wild Horses" is a perfect example of the classic Sedona sound. Mike has that growl going and there's so much emotion in his voice. "Wrong" would be a hit on any "alternative" rock station. It's a powerful song with a hint of what some consider to be an "alternative" sound, but to me, it just plain rocks! "Waiting On The Call" is a great melodic rock song. The back up vocals really stand out in this song. The band is in perfect harmony and it's songs like this that makes one realize that Sedona is made up of 4 great musicians (and not just the great voice that I talk about so often). The other Fox brother, Ray, sings "All This Love." Vocal talent definitely runs in the family. It's a beautiful "love" song. The last song on the CD is "Nowhere But Down." I love it! I hear strong Def Leppard influences in this song. Other songs include: "Filling Up The Holes," "Highest Star In Heaven," "Galileo's Reach" (an instrumental), "Crazy" and "Mama's In The Kitchen" (rockin' song), all of which are great songs.

The enhanced portion of the CD is very cool, too. It contains many hidden goodies including video, a photo gallery, etc. This CD is full of strong guitars, great drum beats, strong vocals, and tight backing vocals. Sedona is the total package. This is a must have CD. If I've peaked your interest and you'd like to check it out, go to their site at: www.sedonaworld.com.

-Lori Powers