Champlin Bill, Williams Joseph & Friestedt Peter (CWF) – III

Champlin Bill, Williams Joseph & Friestedt Peter (CWF)
III
Label: Black Lodge Records
Out: September 27^th, 2024
Playing time: 45:45

It’s a spectacular collaboration: TOTO singer Joseph Williams is teaming up with former Chicago singer Bill Champlin and Swedish guitarist/producer Peter Friestedt to release a new AOR album! This collaboration builds on the immense success of their album ‘CWF II’ (2020) and the ‘Live In Concert’ DVD (2013), which catapulted to the top of the Swedish charts. They are joined by other musicians. That’s reason enough to take a closer listen to the album.

Oh, that’s beautiful. ‘Brighter Day’ offers the finest AOR in the eighties style. Both singers fit together very well. Of course, the sound of their earlier bands shines through here. The ballad ‘Sure’ follows on seamlessly. ‘Wings Of Tomorrow’ is a little more rocking again, but the basic musical direction remains the same. The next contemplative ballad follows with ‘Find The Love’. ‘Carrie’ – there was a film – “Satan’s youngest daughter”. But this quiet song has nothing to do with that. Nor does it have anything to do with the hits of the same name by Europe or Cliff Richard.  What impresses me most is the harmonious vocals. ‘I Will Find You There’, “Stay With Me”, “Fly Away Now” and the instrumental “Moments Of Joy” continue in a calm and sometimes balladic vein. In between, ‘Almost Had Me There’ is a little harder. And on the final song ‘The Last Unbroken Heart’ you can enjoy the soulful and slightly smoky voice of Bill’s wife Tamara Champlin.

The calm, contemplative tones clearly dominate on ‘III’. So if you like the bands of the two protagonists, you’ve come to the right place. This is an album where you should simply close your eyes and enjoy the music.

CWF – Fly Away Now (Official Visualizer): https://youtu.be/YppztW00Rwo?si=k8lZ9oFwFQnqVuCz

Lineup:

Joseph William – Vocals
Peter Friestedt – Guitar, Production
Bill Champlin – Vocals

Featured artists:

Jason Scheff – Vocals
John JR Robinson – Drums
Randy Goodrum – Keys “
Tamara Champlin – Vocals
Michael Ruff

Track list:

• Brighter Day
• Sure
• Wings Of Tomorrow
• Find The Love Preview Download
• Carrie
• I Will Find You There
• Stay With Me
• Almost Had Me There
• Fly Away Now
• Moments Of Joy
• The Last Unbroken Heart