Sanjay Michael - Rocking Into Midnight

If you're old enough, Sanjay Michael's album, Rocking into Midnight, may bring back the glory days of AOR. These were simpler times, before music genres split into a million different pieces. Lyrics didn't need to be complicated or mysterious. No, the question then was basically whether a song rocked or not. Kinda like the American Bandstand rating: It has a good beat and it's easy to dance to - only louder. Sanjay Michael would have fit right in with this musical culture. His album would have received an enthusiastic thumbs up from AOR listeners back in the day.

Michael, who is from Singapore, keeps his music simple and pure. A few of his influences include AC/DC and Def Leppard, and you will pinpoint these right away when listening to these ten songs. They're intended to be played at full volume. One called "Backtracks," for instance, kicks off with an opening riff that sounds - wonderfully - like an old AC/DC riff. Its chanted chorus also mirrors fantastic AC/DC choruses.

Another song, "Rockin' Machine," simplifies the philosophy even further. Just put me into a rockin' machine, whatever that is. One supposes it's an imaginary place, perhaps a headspace, where rock music fully envelopes the listener. You don't need much; just lots of pounding drums and electric guitars, plus some lyrics about rocking out.

Yes, Sanjay Michael is not any kind of musical intellectual. He doesn't have to be. He knows that the basics or rock and roll are always solid and entertaining, and that's exactly how one might describe his pleasurable album.

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