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Guitar gunner Neal Schon played as a teen with Santana. Then, he founded Journey and rode their radio wave while still reaching out to Jan Hammer and Sammy Hagar for creative freedom and chop flexing. In the late '80s, he joined Bad English, which was bad idea since singer John Waite and fellow Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain (both ex-Babys) confined Schon's hammer-down tendencies just like Journey. He finally got what he wanted with the hair unit Hardline: Bad English drummer Deen Castronovo drafted lifelong pal Todd Jensen (former David Lee Roth) for bass duty. Frontman Johnny Gioeli and his guitarist brother, Joey, already wrote songs together in Brunette. Hardline's debut, Double Eclipse, saw some MTV and radio action with "Takin' Me Down." Schon let out some of the stored-up slashing he had long suppressed. However, the early-'90s rock atmosphere was less than kind to such endeavors, and when Schon took the rhythm section on tour with Paul Rodgers, Hardline folded.
Neal Schon's perpetual quest for a heavy metal posse ends with Hardline. Freed from the corporate confines of Journey and Bad English, Schon unleashes pent-up guitar firepower. The best tunes on Hardline's solitary offering do shake, rattle, and rock. Three of these scorchers found FM radio: "Hot Cherie," "Rhythm From a Rad Car," and "Takin' Me Down." The ballads are retched, naturally. Sissy rock seems to be a big part of Schon's bag as he stays with Journey. At the time of Double Eclipse, principled rocking out was even more important as alternative closed in, so Hardline never really had a chance. Nice to hear Schon work it, though. - Doug Stone 01 - (4:22) Life's A Bitch
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