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Going Blind with

I met Neal Grusky one night after a show, in the summer of 96. It was way out in the Valley - I almost got lost on my way to the gig! Neal happened to be there shooting pool that night, in this out-of-the-way club. He introduced himself, and said he liked my sound. We talked a little about Takara's impending third album, and agreed we would discuss it further. Then, he left. I stuck around for awhile, packed up my gear, and took some friends to Denny’s. Fifteen minutes later, Neal walked into the same Denny’s. Ever since, I have bumped into Neal randomly, on the freeway, at every day of every NAMM show, and even at places like the Rainbow, where I rarely go! The truth is, that for whatever reason, Neal & I are stuck with each other. : )

A week after we'd met, Neal invited me to his house. I found that it was just a few blocks away from some of my old hangouts and friends - another amazing coincidence, considering how far from our homes Neal & I had initially met. I spent most of the evening going through Neal's CD collection, and his pile of BURRN! magazines. And, of course, listening to the Takara discography. I was hooked on the band's sound, especially after listening to Taste of Heaven. The songs are great, and Jeff Scott Soto is an amazingly talented vocalist. I've got to say, I soon became a huge Jeff fan.

A few days later, Neal came over to my place. This time, he spent the bulk of the visit going through my tape collection! We were both infatuated with the same music - and, having similar influences, we had the same riffs going through our heads. We knew right then that we could make a great album together. This album would become Blind in Paradise.

...

Neal and Carl, during Taste of Heaven.

Plain and simple, these guys are special. Neal, Jeff, & bassist Carl De Marco - even Bernie Tavis, our engineer - were all very supportive, and kept the process stress-free. Their strong encouragement made me feel relaxed about trying new things; yet, their friendship made me want to really work hard.

A nice highlight of the recording process, was getting the chance to meet and talk to renowned bassist, and longtime Takara alumni Bob Daisley. Bob has played with every influential metal band there ever was, including pivotal albums with Ozzy and Rainbow. Bob stopped by to lay down bass lines for the monster ballad, Don't Wanna Be Alone. Watching Bob nail this in two takes, (and listening to his rock and roll stories over egg rolls), was truly inspiring. I knew this record was going to be special.

Takara made me more comfortable than I'd ever been in a musical situation. The songs had basically been written, but the band still gave all my ideas equal time - and even used most of 'em. They gave me a month to learn the song structures, embellish them, and color them in, using the musical palettes we all knew we shared. They gave me a lot of freedom in the studio, to make the kind of album I'd always wanted to hear - with only our engineer to reel me in. (What more could you ask for?)

Takara '98

When the record was finally done...they gave me the opportunity to return to the studio, with producer Jan Fairchild, to record a bonus piano track, Awake and Dreaming. Neal says this is one of his favorite songs on the album.

To hear more tracks from this album, be sure to visit the Rock Sounds page!  If you have never used MP3's before, try downloading

To download sounds from the Takara homepage, click on the image above.

June 6, 1998 saw the Japanese release of Blind in Paradise. Word of mouth was very good, and BURRN! magazine (the major Japanese rock periodical) had nothing but positive things to say about it. They gave the record an 89 out of 100. (In the same issue, they also reviewed the new albums from Slaughter, Skid Row, Ace Frehley, and Page & Plant, among others. Our scores beat them all. The Japanese are real music critics...)

The incomparable Jeff Scott Soto

Blind was soon released here in the US, as well as Europe and Canada. The buzz on this album continued for over a year, - and we're all pleased with its performance. The fans were awesome, and made me feel very welcome. Thank you all!

Jeff & I, going Blind

Finally, let me say that having Jeff mix this record made a real difference. Despite his busy schedule, he put a lot of care, and long hours, into making this record sound the way it does. Working in Jeff's studio, joking around, and yeah, looking through his record collection...brought us all together again, to give this package a proper send-off. The four of us, sitting together, listening to the fruit of a year's labor - it was special. This is a special band. And Blind in Paradise is a special record.

Our #1 pal, Darrell Sensing, (center), flew in for the Takara release party, June '98.

Click on the image above to sample, ETERNITY from the Takara homepage.

Later that year, our Japanese label was releasing various compilation albums from our label mates.  Amidst new releases from Judas Priest and Night Ranger, Takara was soon graced with it's own "Greatest Hits" package, entitled ETERNITY.  It also contained two additional unreleased tracks, and was also picked up in Europe.  Pretty friggin cool.

We had a good year off, during which I joined Equinox.  Then in 2000, Takara returned to the studio to begin album #5, PERCEPTIONS OF REALITY.  We had auditioned new drummers, and ultimately replaced Jeff with Michael James.  I laid down some rough keyboard tracks for the new record....but in the end, we all agreed that it would be best to have longtime friend Brook Hansen play keyboards on the new Takara record.   

PERCEPTIONS rocks, like we all knew it would, getting great reviews around the world, and charting heavily in Japan.  The band & I remained close friends, as Neal & I helped one another along with our respective new releases.  Then in the Summer of 2002, Neal invited me back to do some shows, as preparation for an upcoming live CD.  I was happy to reunite with my old friend. 

Special thanks to Darrell Sensing, for his immeasurable help, and dedication to Takara. And, the bulk of the pictures and artwork. Darrell maintains the Official Takara Homepage, as well as Jeff's Homepage - and has been a valuable asset to all of us. Please be sure to visit these great websites, for more pictures, sound clips, and upcoming news.