Riverdogs

Despite Coming and going in the blink of an eye, the River dogs have al-ways been held in high esteem. Sure, lots of underachieving acts are be-stowed with acclaim but if one group genuinely deserves reappraisal, the River dogs are about as deserving as you can possibly get. And the reason isn't just because the band featured the presence of former Dio and Whitesnake (and future Def Leppard) guitarist Vivian Campbell. Formed in Los Angeles at a time when hair-metal was king, they were determined to avoid clichés, adopting a bluesy, almost Americana, style where restraint was central and excess frowned upon. Naturally Vivian Campbell played an influ-ential part in fashioning the musical palate but both bassist Nick Brophy and vocalist Rob Lamothe also attracted immediate attention.. Warm, command-ing and instantly identifiable, Lamothe's voice didn't rely on bombast to get noticed. Produced by Michael Frondelli (Kiss, Rolling Stones) and polished by Jeff Glixman (Gary Moore, Georgia Satellites) their album was greeted with universal acclaim. One of the most overlooked records of all time.