01. Eyes Of The World
02. All Night Long
03. Love's No Friend
04. Making Love
05. Since You've Been Gone [Russ Ballard cover]
06. Keys Solo
07. Lazy
08. Imposter
09. S.O.S.
10. Desert Song
11. Drum Solo
12. Night Games
13. Into The Night
14. Assault Attack
15. Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live
16. Lost In Hollywood

The eyes of the world are watching...a shame then that is a CD...

Now, I don't usually review live albums as a rule, not because I don't enjoy them, but they sit in an uncomfortable no man's land where they lack the refinement of a studio album and (often) lack the excitement of the in-person concert experience. Well, a well-meaning person knew Graham Bonnet was one of my favourite vocalists and gifted me this album for Christmas (a CD for Christmas? A novelty, I know) so I guess it's off to no man's land for me this Christmas.

So, is Lost In Hollywood Again a Christmas feast for the ears or the musical equivalent of a jumper you say you love when you open it but banish to the back of the cupboard come Boxing Day? Well, put it this way: if this album got lost in Hollywood...again, I doubt many would rush to rescue it. It is not a bad album, but one that is so middle-of-the-road it blends into the Hollywood skyline background.

Well, looking at the track listing, you're immediately hit with the realisation that Graham Bonnet must spend a fortune on Christmas cards to ex-bandmates, given the glut of bands he's at some point called home (and that's without Impellitteri being represented here). The tracklisting has some notable exceptions, with Alcatrazz being severely underrepresented, but again, that's the nature of live albums.

Still, a healthy dose of Rainbow and Michael Schenker Group isn't something to be passed up. With the former being front-heavy on the album, it gets the album off to a strong start...and before the biggest shortcoming becomes apparent. Now, at time of recording Bonnet was 77 years old, so it is highly understandable that his voice is not what it once was, and neither is his stamina. As the album goes on, you can hear him struggling more and more, to the point on "Into The Night" he's being slowly lowered in the mix to protect him. More power to him not only to be able to continue performing at his age, but for his voice to still be in relatively good condition (plus, even with the A.I. cover art, they aren't hiding his age either).

So, it goes without saying, the highlights are at the start of the album before he starts to tire (I suspect that's why two instrumental solos are placed where they are) as "Desert Song" and "Night Games" highlight how much he has to strain himself to hit notes he once hit for fun. Much like Santa Claus and his elves, much of the attention is given to Bonnet and the musical elves get no chance to express themselves. Graham Bonnet Band are competent, but lacking much in terms of personality, something not helped by the decision to cut nearly all the between-song banter.

Much like the aforementioned jumper, Lost In Hollywood Again is likely to be something you forget exists before stumbling across it once a year and putting it on, if not out of obligation, then out of strange nostalgia.