GRAND PRIX
“SAMURAI”
(1983)

Line-up:
Andy Beirne - Percussion, Drums 
Ralph Hood - Bass, Vocals 
Phil Lanzon - Keyboards, Vocals 
Robin McAuley - Vocals 
Michael O'Donahue - Guitar, Vocals 

Tracklist:
1. Give Me What's Mine
2. Shout
3. 50 - 50 
4. Here We Go Again
5. Countdown To Zero 
6. Somewhere Tonight
7. High Time
8. Never Before
9. Freedom 
10. Samurai

Grand Prix is a band that only managed to release three albums. They released their first homonymous album in 1980. Then after two years they released “There For None To See” and in 1983 was their time with “Samurai”. I strongly believe that “Samurai” is the best work of the band, although after that album they split up. 

Grand Prix (what a really different and unique name!) for those who might not know them, are playing melodic rock/AOR music with some hard rock elements from song to song. And believe me that they know not only what they play but they also know how to play it!

“Samurai” damned to be the last and the best album of the band. In this album they chime in the best elements from the AOR genre and also their best ideas with their good way of playing. The songs are not as heavy as you might think but they all have beautiful choruses and strong vocal melodies. Moreover that’s the thing that made “Samurai” a very good melodic album. Just listen to songs like “50-50”, “Here We Go Again”, “Freedom You Cry”, “Somewhere Tonight”, “High Time”, and the lyrical “Samurai” to “see” how good Grand Prix was. Also the production is good for the period that the album was released, but I believe that nowadays of course it would have a stronger production. But after sometimes that you are listening to the album you get used to the production and on the other hand that’s the 80’s era. This is an album that was taken out from the 80’s and the feeling when you are listening to an album of that decade it is very “strange”.

I have to admit that I like very much the 80’s era and in general the music that was produced then. I’m not nostalgic of the 80’s era, but when it comes to that period I must admit that music and other things also were more innocence and that’s something that I respect a lot.

So, as it concerns Grand Prix although they were a good band they disappeared from the music scene. But “Samurai” is still there and it continues to remind us a band that sunk in the music industry’s bullshits! If you manage to find “Samurai” on a second-hand record store then do not loose the chance to get it especially all you out there that you like AOR music.

by Thanos Aggelakis