Takara – ‘Eternity: The Best of 93-98’ (1998) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

After Takara’s third album, The label decided to release a greatest hits compilation of those first three albums. Jeff Scott Soto was no longer a member of the band…okay…he was never an “official” member of the band even though he sang on three albums with them. Now that the band needed to search for a new singer, the label wanted to release this to hold fans over until that process was done. Neal Grusky’s search for a replacement would take a little while as their follow-up album didn’t come out until 2001 with Michael James Flatters as their new singer.

This compilation had 16 tracks and was released on November 18, 1998. If you have the Japanese Edition, you get two additional acoustic tracks as well which is always a plus. However, I think you get those two acoustic tracks on every edition so it isn’t that special…although I don’t think they were ever previously released. You also get the ever cherished OBI Strip along with a booklet with lyrics in both English and Japanese. As far as a breakout between albums you get 5 tracks from the debut, ‘Eternal Faith’, 6 from the follow-up ‘Taste of Heaven’ and 5 from the final Soto album, ‘Blind in Paradise’. The songs are in chronological order and even in the same order they were on the album so not much thought was put in to sequencing for this release. But it is a money grab, so what do you expect.

“Spotlight” kicks it all off and is the first of five tracks from ‘Eternal Faith’. It sounds like you are right back in 1985 with the keyboards and heavy guitar riffs. It is Bon Jovi meets Europe. The album sounds so dated in the 80’s which is not where the music scene was going in 1993!! It has the obligatory guitar solo and Jeff’s vocals have that higher register tone which was key for 80’s rock. The biggest problem is the keyboards are high in the mix and sound like crap. They have this crisp, clink, clink sound to them which I find rather annoying. But not too much that I don’t enjoy the song…more a production note.

“Two Hearts Together” is more in your face 80’s rock (okay, the whole album is). You could place any band’s name in here during that era and you’d be right and this time it could easily be Dokken. Jeff is Mr. Melodic Vocals as his style and tone fits it so well. And if this was 10 years earlier than 1993, we might have a hit on our hands. The chorus is catchy and got some hooks and you got the gun slinger of Neal Grusky shredding away on guitar.

“Restless Heart” gives us an acoustic guitar and angelic keyboard notes and we get our first ballad with Jeff’s vocals start off soft and emotive and then the song blows up the power and then back to the soft verses. Vocally Jeff gives it his heart and soul. Overall, a pretty generic ballad with the usual checklist of requirements you must have to be considered one. It is a pretty good track, but doesn’t compare to what the field offered in the 80’s…oh right, this isn’t the 80’s…this is 1993…I keep forgetting what year this was released.

“Fallen Angel” is up next and should I continue with the comparisons as we all know what this will sound like as there is no originality to any of it. This song is destroyed by the clink, clink of the keyboards. They sound so awful, I mean beyond bad. And the drum sound, ugh. Take both of those out and maybe decent track.

“Colors Fade”, a true ballad yet more horrible keyboards. They are supposed to sound like a real piano, but they don’t…not even close. Jeff really sounds good here as he doesn’t hold back. Production really kills this one for me.

“When Darkness Falls” brings us the first of the six songs from 1995’s ‘Taste of Heaven’. The song opens the album with a great riff from Neal Grusky. An upbeat, melodic rocker with some great vocals from Jeff and a catchy chorus. Carl’s bass is thumping away and Robert’s pounding drums both lay a great groove. And then Neal comes back with a great solo and Julie’s keyboards add some nice elements to the song towards the end. You get a typical 80’s rock song but in 1995 and although it isn’t the strongest opening track, it is still decent.

“Days of Dawn” is in the same vein as the previous song. This one might be a little more rocking and it is pure melodic bliss. The chorus will have you singing along as it is laden with great harmonies. It slows down in the verses and goes full steam on the choruses and yes, has the obligatory guitar solo. I think this is a better song than the opener and probably would’ve been better in reverse order.

“Your Love” starts off acoustically and then goes full tilt but it isn’t a ballad. It is another rocker. The harmonies are on overload with this one and Jeff is singing a little too high and seems straining at times as if it is forced. This song isn’t bad but it is rather cheesy in tone and lyrics. Too paint-by-numbers…verse, chorus, verse, chorus, guitar solo, chorus. You get it. This is one of the two tracks that Bob Daisley played bass on for the album.

“December” happens to be the other track Bob played bass on and I would say he adds some great flavor. The song starts off with a cappella harmonies and then full band. Another rocker, Jeff attacks the vocals and yet is more of the same, but a little better than some. Just no real variety so far.

“Last Mistake” has those opening keyboards a la Journey and yes, it is a ballad. Jeff goes all emotive on the vocals. The chorus is filled with harmonies and sounds like any other 80’s ballad (but again we are in 1995). It is rather dull, lifeless and boring. Nap time…except for the solo…you can go back to your nap after that.

 “Lonely Shade of Blue” might be at my favorite song from that album and one Jeff still plays on occasion. It has an acoustic style opening as this ballad delivers the goods. Is it cheesy, yes, but it works in the end. Jeff’s vocals are slow, emotional and effective. When you get to the build up and then that chorus is killer. The way he sings the title is wonderful. His best performance on that album. I don’t normally like an album ending on a ballad, but this one really works and I am thoroughly enjoying myself.

“Take U Down” is the first song of the five from the band’s third and final album with Jeff, 1998’s ‘Blind in Paradise’. It has an almost Asia-like keyboard opener. The song is a heavy rocker and has a whole 80’s AOR vibe like all the songs. But it is one of the better tracks on the album. Soto’s vocals are always spot on and it does have a great solo by Neal. 

“Your Love 2Night” is more of the same. This one is a little more upbeat and doesn’t really give us anything new but still a respectable track even if chorus is repeated too many times. You will find the songs on here are good, but not really great. Most are missing that little something extra to make them better.

“Don’t Wanna Be Alone” opens slowly with some soft guitars and an airy sound and then Jeff being giving as much emotion as he can. This ballad has a little more heart than the prior one. There is a nice bass line through out giving it a nice little groove which was done by Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne). There is also a violin by Bernie Tavis which is a really nice touch. Not too bad overall.

“Blind in Paradise” has a little more “umph” to it. The title track should be one of the standout tracks and this one is no different. It is a solid rocker, with a great chorus with some good harmonies. Although it isn’t that different from the rest, there is a little more energy and excitement to it and I’ll take it at this point because it is needed. Plus, I like the solo in it as well.

“Say U’ll Stay” is the final track on the regular album and here as well. It is a borderline ballad and soft rocker. But it doesn’t nothing for me, sadly. We are 1998 and sound like we are back in the 80’s. These guys were like 10 years too late to the party. Jeff does great ballads, but this is not one of them.

“Restless Heart” this time around is an acoustic track and I think is even better than the original studio track. Jeff’s vocals really shine here as they are front and center. They are so smooth and feel so powerful. A very stripped down version done to perfection.

“Your Love” is the final song and another acoustic version. The original started off acoustically, but went full band mode. This one keeps it acoustic only and backs off the harmonies. Simply guitars and Jeff and another one I think might be better than the original. This one takes it from rocker to a ballad and it works better. Less cheesy, more polished and Jeff…well…he is the reason we are here. Awesome track.

A compilation after only 3 albums is pretty lame, but I get it. Jeff was getting a little more well known with Talisman so why not capitalize on that fact. Although they didn’t pull all the best songs from those albums, they did capture most of them and so this actually make this a great starting point if you want to check out the band. If you like these songs, then the albums will be right up your alley. I thought all three albums were simply okay, nothing really that great as a whole package. ‘Eternity’ is a much more enjoyable listen in my book. My Overall Score is a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. As I said, it doesn’t take all the best songs from those three albums, but it gets it right most of the time. It is a little dated in their sound as they were still sounding like the 80’s although the music scene had significantly moved on by the late 90’s.

THE JEFF SCOTT SOTO SERIES:

1. Panther – ‘Panther’ (1986) – recorded in 1984
2. Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – ‘Rising Force’ (1984)
3. Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – ‘Marching Out’ (1985)
4. Kuni – ‘Lookin’ For Action’ (1988)
5. Kryst the Conqueror – ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ (1989) / ‘Soldiers of Light: The Complete Recordings (2019)
6. Eyes – ‘Eyes’ (1990)
7. Eyes – “Nobody Said It Was Easy” (1990) – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition
8. Talisman – ‘Talisman’ (1990)
9. Talisman – “I’ll Be Waiting” (1990) – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition
10. Skrapp Mettle – ‘Sensitive’ (1991)
11. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Eternal Prisoner’ (1992)
12. Bakteria – ‘Deficate! Suffocate! Mutilate! Masturbate!’ (1992 / 2009)
13. Eyes – ‘Windows of the Soul’ (1993)
14. Talisman – ‘Genesis’ (1993)
15. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘The Ballads’ (1993)
16. Biker Mice From Mars – ‘Biker Mice From Mars (Soundtrack)’ (1993)
17. Takara – ‘Eternal Faith’ (1993)
18. Talisman – ‘5 Out Of 5 (Live in Japan)’ (1994)
19. Talisman – ‘Humanimal’ (1994)
20. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Between the Walls’ (1994)
21. Gary Schutt – ‘Sentimetal’ (1994)
22. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Love Parade’ (1994)
23. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Made in Germany (Live)’ (1995)
24. Takara – ‘Taste of Heaven’ (1995)
25. Talisman – ‘Life’ (1995)
26. Jeff Scott Soto, Gary Schutt, Michael Voss, Neal Grusky – ’24th of June: Alive ‘N Kissing’ (1995)
27. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Black Moon Pyramid’ (1996)
28. Human Clay – ‘Human Clay’ (1996)
29. Talisman – ‘Best of’ (1996)
30. Talisman – ‘Besterious’ (1996)
31. Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Magic’ (1997)
32. Human Clay – ‘U4IA’ (1997)
33. Boogie Knights – ‘Welcome to the Jungle Boogie’ (1997)
34. Takara – ‘Blind in Paradise’ (1998)
35. Talisman – ‘Truth’ (1998)
36. Takara – ‘Eternity: The Best of 93-98’ (1998)
37. ‘Rock Star: Music from the Motion Picture (Soundtrack)’ – Various Artists (2001)
38. Humanimal – ‘Humanimal’ (2002)
39. Humanimal – Find My Way Home: Limited Edition E.P. (2002)
40. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Holding On E.P.’ (2002)
41. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Prism’ (2002)
42. Talisman – ‘Live at Sweden Rock Festival’ (2002)
43. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘JSS Live at the Gods 2002’ (2003)
44. Talisman – ‘Cats & Dogs’ (2003)
45. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Believe in Me E.P.’ (2004
46. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Lost in the Translation’ (2004)
47. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live at the Queen Convention 2003’ (2004)
48. Soul SirkUS – ‘World Play’ (2004/2005)
49. Talisman – ‘Five Men Live’ (2005)
50. Talisman – ‘World’s Best Kept Secret DVD (2005)
51. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Essential Ballads’ (2006)
52. Journey – ‘Live from Atlanta (Bootleg)’ (2006)
53. Talisman – ‘7’ (2006)
54. Talisman – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
55. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘B-Sides’ (2006)
56. Redlist – ‘Ignorance’ (2007)
57. Jeff Scott Soto – LA Rocks Demo / Vinnie Vincent Demo 1988 (2008)
58. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Beautiful Mess’ (2009)
59. Jeff Scott Soto – “21st Century” / “Gin & Tonic Sky” CD Single (2009) – Bonus Edition
60. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘One Night in Madrid’ (2009)
61. Trans-Siberian Orchestra – ‘Night Castle’ (2009)
62. W.E.T. – ‘W.E.T.’ (2009)
63. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live at Firefest 2008’ (2010)
64. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Damage Control’ (2012)
65. W.E.T. – ‘Rise Up’ (2013)
66. W.E.T. – ‘One Live in Stockholm’ (2014)
67. Jeff Scott Soto – The Authorized Biography (2014)
68. SOTO – ‘Inside the Vertigo’ (2015)
69. Joel Hoekstra’s 13 – Dying to Live (2015)
70. SOTO – ‘Divak’ (2016)
71. Sons of Apollo – ‘Psychotic Symphony’ (2017)
72. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Retribution’ (2017)
73. W.E.T. – ‘Earthrage’ (2018)
74. SOTO – ‘Origami’ (2019)
75. Sons of Apollo – ‘Live With the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony’ (2019)
76. Sons of Apollo – ‘MMXX’ (2020)
77. Talisman – “Never Die (A Song For Marcel)” – 7″ Single (2020)
78. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Live and Loud in Milan 2019’ (2020)
79. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)’ (2020)
80. SOTO – ‘Revision’ (2020)
81. W.E.T. – ‘Retransmission’ (2021)
82. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘The Duets Collection, Vol. 1’ (2021)
83. Jeff Scott Soto – ‘Complicated’ (2022)
84. Jeff Scott Soto – The Solo Albums Ranked Worst to First
85. Ellefson-Soto – ‘Vacation in the Underworld’ (2022)
86. Slam – Slam (2023)
87. Art of Anarchy – ‘Let There Be Anarchy’ (2024)
88. D’Luna – ‘Monster’ (2024)
89. W.E.T. – ‘Apex’ (2025)
90. Ellefson-Soto – ‘Unbreakable’ (2025)
91. Jeff Scott Soto – ALL THE ALBUMS Ranked Worst to First
92. Jeff Scott Soto / Jason Bieler – Live In Concert (2022) – Bonus Edition
93. Jeff Scotto Soto / Jason Bieler – Live in Concert (2023) – Bonus Edition