Why am I taking this unprofessional, fan-boy approach to this article/review you ask? Well, the bottom line is Chuck Mosley is one of my favorite singers/songwriters/performers of all time and I have been waiting untold years for a new record from him. I have had the chance to meet and spend time with both Chuck and his family over the years and have no problem expressing my honest opinions about the album, but I felt the need to be up front about my fan-hood so I could express myself the way I felt I needed to.

I have heard some of the songs that appear on this record for close to nine years in several versions and variations including live in concert with VUA, acoustic solo shows at small clubs and pubs, and several demos. Thus, I can't help but compare this album with older versions a bit. I apologize if this becomes tedious to those who haven't seen or heard VUA before.

I don't need to bore you with details or stall with a long bio of Chuck's past, but for those that do not know Chuck has performed with bands such as Cement, Faith No More, Bad Brains, and several others. If you are one of the many who haven't heard Cement, I suggest you buy his new disc and then go buy the second Cement disc The Man With The Action Hair.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't heard the album yet and want to be surprised or unbiased when you hear it then please do not read further!

Ok, we caught up? Good, let's get to the music:

The album opens with an organ-fueled intro that bleeds right into the first single "The Enabler." This song features guest vocals by a little-known Chuck Mosley fan named Jonathan Davis (Korn) and one time Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5. The song is vastly different than the live and demo versions I've heard in the past as the song has taken on a nu-metal/industrial feel that at first, I wasn't sold on. But Chuck's vocals mix so well to what Mr. Davis did it has grown on me completely. The vocalist for Korn, I think, did a great job injecting his style and passion into Chuck's words and helped create a great song. I must give Kudos to Mr. Davis for making the collaboration possible and giving it his all.

Part of what makes Chuck so good in my mind is his character and the style he has developed over the years and with it comes his guitar playing which, while it might not make for standard 3-minute radio edits, it is full of passion, excitement, and a bit of punk attitude. This element is lacking slightly on the record and one of the songs it is missed is "The Enabler" but again the song has taken on a whole new persona that I think will help make Chuck accessible to the masses. The song features fast paced talking/rapping verses exploding into a clever and powerful chorus. Multiple tracks of electronics add cryptic layers on top of the thick guitar work and near the end the final guitar solo swims over the organ sound from the intro track tying the song up nicely.

The song "Tractor" has been spread so far and wide around the internet already that I almost hesitate to say anything because I think everyone has heard it, but it is one of my favorite tracks so I can't gloss over it. The song begins as a very "pretty" guitar line and quickly develops into a slow, loud, grinding groove more akin to Ministry or Nine Inch Nails than psychedelic rock. Vocals come in cool, calm, and seductive over the heavy verse and the energy builds inside pockets of nerves, anxiety, and aggression before imploding under its own weight into a breakdown. Normally some might question one man calling another man's voice seductive, but give it a listen and then email me if you think I am wrong.

For those who have been listening to Mosley projects for years know already that Chuck has enthusiasm for music that falls into several genres, but he never truly dispatches from his young punk roots and that is evident on songs like "Punk Rock Movie" that thrash and shake and have an aimless summer drive kind of feel. Some would say this song bleeds into the wide world of radio pop/rock and while I agree it is catchy and fun it is also refreshing to hear pop/punk done well.

One of the absolute stand out tracks of not only this album, but of 2009 is aptly named, "Nameless" and this could be a song that really exposes what a great songwriter Chuck truly is. A dash under three minutes of pure catchy, sweet melody "Nameless" could be the featured song on soundtracks, TV Shows, and adult top 40 radio stations anywhere. The tune is haunting, beautiful and will probably be a wake up call to anyone who hasn't heard the guest vocalist Leah Lou to take notice.

I hope it doesn't slide past people listening to the disc just how powerful it is to hear Chuck duet with one of the heaviest vocalists of all time in Jonathan Davis and one of the softest voices on the rise in Leah Lou and sound completely comfortable and compatible with both performers. Anyone that has doubts about Mr. Mosley's vocal abilities need only absorb those two tracks to have their minds changed.

Following the soon to be hit is a "cover" of a Cement song written by Chuck himself called, "Piledriver". While the song was previously recorded and released for a Cement disc it was never given proper shelf-life as the band was involved in a bad tour van accident. That put a halt to touring and in the end the band itself. The song, released and rerecorded here, is a big rock song with an added edge from previous versions. While the vocals are similar in tone, the music is harder and the drums even kick up the intensity with some double bass action giving it a metal feel near its close. While this version is strong, the mix seems to have every track turned up to eleven and the song loses some of its natural dynamics.

"Ain't gonna stop what I started!" is bellowed as a full blast of intensity as "Come Around" explodes into a fiery ball of declaration. Painting a sharp contrast to the first half of the song, which is engaging yet mellow and soulful, the shouted lyrics are the ultimate announcement that Chuck Mosley is back and no one will stand in his way of doing what he loves, making music. A new edition from the demos is a keyboard line that descends as the song reaches its highest intensity.

I was pleased this song was left out of any major changes or cuts in length of time. You will get no argument from me that one kink in Chuck's songwriting as far as a marketing/radio airplay is concerned is the long length of songs as well as his preference for long build ups and breakdowns that make it a difficult sell to radio consultants that assume the public has fifteen seconds of attention span. That being said there is a fine line between "playing to your target audience" and gutting a song's heart and soul. This album, while it has several singles in multiple genres, is missing a little bit of Chuck's raw, in your face with no apologies ethos.

The next song review will be as quick as the fifty-three second song is itself. "King Arthur's Cousin, Ted" is a quick slice of southern California surf punk that is completed so fast I had to listen two...no three times just to finish this sentence. I would love to hear a whole collection of songs like this from VUA in the future because I know for a fact Chuck has a bunch ready. Hey Chuck how about a song for Cleveland?!

What better gift could a father have for his family than a beautiful song like, "Sophie"? This is one of the best recordings on the disc, and Chuck really shines. Having heard the first recording circa 1996 when Chuck used an electric guitar to record, this song I can say, no matter how it is played, is powerful. For this version, some of the psychedelic/heavy on effects guitar-work and vocals were taken out and it gives the song a more straightforward feel. This song will make a great lullaby for my future children.

Feel that kick to your teeth? Yes, that's the updated version of the Faith No More anthem, "We Care A Lot". With no warning the song crashes out with just as much reckless abandon as the original did over twenty years ago. This time out (by my scorecard it's Chuck's third version of this song) Chuck has updated the lyrics giving shout outs to nu-metal, being p.c., and though it sounds like he asks about a naked lady across the street it's actually not the case. You don't have to dig deep to hear his mention of "the other" vocalist for Faith No More, but the keyboards performed by Roddy Bottum are a little low in the mix. When this song was first released rap was so far from the mainstream spotlight that looking back you can't help but credit its release as one of the first fusions of rap and rock. It helped open doors for bands like Limp Bizkit who are also given a shout out in the remake. It also should be noted that I first heard this new version just after I meekly added my vocal take on the original for a Faith No More tribute disc and it deflated my pumped up confidence quickly hearing the man himself do it. Why is that relevant to this article you ask? Mostly I mentioned it because it's a shame that there were so many years without new music from Chuck Mosley that we had to resort to second rate covers of his songs to pass the time and I am so glad he is back!

Closing the album is "Bob Forest" another song named after a person Chuck knew and decided to sing about. This is one song that ended up completely different from the demos and that I haven't embraced fully yet. Part of the reason is it feels like they weren't sure which way to take the song which started as a long, trippy, spacey jam topping ten minutes as a demo and is turned into a safe, middle of the road jam on the record. While the recording is of the best quality the passion, excitement, and art-rock atmosphere is lost leaving the listener confused on the direction of the song. Again, for those who haven't heard this song live maybe it won't matter, but I would love to hear this song as originally intended.

Overall, this is a strong effort and my hope is that its success will lead to more music from Chuck and VUA quickly. Again, I strongly suggest picking up the album, the vinyl, t-shirts, and anything else with the VUA stamp to support one of the best artists of our time.