White Lion
Big Game

Speaking of White Lion, I always think of the friend who introduced me to their music for the first time. We were about 16 years old, still unaware of what life had in store for us, and frankly, we didn't care; back then, the only important thing was to have as much fun as possible and think as little as possible.

A bit like what White Lion teach us: if you want, life is as simple as their music, there's no point in making too many problems, because, in any case, any event resolves into issues of affection and as long as we have someone to think about ("Goin' Home Tonight") and people who care about us, everything will have more meaning, and the rest will take a back seat. Love is what rules the world, and it's because of love that we make the most important choices in our lives.

I was talking about my friend... now things are no longer as simple as they once were and while he battles with the dark issues of the psyche and can no longer practically lead a normal life, I'm here wondering what else the future will hold for me. So similar for past experiences but so different in perspectives. It's so strange how, in his case, nature was so mischievous, giving him such a strong body but, at the same time, such a weak mind. Anyway, it doesn't matter, because there's always White Lion to remind us how everything was easier once. When we meet, just putting on one of their records makes us feel better. The music is always there and is a bit like the beloved woman in "Goin' Home Tonight", who makes the day better, gives meaning to our struggles, and makes daily difficulties just a memory. It brings peace where there was once hell.

In the case of "Big Game," it's 11 tracks of peace, pure and simple hard rock. I've always been undecided about which is my favorite between this and the great "Mane Attraction" and I still wouldn't know how to answer this question; it all depends on the moments and sensations. The only thing I'm sure of is that, after more than 10 years, this kind of music still hasn't tired me, and I think it never will. We're not talking about bands that rode the wave of Glam success like Poison did, for example.

We're talking about a great band with immense talent more similar to Tesla or Great White for how they have brilliantly readapted the now weary hard rock in a modern key. That kind of bands that make you proud to be their fan and make you feel part of something superior. We're talking about the masters of the rock ballad. In the classic upbeat tracks, they are an excellent band for songwriting and interpretation, but it's in the slow ones (see "Broken Home" and "Cry For Freedom") that they reach their climax (I almost sound like my high school literature teacher!). It's here they move you the most and, depending on your mood, can even bring a tear to your eye. It's almost as if the rock ballad was invented by Mike Tramp and Vito Bratta for how they manage to make it instant classic right from the start. The radio hit singles this time are "Cry For Freedom", "Radar Love" (cover of Golden Earring), and "Little Fighter", but I'm not much interested in focusing on individual tracks. I'm not interested in talking about how underrated Bratta was as a guitarist and so on...

This is a work that needs to be listened to from the first to the last note and has within it the power I mentioned earlier, a power that only rock can have: to make life better and make us forget real problems; beyond who we are, where we come from, and the kind of worries we have.

And for me, that's more than enough.

'Cause i'm goin' home tonight
and everything will be alright
'cause when i open up the door
you'll be waiting
and you will keep me warm at night
and you will make me live again
yes i'm going home tonight and
you'll be waiting