Donnie Eubank Still Has a Lot of Rock and Roll Left in Him
It’s difficult to review Donnie Eubank’s solo CD, The Speed of Life, without making many references to classic rock, so I’m not even going to try to omit those comparisons. On the Scioto County music scene since the mid-1970s, Donnie Eubank has amassed many performances, but this is his first solo effort. Among the two biggest name local bands he has played in are the 1970’s Space Park South, and Flint which performed together throughout the Tri-State for many years.
The opening track, “My Baby Gives It Away” immediately alerts the listener that this is a straightforward, no apologies, rock and roll record. It’s not an old rocker who has mellowed; Eubank is on top of his game. The instrumental offerings are rich and the opening track offers a stunningly hot guitar solo. The piano offers a nice touch, and the ensemble-style vocals are a little reminiscent of Grand Funk’s 1974 “Shining On” album.
Next up is my favorite track on the opus, “One of a Kind”. Eubank’s vocal is a standout here.
His vocal quality is very much like Ringo Starr’s early solo work. Listen to the verses of this song and then listen to Ringo on “The No No Song” or “Snookeroo”. Yet, Donnie Eubank’s delivery is also somewhat reminiscent of Jim Morrison of the Doors- in delivery; not necessarily vocally the same, but the enunciation comes across in the same manner.
The bridge of “Honey” is interesting and the standout feature of this song. As I write this, I see that Amazon is calling it the most popular track on the album, but I know those things change often. This is the type of song you might have heard as a downtempo track in the early 1980s. I’m not sure this was his intention, but this song has mass appeal and could be the one the CD is best remembered for in future years.
I love searing electric guitars and the opening (and mid riffs) of the next track does not disappoint. “Can’t Stop Dreaming About You” shows that Eubank is versatile musically while remaining faithful to rock and roll. I’m not much of a musician myself, but I hear a lot of guitar foot pedal use in this track- plus the backing vocals perfectly complement Eubank’s lead vocal.
“Outlaw” is interesting to say the least. Both the title and the vocal style beg for a Johnny Cash comparison, and make no mistake, it’s there. This is becoming one of my favorite tracks on the CD although I confess it was not one that I was instantly drawn to, but as you know, those sometimes end being our favorite tracks.
Being a product of Scioto County myself, I completely understand “I Saw the Light”. Given that there is an old gospel song by that title, the Christian references are not surprising. But this is not a tale of simple spiritual awakening. This is a salvation that was hard fought for, and it happened over a period of time, yet it “took me by surprise.” An interesting track for this set, and I urge you not to dismiss it. There’s not a whole lot to it lyrically, but that is the genius of the song in a sense. It manages to get a message across with few lyrics- I’m not sure everyone will take from the song what I did, but I see it as a song about a person who probably has come full circle spiritually- a “been there, done that” tune.
Donnie ends the CD with “I Like Your Style.” I’m glad he ended it with a track called that because that’s what I want to say to Mr. Eubank. Donnie, you were somewhat of a hero to me when you were in Space Park South in 1977 and I was among the most naïve high school freshmen in Scioto County. All I knew was that I loved rock and roll and I had found that were other people in my area that did also.
Thank you, Donnie Eubank, for this CD. Thank you, sir, for your contributions to local music for over 40 years. Thank you for remaining vital to our community.