Zebra - 3.V (1986) {2013, Japanese Limited Edition, Remastered}

3.V is the third studio album by American hard rock band Zebra, released in 1986 by Atlantic Records. The album failed to chart – it would be the group's last studio album for Atlantic before being dropped from the label. The album went out-of-print in 1990. It was reissued in 2007 as an import paired on one CD with No Tellin' Lies, another deleted title, as the stand-alone compact disc version became a scarce collector's item in the meantime. 3.V, along with the first two Zebra albums, was reissued on CD again in Japan in 2013. Some critics have heralded this to be the best Zebra album, even better than their debut.

Some artists may not have reached the huge sales figures of many superstar acts but their influence was significant on the fan base that they did acquire. Zebra were one such act. A three piece power trio, they were a band that, although selling reasonably well, never quite reached the summit of their commercial potential but attracted a hugely committed following, based solely on the quality of their output… and it is a sound that still has power and presence today. Signed to Atlantic Records, the band's first album was actually the fastest selling debut in the label's long and impressive history. Their second album No Tellin' Lies failed to capitalize on this unexpected good fortune, but the quality of material was just as impressive. With the obliquely titled third record (a reference to how long it had taken to record it!) the band took stock and pledged to make the best record of their career. 3.V is actually an incredible creation. Melodic yet forceful, it moves them firmly away from their Led Zeppelin roots to a unique world, focusing on their brilliant arrangements and great songs. It also moved the band in a far more progressive rock style attracting comparisons to Rush but with their own melodic sensibility. The musicianship is phenomenal and leader Randy Jackson's vocals are wonderfully expressive, demonstrating an extraordinary range. Truly, it is one of the best hitherto underexposed rock albums of the 1980s.

Taking a cue from the almighty Zeppelin on the numerical album title, Zebra bestows a most un-Leded offering. 3.V is mastermind Randy Jackson's last-ditch effort to conquer civilization through his New Orleans power trio; a wise and distinct musical mural depicting the delectable joy of living beyond drugs and despair. The insular production (along with Hanemann's keys) may be off-putting, but once inside 3.V, "He's Making You the Fool," "Your Mind's Open," "Better Not Call," and "Hard Living Without You" rank as some of the best songs ever written in any regard. Following Geddy Lee's lead, Jackson tones down his banshee wail and delicately weaves these masterworks around his powerful pipes, resulting in a (shudder) heavy metal Bee Gees (much cooler than that sounds). Jackson scats, scolds and soars, always keeping things tight. Like the deceptively simple title indicates, 3.V has that certain something extra: more than an album, 3.V opens the mind of an unheralded genius.

~ Doug Stone, All Music

Track List:

01. Can't Live Without [3:41]
02. He's Making You The Fool [3:53]
03. Time [5:23]
04. Your Mind's Open [3:40]
05. Better Not Call [5:10]
06. You'll Never Know [2:59]
07. About to Make The Time [5:06]
08. You're Only Losing Your Heart [3:50]
09. Hard Living Without You [3:24]
10. Isn't That The Way [3:23]