Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
The Jim Best Project
Title
Never Keep
Type
LP/EP
Company
Independent
YOR
2004
Style
Hard Rock
2/27/2005 - Review by: Frank Hill
Listenable, but probably too abstruse for the average rocker
The title being a play on words ("never keep" your adventures to yourself) and the name of a mythical, fantasy place, TJBP pays homage to the joys of stories and storytelling with 10 songs of folk-inspired hard rock. This style of incorporating pre-classical melodies into metal always leaves me thinking of travelling minstrels prancing about through the woods with tales to tell, so it's hard to just feel the sense of rebellion and nastiness that you expect with guitar rock. I feel like I should sit cross-legged in a field, swaying back and forth with a bunch of naturalists drinking Camomile while this is playing.

TJPB is Wisconsin, USA, native Jim Best along with other talented locals and it's produced well for an indy musician mixing up some 70's electric guitar with acoustic playing. Each song is nicely crafted with my preference the Celtic flavors of "I Spotted A Leprechaun" and "The Shannon Mermaid". Other numbers like "Noah's Ark" are way to far on the kiddy show sound for me to take. Reminds me of the hipster folk that would come to our High School to do Arlo Guthrie numbers. The rest of the numbers are listenable, but, again probably too abstruse for the average rocker.

Fans of the progressive Jethro Tull and the more esoteric works from Rainbow and Rush may find this a reasonable listen. May also be for fans of Blackmore's Night and readers of later Sandman comics.

The Jim Best Project is:
Jim Best - vocals
Dawn Jones - vocals
Mike Weise - guitars
Tom malta - bass
Andy Lomax - drums
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    3 :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: THE JIM BEST PROJECT
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Never Keep
2004
Independent
Frank Hill2/27/2005
3

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: THE JIM BEST PROJECT
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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