Reviewed by Dave Caughey

I have always felt that session musicians have been the unsung heroes behind many classic albums. One such person is Dann Huff who, since his days with White Heart, I have regarded as one of the world's great unrecognised guitar heroes. In the last six years he has played on albums by artists as diverse as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Amy Grant, Whitesnake, Russ Taff and Margaret Becker. At last the man has decided that he cannot hide his talent any longer and has put together his own band. Giant, which also includes his brother, drummer David Huff (also a former member of White Heart), bassist Mike Brignardello, and keyboard player Alan Pasqua, all of whom are in no way short of impressive session credits. The major surprise about Giant is that vocals are courtesy of Dann Huff. Are there no limits to this guy's talent? To find Dann's only previous recorded vocal performance you will have to go back to a now deleted White Heart album on which he sang a duet with Sandi Patti - How times change! 'Last Of The Runaways' is not the most evangelistic album I have ever heard. In fact the spiritual references are few and far between. However this should not stop anyone buying what has got to be the most consistently excellent album of this new decade. So what have Giant got which sets them apart from the crowd? Alan Pasqua's keyboards are subtly interwoven with Dann Huff's guitar giving the band's music a sense of melody which is quite divine. Apparently David Coverdale of Whitesnake has handed on a few tips to Dann Huff and it shows in terms of guitar playing. 'Last Of The Runaways' is absolutely fabulous. Dann Huff's variety of techniques and styles surely makes him one of the most exciting guitarists around. Of course the most important ingredients to any classic album are the songs. I defy anyone to find a dud track on this album. Tm A Believer," the opener, was a minor hit in the US, while "I'll See You In My Dreams" achieved Top 20 status in the Billboard singles chart. "Innocent Days" and "Hold Back The Night" are two others which could easily surpass the achievements of the first two singles. Each track has a mood and feel of its own, never sticking to any preset musical formulae. Giant are simply streets ahead of competition like Richard Marx, REO Speedwagon or Foreigner. 'Last Of The Runaways' is quite simply a must.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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