Remember To Take Your Niacin

Niacin

Organik

2005

Ripped @ a progressive 320

Biography by Steve Huey

Having played straightforward hard rock with Mr. Big since the tail end of the '80s, bass virtuoso Billy Sheehan formed Niacin as an outlet for his jazz fusion and prog rock inclinations during the mid-'90s. The trio also featured keyboardist John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers, both musicians who had crossed frequently between the worlds of jazz and rock during their careers. With Niacin, Novello devoted himself especially to the Hammond B-3 organ, a longtime mainstay of both jazz and prog rock. The band recorded a self-titled debut album in 1996, following it up in 1998 with High Bias. An import-only concert recording, Live!: Blood, Sweat and Beers, surfaced later that year as well. For their next album, Niacin moved from Stretch to Magna Carta, the label that became virtually synonymous with technique-oriented neo-prog rock at the turn of the millennium. Deep was released in 2000 and featured the group's first vocal track, courtesy of special guest Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), as well as Toto guitarist and session ace Steve Lukather.
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Review by Scott Yanow

The fusion trio Niacin, comprised of keyboardist John Novello, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Dennis Chambers, perform originals (mostly from Novello and Sheehan) plus Frank Zappa's "King Kong." Their playing frequently falls between improvised rock and soul-jazz, with Novello's organ and keyboards leading the dense and crowded ensembles through some avant funk grooves. While it is doubtful that any of the individual originals will catch on, fans of the rock side of fusion will find Niacin's music to be stimulating and fairly original within the genre.


Tracklist:

1 Barbarian @ the Gate
2 Nemesis
3 Blisterine
4 King Kong
5 Super
6 Magnetic Mood
7 Hair of the Dog
8 4's 3
9 Stumble on the Truth
10 Club Soda
11 No Shame
12 Clean House
13 Footprints in the Sand

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