Holy Cow

Despite being considered one of the most skillful and over-the-top bassists in all of rock since the 1970s (due to his stints with Talas, David Lee Roth, and Mr. Big), it was not until the early 21st century that Billy Sheehan got around to issuing his own solo albums. And to make up for lost time, he offered three solo outings from 2001 through 2008, the latest being Holy Cow. As with such past solo outings as 2001's Compression, Sheehan's songwriting and lead vocals are serviceable, but certainly not as "arena worthy" as his work with the aforementioned outfits. Most people picking up a Sheehan release are doing so for some bass heroics, and you certainly get your fair share here, especially on such tracks as "Sweat on an E String" and "Swimming Underwater." Additionally, quite a few special guests drop by to do battle with Sheehan's bouncy bass, including Billy Gibbons (on "A Lit'l Bit'l Do It to Ya Ev'ry Time), Paul Gilbert (on "Dynamic Exhilarator"), and Doug Pinnick (on the "Turning Point"). ~ Greg Prato