Freddie Nelson - 'Shake The Cage' Review

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Press Release: FREDDIE NELSON has just released the self-produced video for “Hey Doll” from his forthcoming debut solo album, SHAKE THE CAGE

Imagine, if you will, taking Queen, Cheap Trick, ELO, The Beatles and AC/DC and rolling them all into one big giant musical sphere. You would end up with would be Shake The Cage from Pittsburgh’s very own Freddie Nelson.

Shake The Cage is one of the most eclectic bodies of music that I have set my ears on in a very long time. From the structuring of each song, to the way the songs are played with precision and passion, to the unforgettable melody lines, and the 3 and 4 part harmonies complimenting Nelson’s four octave vocal range, brought together through a masterful mix, gives you a musical masterpiece unlike any other band or artist out there today.

When asked about how Shake The Cage came to be in a recent interview with Center Stage Magazine, Nelson stated:

 “Rock ‘N’ Roll has taken a kind of a downtrend lately, you know trends run up and down, there’s peaks and valleys to everything. I think with the way technology is today, when you listen to certain products, certain songs, there is so much pitch correction on the vocals and people think there’s a fast track to doing something by getting on a singing contest and winning a singing contest, they think it’s going to make them a star. It’s just all so empty and so homogenized. I just wanted to make this album kind of pure and just shake it up a little bit and go against the grain of having everything pitch corrected and keep it pretty raw and that’s what I got out of it.”

Shake The Cage is by far unlike what is typical and standard within the music industry today and I for one am very thankful for artists like Nelson who are not afraid to go against the grain and go against the trends to produce what is within them. The world needs to hear it. My hope for Nelson and Shake The Cage is that by taking this unpopular approach, eyes and ears within the industry will be opened and a new trend will emerge, which really is not a new trend but one that was already established when bands and artists were permitted to be true to who they really are and to allow the listeners and not a bunch of "suit and tie" guys be the deciding factor as to who is going to be popular and who is not.

Release Date: July 7, 2017, Wowow Entertainment

Rating: 10 out of 10

Track List:

1. Turn You On

2. Hey Doll

3. Light

4. Never Fight Alone

5. Keep Running

6. Let You Go

7. My Girl

8. The Show

9. All Night Long

10. Monster In My Room

11. For Those Who Die

Nelson recently released “Hey Doll” as his first single along with accompanying video which was brilliantly filmed in the dining room of his home with help from camera operator Tara Bennett Photography and editing assistance from Nina Sainato (Nelson’s wife). Nelson also just released the second video to the world July 6, 2017, on the eve of the worldwide release of Shake The Cage, an official lyric video for the song "Light".

I personally love every track on Shake The Cage but the one that stands out above the rest for me is “My Girl” which takes me back to one of Nelson’s previous bands called Too Tall Jones. The band was short lived but left a lasting impression with stellar songwriting, but I digress.

Please make sure to head on over to freddienelson.com or any of the popular digital media outlets and pre-order your copy of Shake The Cage. When it drops, make sure you download it immediately, put it on repeat, turn the volume up to eleven and be prepared to have your mind and senses blown by the magic that this album produces. You can thank me later.

All songs written, recorded and produced by Freddie Nelson – All instruments and vocals by Freddie Nelson except drums which were provided courtesy of world renown drummer Thomas Lang (Peter Gabriel, Kelly Clarkson, George Michael, Paul Gilbert) - Mixed by Rob Hill of X Music Studios in Los Angeles, CA - Mastered by Maz Murad at Metropolis in London, England