Paul Janz was only four years old when his parents decided to move from Alberta, Canada to Basel in Switzerland. There he started singing gospel music in the church choir and by age ten he was writing arrangements for a gospel quartet and performing in front of huge crowds. Aged 13 he discovered the trumpet and began performing (on the street) with the local Salvation Army. After graduating from high school, he attended the Conservatory of Music in Basel, where he studied opera and was frequently to be found in the studio arranging and conducting with various members of the Basel Symphony.
While attending the Conservatory, his interest in writing arrangements for gospel music led to the formation of his first band, Deliverance. In the ten years of their existence, this Christian orientated English rock band (featuring six vocalists) released 3 successful albums. Financial problems caused the split of the band and Janz decided to return to Canada in 1980. Besides writing songs, he got work as a commercial jingles singer and started to study philosophy at Simon Fraser University. In the meantime demo tapes were sent out to various labels and an obscure label offered him some recording time. Janz sang and played every instrument himself, but it was worth the effort, because the demo album fell in the hands of major labels such as A&M and CBS. Janz signed with the former and recorded his debut album “High Strung” at Little Mountain Sound, Vancouver with the help of engineer (and co-producer) Lindsay Kidd, his backing band mentioned on the left of this page and guest musicians such as Jim Vallance (drums), Tom Colclough (sax), Jim McGillveray (percussion), Ken Chalmers (percussion), Robbie King (organ), Chris Taylor (drums) and Pete Clark (bass). The album not only produced the hit single “Go To Pieces”, but also a Juno Award for Janz in the category ‘Most Promising Male Vocalist’. With the cost of touring so high, Janz decided not to go on the road as a result of which the album didn’t sell as well as was predicted.
For a debut album, “High Strung” was more than OK, but the two albums for A&M that followed, were even better. “Electricity” emerged in 1987 and spawned the single “Believe In Me”, but it was with “Renegade Romantic”, produced by Bill Drescher and released in 1990, that Janz really reached his highest commercial success. “Every Little Tear” got considerable airplay and Janz was finally able to tour in support of Melissa Etheridge. But because the album didn’t sell enough, he was dropped by A&M shortly after. A compilation (“Presence”) and a final, less important album for Attic (“Trust”) followed in 1992, but unfortunately that was the last we heard from this Canadian artist.
Although “High Strung” is not Janz’s best album, I can still recommend it to all lovers of AOR that is leaning towards pop rock. The songs are catchy and the production quality is good throughout. It stood the test of time and after almost 20 years it’s still a pleasure to listen to. (
CL)
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Jez
Great to have this on CD finally, as i have all of Mr.Janz's other releases. Whilst not my favourite (That would go to the mighty 'Renegade Romantic' album), this is a very good release of high tech Canadian rock ala Zappacosta, Marc Jordan type of thing - you know the score.
AOR Ive
With two albums in my personal top 100 , 'Electricity' and 'Renegade romantic' , I cannot deny that I am a very big fan of this artist . And although 'High strung' is a very good eighties AOR / melodic poprock album is definitely doesn't reach the same level as the two classics he made later . Still this is an absolute must have album for every self respecting Rock Report reader and one of the best re-released this year .
WOLF 359
Although this is a good album it took Paul Janz till number three to hit that secret formula. Don't get me wrong High Strung is a good aor cd but if you've the patience search out a copy of Renegade Romantic a real classic.For this cd you get some good songs that were typical for this time . A solid record but not an out and out have to own one.
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