Billy Sheehan - The Talas Years

Artist: Billy Sheehan

Album: The Talas Years

Bitrate: 320

File Size: 160 MB

Release: 1989

Tracker:



Track List:



1. Billy Sheehan - Sink Your Teeth Into That (3:43)

2. Billy Sheehan - Hit And Run (3:19)

3. Billy Sheehan - NV4 3345 (2:22)

4. Billy Sheehan - High Speed On Ice (3:17)

5. Billy Sheehan - Shy Boy (3:00)

6. Billy Sheehan - King Of The World (3:08)

7. Billy Sheehan - Outside Lookin' In (4:02)

8. Billy Sheehan - Never See Me Cry (4:11)

9. Billy Sheehan - Smart Lady (3:48)

10. Billy Sheehan - Hick Town (3:06)

11. Billy Sheehan - Sink Your Teeth Into That (3:57)

12. Billy Sheehan - Crystal Clear (4:06)

13. Billy Sheehan - The Farandole (3:12)

14. Billy Sheehan - Do You Feel Any Better (3:50)

15. Billy Sheehan - Lone Rock (3:38)

16. Billy Sheehan - King Of The World (3:01)

17. Billy Sheehan - Inner Mounting Flame (3:01)

18. Billy Sheehan - 7718(3A17) (4:56)

19. Billy Sheehan - High Speed On Ice (3:04)

20. Billy Sheehan - Shy Boy (3:23)

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Billy Sheehan (born on 1953 March 19 in Buffalo, NY) is an Irish American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr Big, and Niacin.



Sheehan has won Guitar Player Magazine's "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll five times for his "lead bass" playing style. Guitar Player has likened his soloing on the four-string instrument to Eddie Van Halen's on the six-string guitar.Sheehan's repertoire includes the use of chording, two-handed tapping and controlled feedback. However, Sheehan is also noted as a steady "true" bassist, fulfilling the traditional supportive role of the electric bass in the rock idiom.

Sheehan’s first full-time band was Talas, a power trio with Dave Constantino on guitar and Paul Varga on drums. The band played a mixture of cover songs and original material, and all three instrumentalists alternated on lead vocals.



Talas was one of Buffalo's most popular local bands for over a decade, arguably attaining cult status which spread into the northeast US and into Canada. In 1978, Talas released their eponymous debut album, which generated the regional hit single, "See Saw". It was during this time that Sheehan wrote some of his most famous songs, namely "Shy Boy" (later re-recorded with David Lee Roth), and the complex and frenetic "Addicted to that Rush" (later re-recorded with Mr Big).



In the late 1970s, Sheehan also played in a band called Light Years with drummer Ron Rocco who had earlier played in a band called Black Sheep with Foreigner singer Lou Gramm in Rochester, NY. After Sheehan returned to Talas they opened a show for UFO in Buffalo. This led Sheehan to an association with guitarist Michael Schenker and also helped land him the job touring with UFO in 1983.



Talas' first national exposure happened in 1980, when they opened thirty shows for Van Halen. However, success was elusive, and even as their brand of what came to be known as "glam metal" gained popularity over the next few years, Talas remained an unsigned act, due largely to poor management. They independently released their debut eponymous "Talas" LP on Evenfall Records (reissued by Metal Blade) and then "Sink Your Teeth Into That" on Relativity Records.



Seeking to take Talas further than just regional success, Sheehan reformed Talas with another drummer (Mark Miller), guitarist (Mitch Perry, also later of Heaven), and a dedicated vocalist, Phil Naro, with whom in the late 1970s Sheehan had previously worked in his side project (the Billy Sheehan Band). Talas would release only one more album, Live Speed on Ice. After Mitch Perry left the band, he was replaced by Johnny Angel, who played guitar with them for their 1985/86 US tour opening for Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. There was a fourth Talas record, tentatively titled "Lights, Camera, Action" to be issued on Gold Mountain/A&M, but it never got past the demo stage due to Sheehan leaving to join David Lee Roth's solo band. Talas did briefly continue on under Phil Naro sans Sheehan, enlisting Jimmy Degrasso on drums, Al Pitrelli on guitar and Bruno Ravel on bass, but by this time Talas was dead.



In the early 1980s, Sheehan became involved with the proto-thrash metal band Thrasher, during this time he shared the stage with future Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz. His involvement with Thrasher did not last long but he did play on 2 songs from the self titled LP, which has not been released on cd to date.