The Way Life Goes

by Tom Keifer

Overview

Cinderella belonged to the hair metal scene of the late '80s but they never quite seemed to be part of it. Unlike the legions of Aerosmith disciples, they actually bothered to dig back further than Toys in the Attic, developing serious roots in blues and boogie -- or perhaps it's more accurate to say this grounding in old-time rock & roll was all due to Tom Keifer, the band's singer/songwriter and frontman. Keifer possessed a ragged voice that added dimension to rockers like "Nobody's Fool" and gave grit to power ballads like "Don't Know What You've Got (Til It's Gone)," but the range of his interests weren't revealed until 1990's Heartbreak Station, the group's third and best album. Heartbreak Station didn't quite sell as well as its two predecessors and then the tidal wave of grunge arrived soon afterward, sweeping Cinderella aside and, not long afterward, Keifer suffered a number of personal problems including serious problems with his vocal cords. He spent a good chunk of the 2000s recovering and working behind the scenes, finally resurfacing in 2013 with his long-delayed solo debut The Way Life Goes. In a way, Keifer may have benefitted from the long hibernation, as it not only gave him time to craft the 13 songs that comprise the debut but, after two decades, listeners may be ready to listen to The Way Life Goes without prejudice, not dismissing him as a soulless Sunset strip rocker but rather hearing the tattooed troubadour he is at heart. That isn't to say he repudiates his past, as he is quite comfortable kicking out big, barrel-chested rockers filled with pomp and circumstance, or dipping into power ballads that don't stray from "Don't Know What You've Got (Till It's Gone)," but don't consciously rework its sound, either. Keifer sounds comfortable in his skin; he knows what he likes and he knows how to make it sound like himself, slightly weathered and worn but tough and soulful. The Way Life Goes makes little attempt to grapple with the sounds of 2013 -- it's steeped in the '70s, as seen through the Sunset Strip of the '80s -- but it doesn't feel stuck in the past as Keifer is tackling what it means to be a middle-aged rocker in an age where few care for what he loves. He doesn't pander, he doesn't sound bitter -- he's pushing forward, staying true to what he loves, never once thinking he's out of date. This is who he is: a man slightly out of time and a musician who's gotten better at his craft over the years, winding up with the best record he's ever made. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/24/2023
Label:	Cleopatra
UPC:	0889466389917
Rank:	34174

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tom Keifer   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Keifer Band   Primary Artist
Bobby Keys   Saxophone
Pat Buchanan   Guitar,Harmonica,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Greg Morrow   Drums,Percussion
Ron Wallace   Guitar (Acoustic)
Mitch Goldfarb   Strings
Jim Horne   Saxophone
Jeff LaBar   Guitar
Lzzy Hale   Featured Artist
Gary Burnette   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Tony Harrell   Piano,Clavinet,Wurlitzer
Michael Rhodes   Bass
Chuck Tuner   Vocals (Background)
Etta Britt   Vocals (Background)
Kent Agee   Vocals (Background)
Crystal Taliaferro   Vocals (Background)
Savannah Keifer   Vocals (Background)
Vicki Carraco   Vocals (Background)
Tammy Vega   Director
Jared Rausso   Director
Kyle O'Connor   Guitar (Acoustic)

Technical Credits

Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Paul McCartney   Composer
Blair Daly   Composer,MIDI Programming
Doug Gordon   Composer
Eric Conn   Mastering
Jim Peterik   Composer
Rob Matson   Overdub Engineer
Vance Powell   Engineer,Producer
Mitch Goldfarb   MIDI Programming
George Marino   Mastering
Gary Lyons   Mastering
Ben Strano   Drum Engineering,Overdub Engineer
Tom Keifer   Composer,Producer,Overdub Engineer
Chuck Turner   Producer,Pro-Tools,Overdub Engineer
Chris Jones   Cover Art
Thomas Petillo   Photography
Kent Agee   Composer
Conley White   Composer
Amanda Cagan   Publicity
Mike Purcell   Mixing
Rob Mattson   Engineer
Ron Ruane   Executive Producer
Savannah Keifer   Concept,Composer,Producer
Tammy Vega   Producer,Filmmaker
Dan Feeny   Video,Creation
Jared Rausso   Producer,Filmmaker
Kyle O'Connor   Mixing