Stephen
Formed in 1987, Giant wasn't lasted long with only two albums released and disbanded in the early 90s before finally resurrected again in the dawn of 2000. "Last of The Runaways" was the debut that captured the intensity of Dann Huff's tremendous voice and his impressive songwriting. Huff himself is a very talented ses...sion musician and had played with many big names, from the late Michael Jackson to Megadeth's aceman, Dave Mustaine.
"I'm A Believer" is a surefire opener, along with "Shake Me Up", the Huffs brothers blows a sweeping rhythm like an incoming hurricane ready to wreck everything. The big hit, "I'll See You In My Dreams", was written by Dann Huff and Mark Spiro, delivering a jawdropper stunning vocal and a chaste melodic lines. "It Takes Two" and "Love Welcomes Home" are a huge contender to the hit, a slowtempo predictable ballads but contained a heartfelt humming that's hard to resist. I won't complain about couple of fillers here because Giant is not letting down with another thrilling commercial track that should have scored a high chart position, "Hold Back The Night". Giant closed the album with a cool Van Halen vibe "The Big Pitch" featuring a catchy chorus and bumpy solos.
Overall, "Last of The Runaways" is a charming release with many tracks to love. Huff not only has a great pipe but he handled the guitar section extremely well. If you love an album with many acrobatic guitar ride but still retained the commercial edge, this album is a great pick. Although I always think that their second release, "Time To Burn", is better and heavier, it's a big loss for not having this album in your catalogue.