Getting Hobbit's first album was awesome, and I anxiously awaited the arrival of their 2nd album, which I had gotten for Christmas, and let me tell you, it was WELL worth the wait! Rockin' The Shire is a wonderful sequel to their first album, Two Feet Tall, continuing with their hard, fast-pace rock 'n roll, as well as a mixture of slow ballads, and even a taste of what they sound like live in-concert. It makes me wish that they would be live in- concert these days, they sound like they put on a wonderful show! Their third album is on my Christmas list, and I can't wait to experience it as well. Keep on rockin' Hobbit!

This CD is the coolest!!!!!!!!! Original idea and great songs!

Great classic progressive art/fantasy rock in the style of Kansas, Styx, Yes, Jethro Tull. Due to legal problems, this recording has remained in a bank vault for many, many years. Maybe that's why it sounds so unlike anything else today!

Subject: "Rockin' The Shire" Review/HeartoftheRock Status: HOBBIT - ROCKIN' THE SHIRE (2001, MIDWEST RECORDS) Gene Fields - vocals, guitars; Paul 'Turk' Henry - bass, vocals; Richard Hill - lead guitar, keyboards; Rusty Honeycutt - drums; Keith Young - drums It's mid November and there's one thing I know for sure - the disc of the year has just arrived. That's right folks, at the proverbial eleventh hour comes the second installment of Hobbit's reissuing/remastering campaign entitled "Rockin' The Shire". For the most part, these tracks represent the next batch of recordings after the 'Two Feet Tall' phase, focusing on the early to mid 80's but still including a 70's track here and there. With this release, Hobbit are proving that they were and still are more than just a decent band that never got the big break. Their status as true AOR icons is fully entrenched. Now it's time to leave this mundane world behind for a while and take a journey into the very heart of the Shire ... Opening up is the appropriately titled 'Rockin', a Survivor flavoured monster of a title track, where Turk has centre stage belting out some scorching vocals and the most incredible bass work this side of Rush. 'Paradise' keeps the uptempo trend going, with Gene's aggressive vocal delivery coming across like Legs Diamond gone AOR. 'Don't Say No' is a pure AOR gem in the 80's LeRoux tradition - melodic keys and layered vocals, with all the right chord changes. Next up is 'Holiday', which brings us into more acoustic laid back territory. Angelic vocals from Gene and some inventive keys to augment the ethereal melody. 'Listen To Your Heart' and 'Changes' embody the midtempo AOR dream come true ... massive hooks, keys everywhere and a pair of anthem choruses to rival the best of Roadmaster and Shooting Star - yes, they're that damn good! At this point Turk returns to the vocal mike to deliver 'Too Long Without You', a stunning ballad of Journey/Foreigner proportions, chilling indeed. 'Television', which ushered in the band's 'third age' with Tony Marsh handling guitar duties and Timo Elliston on keys, brings out the more humorous side of the band, but take note - this is no throwaway novelty track, positively surging out of the gates with hooks and melodies comparable to Cheap Trick or Axe. First Age Hobbit classic 'Join The Celebration' makes it's appearance in a swirl of percussive genius from Rusty Honeycutt, tempo changes and overall melodies reminiscent of the symphonic rock genre. 'Take Your Chances' ushers in the 'live at Bag End' segment with easy melodic grace, calling to mind some of the aforementioned bands, even Angel. This is one of the five purest examples of classic AOR I've ever heard. A perfect vehicle for Gene's angelic vocals. 'Lay Down' does exactly that, an irresistible groove with the kind of smooth vocals you'll hear on any Dakota chorus. 'Burn The Bridge' returns us to acoustic territory for a majestic display of subtle melody, while 'Through The Looking Glass' brings on the semi acoustic mid tempo pomp AOR in a big way. Closing off precedings is 'No Doubt And No Expectations', showcasing not only Rusty's drumming chops, but also the fluidity of Richard Hill's guitar efforts, a constant factor throughout this disc. So there you have it, fourteen tracks and not a throwaway in sight. I can honestly say that nobody's AOR collection is up to scratch until this essential slice of AOR is contained within. Look out for it at some of the decent online stores listed below. - Lee Bradfield Rating : 9.9 Pro's : Sublime early to mid 80's AOR with all the instrumental and vocal ingredients we crave - all focused into really strong, wonderful songs ... and in the end isn't that what really counts? Con's : Can't think of any ...