Album Notes

“Highlights abound, including the title track with its Mamas and Papas-like harmonies and David Gilmour-style solos, and the instrumental “Flow,” which is a perfect slice of guitar heaven.”

“Transformation is a melodic rock masterpiece.”
Nick Katona – Melodic Revolution Records


John Orr Franklin celebrates the release of his new CD Transformation. The CD was written, recorded and produced by John, in his recording studio in Austin, TX. Transformation is a follow-up to his debut album Pathways. Both Transformation and Pathways were released, and distributed on John’s record label, Blue Room Digital. With the making of Transformation & Pathways, John reached a personal milestone in terms of his “do-it-yourself” approach to the production and distribution of his music. “It’s a bit overwhelming at times, but as my own record label, I get to release music that stays true to my original vision.”

John’s music has been described as straight ahead pop rock enamored with progressive rock arrangements. Many refer to this genre as “Neo-Prog”, but John prefers his music stay in the Progressive Rock genre. “A lot of my heroes and musical influences are in this genre, so it makes sense that my music would also fall into this realm. While both CD’s have a broad range of styles and influences, both have an overall Progressive Rock vibe,” with comparisons and nods to Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, John Lennon and Tom Petty.”

Transformation, offers an impressive roster of hand-selected talent, each adding their individual flair to the overall sound of the music. Rob Palladino and Brandon Aly (Austin) both performed on drums. Brandon also added percussion on several tracks, including “Disappear (Only One World)” where he replicated an entire Latin percussion section on his own. Palladino laid down grooves that kindle a spirited fusion of Levon Helm meets Stewart Copeland. Josh Batschelet (Austin) performed upright bass on the track “Summer,” while Kris Mathesen (Memphis) played fretless and electric bass throughout most of the album. Laurel Hostak (Philadelphia), added her voice to the title track on the CD giving it a truly angelic vibe. Gold and Platinum award winning mastering engineer Jerry Tubb, mastered the album at Terra Nova Studios in Austin, and his impressive skills added a new dimension of clarity to the project.

”The song “Transformation,” as well as others on the album, deal with self empowerment and the ideal that we can make positive changes in our lives if we choose to walk that path. It describes a hope that humanity could do this on a global scale and actually become more than we currently are as a global population.” “Both Transformation and Pathways, without a doubt, reflect my best work to date and I’m proud to stand behind them. I’m ready to perform and share these songs with anyone willing to lend me their ears.”

"Transformation has the softness and reflections of silk, the luster of gold and the charm of music that goes straight to the heart. Nothing less!"
- Ben of Chambéry, Metal Integral Webzine (Apr 07, 2009)

"Transformation" - This album is a veritable showcase of chops.
- Scott Homewood, Freelance Music Journalist (Feb 11, 2009)