We’re just several episodes in on Movie Mainline, and one of our goals is to spotlight people who are simply doing good work in their respective business and craft (and basically life in general). Co-host Eric Holmes talked about his appreciation for the rock band Hardline, and I threw in an ignorant jab at the outfit. I stand corrected because, as their Facebook account pointedly states, Hardline Rocks!
Hardline started back in 1992 with the release of their debut album Double Eclipse. Brothers Johnny and Joey Gioeli formed the band and were joined by guitarist Neal Schon (Journey), bassist Todd Jensen and drummer Dean Castronovo. Double Eclipse’s “I’ll Be There” and “Can’t Find My Way” were featured in the Brandon Lee feature Rapid Fire.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As their AllMusic biography expresses, soaring melodies coupled with solid, straight ahead rock musicianship are continuing trademarks of Hardline, and one wonders why the band did not have a bigger following stateside after Double Eclipse (the album still holds up as “Life’s a Bitch,” the aforementioned Rapid Fire tracks, “Dr. Love” and the closer “In The Hands of Time” are on my regular playlist).
Hardline continues to survive and thrive with original member Johnny Gioeli as the mainstay, and in 2019 the group came out with the band Life. My favorite Hardline song is actually a new one as “Page of Your Life” features a reflective Johnny Gioeli either looking in the mirror or being inspired by someone close to his heart. Maybe it’s a universal song about taking account of one’s life, but the bottom line is “Page of Your Life” simply kicks the living s**t out of me every time I hear it.
I’m also looking forward to, along with doing a deeper dive on all of Hardline’s albums, taking a look at Gioeli’s work with Crush 40 (this may lead to a few Sonic the Hedgehog video game purchases!) and Axel Rudi Pell. Lately though I’ve been simply hooked on listening to Hardline in concert via their Life Live album, and if you have any doubts about Johnny Gioeli’s vocal chops after almost 30 years, give “Song of Hope” a shot:
In the latest Movie Mainline episode, I briefly discuss my growing love for Hardline’s music. Of course, we also cover a bunch of movies on the show (including The Painter and the Thief, VFW, and The Death of Dick Long), but for now here are some final thoughts on Johnny Gioeli and Hardline:
