CLEAR APPROACH
For the second album, Trillion went back to the drawing board. First, lead singer Fergie Frederiksen was sacked in favor of Thom Griffin; evidently before the second album was released, bandleader Patrick Leonard left as well, though he did contribute to the music on the album. To produce the album, the band even lined up John Boylan (W), the producer of Boston’s debut album (which had inspired the formation of Trillion in the first place) as well as one of Linda Ronstadt’s albums (Linda Ronstadt) and a few tracks on a second (Don’t Cry Now). Although Trillion’s debut album Trillion earned a four-star rating (out of five) from Allmusic, they didn’t deign to even review the second album from 1980, Clear Approach. Interest in the band has remained strong over the years though; and the Trillion albums have been reissued on CD several times, most recently in 2009.
In November 2010, Classic Rock magazine named Thom Griffin – the lead vocalist on Trillion’s second album, Clear Approach – “one of the top AOR vocalists of all time”.
The mostly unofficial accolades that Trillion inspires are unusual for such an obscure band. A post about the Trillion III album on www.metalminos.com is typical; it begins: “This is a very special post. One of my favorite bands of all time, classic aorsters Trillion, are working on new material.” Comments by the YouTube track “Hand it to the Wind” include: “I still have this vinyl album and it is one of my treasures”; “Best unknown group in the world”; and “One of the best pomp rock albums of the 70’s!!”. The title track “Clear Approach” from the second album, Clear Approach on YouTube led to these comments: “It’s one of my favorite records of all-time” and “Lost classic tune and album from way under appreciated band; every song on this album is memorable.”
(October 2012)
* * *
The song “Give Me Your Money Honey” that is taken from Trillion’s debut album, Trillion can be heard on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qb2JLZb-NU . The title song “Clear Approach” from the band’s second album, Clear Approach is available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlHJFWZUMF8 . Here is a song called “In My Blood” from the band’s planned third album, Trillion III (the video was uploaded in 2011, but the album apparently remains as yet unreleased): www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KTpfIGPUzQ .
(October 2014)
