Novo Combo - Self Titled Album / The Animation Generation

Finally after all these years both albums by the group "Novo Combo" have been released straight to digital media and they are available on iTunes as well as Spotify, Qobuz and other streaming services. The first album sinply entitled "Novo Combo", was released in 1981. It was a combination of pop-rock and new wave styles, resembling early Police and enhanced by the great musicianship of its members, drummer and former Santana member Michael Shrieve, Pete Hewlett on guitars, bassist and lead vocalist Steven Drees and Jack Griffith on guitars. Their second release "The Animation Generation" continued their preceeding effort but on a more posihed production style. Drummer Michael Shrieve played a very tight and powerfull style and the inclusion of guitarrist Carlos Rios, a former member of Gino Vannelli's group, who replaced Jack Griffith, became the link which tightened the group's style. Pete Hewlett went on to do some work with Billy Joel, Joe Jackson, Carly Simon and Eric Carmen. Steven Drees would later do work with Hall and Oates and Tony Carey before forming his own band, the Bandees and Jack Griffith went on to play with Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana and Gary Moore. Carlos Rios keep on increasing his activities as a session player as he worked with Earth, Wind & Fire, Yellowjackets, Diana Ross and many other famous artists. Drummer Michael Shrieve has continued spanning his solo career. The band dismantled after their second album.

 

Novo Combo - The Animation Generation

Novo Combo was a rock group which enjoyed some popularity in the early 1980s. The initial lineup was Pete Hewlett on vocals and guitars, Stephen Dees on vocals and bass, Jack Griffith on guitar and drummer Michael Shrieve who played with Santana from the very beginning. Guitarist Carlos Rios replaced Jack Griffith on the band's second album. The band scored minor hits in 1981 with the songs "Up Periscope" and "City Bound" from their debut album “Novo Combo”. “Animation Generation” was their second and last album. Although the style was a product of the era and sort of influenced by The Police, Novo Combo really stood out from the rest, due to its true musicianship and the group interaction brought together by the long live-performing history and great writing skills of its members. Lead singer and bassist Stephen Dees also performed with many other acts such as Hall and Oates and he would later form his own independent pop/art rock band Bandees. Lead guitarist Jack Griffith jammed out with Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana, Gary Moore and now owns a recording studio. Novo Combo's singer and guitarist Pete Hewlett toured with Billy Joel, Carly Simon, Joe Jackson, Julian Lennon, Amy Grant, and Eric Carmen and he made international news while performing with Billy Joel who brought a fully-staged rock production to the Soviet Union in 1985 as part of the first live rock radio broadcast in Soviet history. Michael Shrieve was the original drummer for Santana and at age nineteen, was the youngest performer at Woodstock. He helped create Santana’s first eight albums. Shrieve has collaborated alongside Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Pete Townsend, Steve Winwood, and Andy Summers among others and he continues to produce music for film & TV and many other projects. “Animation Generation” has never been released on CD or downloads but there is a great rip from vinyl, which you can find in the comments below.

Track Listing:

1. Animation Generation

2. Too Long Gone

3. Slow Fade (sampled above)

4. Keep Your Love Alive

5. Anyone Can See

6. Welcome Innervision

7. Chained Man

8. Follow the Love

9. She Runs

10. No Wonder