Tom Keifer’s The Way Life Goes

By Seth M

“Remember Tom Keifer and Cinderella? Want to review Tom’s new solo album?” That’s the email I got the other day and that’s The Way Life Goes for a writer, I guess…and in this case, I was more than happy to oblige.

Night Songs, from back in the day

I remember back in the mid-80s when I received an advance copy of Cinderella’s 1^st album (Night Songs) ~ before the hits and all the hype. Cinderella weren’t like every other hair band churning out bubble gum rock; they had more of an Aerosmith feel, rooted in blues with a little bit of grime. Of course they had some catchy choruses and looked like a typical hair band, but as they matured on the music scene the blues became a stronger presence within their music. Go back and listen to songs like “In from the Outside” on Night Songs or basically the entire Long Cold Winter album and you’ll know what I mean.

For over 3 decades, Cinderella has remained on the music scene. No, they’re not playing arenas or sold out stadiums, but they also haven’t become drug-ravaged fodder for an episode of “Behind the Music.” You can still catch Tom and Cinderella playing the old school hits from time to time, which is actually quite impressive:  what many people don’t know is that over the course of those decades, Tom went from living the dream to living a nightmare when he woke up one day to discover that his vocal chords were partially paralyzed. The prognosis?  He would never sing again. Tom wasn’t havin’ it, so after numerous surgeries and with a determination that would put most of us to shame, Tom taught himself to sing again. So after nearly 10 years in the making, The Way Life Goes brings us 14 new tracks ~ check out the video of the first single, “Solid Ground,” and hear for yourself that Tom is back with signature raspy vocals, bluesy rock vibes, slide guitars, and a sound that hasn’t lost any of its gritty appeal.  As the press release says, “The collection of 14 new songs ranges from intimate, organic, acoustic tracks to driving hard rock. It embraces the blues, rock and country roots that have always been present in [Tom’s] unique sound that has generated the sale of over 15 million records worldwide for Cinderella.”

Here’s the complete track listing for The Way Life Goes:

1. Solid Ground

2. A Different Light

3. It’s Not Enough

4. Cold Day In Hell

5. Thick and Thin

6. Ask Me Yesterday

7. Fools Paradise

8. The Flower Song

9. Mood Elevator

10. Welcome to My Mind

11. You Showed Me

12. Ain’t That a Bitch

13. The Way Life Goes

14. Babylon

Overall, this album is a straight up winner for me. As Tom sang his way through these tracks, I heard tinges of Aerosmith, Tom Petty, and Rod Stewart, all intertwined with some great solid blues. Highlights for me were “The Flower Song,” which seemed inspired by the previously mentioned Stewart and had a little bit of a “Maggie May” feel. Heavy Aerosmith meets Velvet Revolver is what came to mind on the first listen of “Mood Elevator,” in the running for my favorite song on the album, although “Ain’t That a Bitch” is also great and the guitar work on “The Way Life Goes” is damn good. “You Showed Me” may have been a bit of a vocal struggle for Keifer, but it’s nonetheless a solid track.

If you were a fan of Cinderella, Tom’s voice, and straight forward blues rock, pick up The Way Life Goes on April 30^th and check out Tom on tour where he plans to mix it up with his new solo tracks as well as Cinderella classics.

 Visit Tom’s official website for tour dates and more, like him on Facebook,

and download “Solid Ground” and “The Flower Song” to hold you over ‘til the album drops.