Philadelphia pop/rockers Pepper’s Ghost raised a few eyebrows with their heavily orchestrated, ’70s-AOR-inspired debut album, Opening Night, in 2001. After a stopgap EP and a little tinkering with their musical direction, they returned with 2005′s Shake the Hand That Shook the World. Produced by Andy Johns (U.K. engineer to the stars, brother of the late Glyn Johns, and producer of Television’s magnificent Marquee Moon), the album is unapologetically Big with a capital B. Though the songs aren’t as fussily arranged as the group’s prior work, songs like “Everything and Anything” are shot through with Brian May-size guitar lines, sweet Todd Rundgren-style harmonies, and an unabashed fondness for the Big Rock Chorus. While the early Queen cops of “Heavy Body Bag,” with Anthony Montesano’s campy, dramatic lead vocals and a particularly George Harrison-like slide guitar fill, recall the endearing excesses of Opening Night, the rest of the album is closer to Cheap Trick, Frampton Comes Alive!, and Wings’ less fruity side. Only the somewhat inappropriately loud and booming drum mix keeps Shake the Hand That Shook the World from sounding like a lost AOR treasure from 1976. – Stewart Mason