Description
+
(check whole LP)
+
(check whole LP)
1978 MERCURY LP 9109613
Label: Mercury Vinyl, LP
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Pop Rock
Style: Shiny, Harmonic Pop.
Sounds Like: Wings, Foreigner, Beach Boys
“One-Word” Review: Slickly-Produced-70s-Pop
Based Out Of: England
Tracklist
A1 Love Stop
Words By, Music By – John David
A2 Let Me In
Words By, Music By – Ray Martinez
A3 The Cat
Words By, Music By – John David
A4 Keep Away The Blues
Words By, Music By – Ray Martinez
A5 Hope You Won’t
Words By, Music By – Ray Martinez
A6 You Are The New Day
Words By, Music By – John David
B1 So Hard Living Without You
Words By, Music By – John Bettis , Kerry Chater
B2 Nobody Is http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/Nobody+Is/2JmXFu
Words By, Music By – John David
B3 Hideaway
Words By, Music By – Ray Martinez
B4 Don’t Let The Daylight In
Cello [Hofner] – Paul Cobbold
Words By, Music By – Francis Russell
B5 Go Getter
Words By, Music By – John David
Drums, Percussion – Dave Charles
Lead Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Bass Guitar, Keyboards – John David
Lead Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards, Horns – Ray Martinez
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Producer, Engineer – Pat Moran
To get a feel for the album, it is important to first note that they were a studio band. And second, that the album is really good. Half of the time, (the better half) it brings oldies rock and roll “up to date” to the production smoothness of the late 70s. Think if Chuck Berry and Beach Boys were recording their music with super-slick 70s production.
The Album begins with a “Kokomo” drum beat and “dirty bad-ass” synthesizers in “Love Stop”. The song kinda sounds like Foriegners “Urgent” backed with Bee Gee harmonized vocals. Its funky, but not what makes the album good. The next song sounds like typical 70s smooth rock, part Wings, part Beach Boys “Aren’t You Glad.” I swear I’ve heard this song, or a cover of it on the radio, but perhaps it is just so familiar, that it feels commonplace on 98.1 WOGLs 70s Sunday. The catchy hook I thought I’d heard before is the lyric “Open Up Your Heart and Let Me In.” After doing some slight research, I did not find the song to be covered. The closest thing I found is “Let Me In” by “Chely Wright” (they share the same title and main lyric) which this song is decidedly not.
The next track begins with a cat ‘meow’ and slinks into a slowed up “Footloose bounce” synthesized bass line. “The Cat” is like the first track in mood and delivery. “Keep Away the Blues” is a catchy folky light-rock single. Echoed verse and harmonized backgrounds give tremendous depth to this positive, motivational track. Somewhat of a ballad, “Hope You Won’t” is still bouncy, but the vocals slowly rise and fall along the melody, asking his new love to stay. Next, they slow it down even more, to deliver their most famous song (by internet search standards): the completely accapella “You Are the New Day.” It has the feeling of a church choir singing a Christmas carol. Here is a sample of a cover by the Kings Singer. Side 2 picks up the pace slightly with the sadly inevitable sequel to “Hope You Wont:” “So Hard Living Without You.” This could easily be an Air Supply song, except the production is more in line with the Beach Boys…this song is the link between those two bands.
“Nobody Is” is their rendition of Chuck Berry‘s “Never Can Tell.” This is a really great song, with a pleasant, quick tempo, and even a loud guitar solo, going in a completely different direction than the rest of the album. Because of this track, Let Me In is not the stand out track. The originality continues into “Hideaway.” The chorus is very catchy, but creatively timed. A bit slower than “Nobody Is,” but just as positively optimistic as “Keep Away The Blues.” The next song, “Don’t Let the Daylight In” is just like “The Cat” and “Love Stop,” in musical style. Being another slowed up version of “Urgent, ” it feels like background music to a poorly conceived early 80s detective TV show. Finally, like any good High-School essay, the album ends with a nice concise thesis, summarizing everything that came before it with “Go Better.”
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.