Great Rock Albums of 1985: Mr Mister- Welcome to the Real World

Now that I have my computer back, at least for one night, (it may have to go back into the shop), I can write one post. My computer had to go in for service and repairs which is why I haven’t posted in a week and a half. Never mind, I hope that this isn’t my only post for the next week and a half. One thing they did get right is they fixed my USB drive and I can upload photos again. Like this one, I meant to post it on my end of 2018 post.

My daughter Rowena getting her Master’s Degree and her proud father.

Onto the subject of Mr Mister and their 1985 album, “Welcome to the Real World.” Another album from that year which I never bothered with back in the day but have come to enjoy in my later years. My reason at the time was rather basic. Because there were no crunching guitars and mostly synthesizers, I immediately wrote them off as a synth pop band. What changed my mind over the years was down to having two big singles from the album, “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings” on a couple of compilation albums. After listening more closely these past thirty years, I have come to appreciate the musicianship of Mr Mister. They are definitely not a synth pop band!

There is a big difference between synth pop and progressive rock. A lot of people, including me at times, forgot that fact. However, what Mr Mister does is tread the tight rope between the two genres and they do so very well. The singles “Is It Love,” “Kyrie” and “Broken Wings” all fall with varying degrees to the side of synth pop. “Is It Love” falling more but “Broken Wings” falling a lot less. I can hear spots of more progressive rock on that one. “Kyrie” is in the middle here but what makes this song is it’s Richard Page’s best vocal performance on the entire album.

The rest of “Welcome to the Real World” falls more onto the progressive rock side. The purest prog rock song here has to be “Into My Own Hands.” This is a track where one can easily sit back and get absorbed in the music like they would have done a decade earlier with the likes of Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer and Pink Floyd. The hardest track is the opener, “Black/White.” There are some good guitars on it and guitarist, Steve Farris, plays his best solo, possibly. The other tracks all fall somewhere between the two tracks I just mentioned. While the synth pop is less in these songs, it’s still there at times. Only they don’t detract from the more progressive rock parts. What I have come to realize is that Mr Mister successfully walked the tightrope here.

Track Listing:

1. Black/White
2. Uniform of Youth
3. Don’t Slow Down
4. Run to Her
5. Into My Own Hands
6. Is It Love
7. Kyrie
8. Broken Wings
9. Tangent Tears
10. Welcome to the Real World

Mr Mister

Richard Page- lead vocals, bass

Steve George- keyboards, vocals

Pat Mastelotto- drums, percussion

Steve Farris- guitar

I wasn’t the only metalhead in 1985, to poo-poo Mr Mister. To most, they weren’t hard enough but there were enough people who liked them to make “Welcome to the Real World,” a successful album.

Next post: 19985 One Hit Wonders

To download Rock and Roll Children, go to https://e-pdfwebinar.ml/share/free-ebooks-in-english-rock-and-roll-children-epub-by-michael-d-lefevre.html