Great Rock Albums of 1989: Kim Mitchell- Rockland

One conclusion I have come to since writing this blog is that Canadian artists don’t get the respect they so richly deserve. Take Kim Mitchell. True, he had some airplay in the US with hits such as “Go For Soda” and “Patio Lanterns” and I guess that the track, “Rocklandwonderland,” got some airplay there to as it was the ninth most played song in its native country. Unfortunately, I was living in the UK and the song never made it across the Atlantic. Therefore, I missed out on another great song and album back then.

Take the already mentioned track. “Rocklandwonderland” opens the album and I absolutely love the bassline laid down by Matthew Gerrard as well as Kim’s little guitar hooks. To me, it sounds a little like Mr. Mister with a great little guitar, which is in no way a criticism by the way. It’s just a good song which might have done well in the UK if anyone bothered to market it over here.

The first half of “Rockland,” jumps back in forth between rock song and ballad. The ballad, “Lost Lovers Found” succeeds the opener and this too could have been a single. It has a catchy vibe a good ballad should have and Kim does play a good guitar solo on it. Then we get some rocking with “Rock and Roll Duty” which was the second most played song in Canada in said year. I mean this song really cooks and if I had heard it back then, I would have said, “Wake up America and Britain.” This is a pure rocker and Kim once again really wails on his guitar, especially at the end.

“Rockland” goes back to ballad territory with “Tangle of Love.” This is typical 80s ballad stuff but its done very well. I like Kim’s little spoken piece at the beginning of the song. If I had access to this back then and I wasn’t already married of course, I might have used this one in an attempt to obtain paradise by the dashboard light. The song sets a very romantic mood with Kim’s little guitar hooks and solo and although it’s not listed in the credits, I’m sure I hear a little sax solo. Then, in keeping with the first half of the album, things go a bit harder with “Moodstreet.” We get another cool bassline from Matthew and more little guitar hooks from Kim similar to the opener. If listening on vinyl or cassette, then this one was a great way to end the first half of the album.

We don’t get a ballad on “The Crossroads.” I won’t call it a rocker, more 80s pop rock. I get the impression that Kim might have been going for commercial playability with the album and this one sounds like it would have been fit for American radio. More credit should go to Matthew for his bassline on this and a number of other songs on “Rockland.” However, we do get more of a ballad with “Expedition Sailor.” Rik Emmett of Triumph lends his hand on the acoustic guitar. It’s not a romantic ballad, much more a story telling one. I think it tells the story of a sailor who is out searching for a much better world. A nice little guitar solo from Kim adds to the mood.

It’s track eight where I find the hidden gem on the album in “Oh Mercy Louise.” Here, Kim lets his hair down and just goes and rocks out. I like what Kim does on the song and the little augmentation from the keyboards and yes again, Matthew’s bassline but it’s Kim on the guitar which really shines here. Penultimate track, “This Dream” carries on the rock and though I don’t hold it in as high esteem as its predecessor, it’s still a great rocking track with more great guitar work from you know who. Kim closes his album with the hard rock sounding “The Great Embrace.” It is a great rocking way to take the album home as Kim goes all out on it.

Track Listing:

1. Rocklandwonderland
2. Lost Lovers Found
3. Rock and Roll Duty
4. Tangle of Love
5. Moodstreet
6. The Crossroads
7. Expedition Sailor
8. Oh Mercy Louise
9. This Dream
10. The Great Embrace

Kim Mitchell- lead guitar, lead vocals

Greg Wells- keyboards, backing vocals

Matthew Gerrard- bass

Kim Bullard- keyboards

Lou Molino- drums

Peter Fredette, Floyd Bell- backing vocals

Rik Emmett- acoustic guitar (track 7)

Sheree Jeacocke- backing vocals (track 5)

While I don’t in any way regret my life situation back in 1989 nor living in the UK, it is a shame that a damn fine album such as “Rockland” passed me by. Trust me, in a post set sometime in the distant future, Kim and other Canadian artists will get the recognition they deserve.

Next post: Rush- A Show of Hands

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An 80s Missed Opportunity

T’Pau

The Hooters

Here’s my weird mind working again. In my posts, I identified British band T’Pau as one hit wonders in the US. Likewise, I did the same for American band, The Hooters, in the UK. Maybe it would have been beneficial for both bands and fans that T’Pau and The Hooters went on a co-headlining tour together. T’Pau would have headlined in Europe while The Hooters headline in North America. Other parts of the world would be slotted in to suit. In this way, both bands would have had more exposure in the other one’s country and therefore more notoriety.

Just a thought but I’m curious to know what you would have thought of such a tour. Remember, dissenting opinions are totally welcome here.

Great Rock Albums of 1989: Tom Petty- Full Moon Fever

“Full Moon Fever” is the first Tom Petty album sans the Heartbreakers although most of them contributed on this album, especially lead guitarist Mike Campbell. Right now, I’m cursing my memory for somehow not remembering this album. I can’t even blame living in England because the album did very well here. I vaguely remember some of the singles but I can’t remember which ones charted where. With all that said, it’s not worth beating myself up over it because I can say how good the album is.

No less that five singles, three of them hits were spawned from the album. I now remember “Free Fallin'” thanks to an episode of “Family Guy.” Unfortunately, I can’t sneak it in here because while the song is mentioned, it’s not played. Oh well, I have to just enjoy the song as it is. It is the first of the five singles which make up the first six songs. “I Won’t Back Down” is more in tune of what Tom did with the Heartbreakers so it’s a really enjoyable song. However, I prefer the single “Face in the Crowd” with it’s foreboding acoustic guitar sound and Tom’s vocals punctuates the song very well. Then again, Tom goes slightly melodic hard rock on “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” It seems that when I listen to the album, the tracks seem to get better as the album progresses. It’s the first song where we get a significant guitar solo from Mike Campbell.

Since there are so many good tracks which were successful singles on the album, I must go right to the hidden gem. “”Love is Long Road” was a B-side for “Free Fallin'” in the UK but for me, it’s definitely the hidden gem. On this one, Tom and Mike let their hair down a bit and rock this song out. There are some power chords and Mike is let off the leash to knock out his best guitar solo. But for the technicality minded, if one doesn’t want to count a B-side as the hidden gem, which leaves out “Fell A Whole Lot Better,” a really good straight forward rock tune, then let me turn your attention to the closer, “Zombie Zoo.” Maybe it’s because we are getting so close to Halloween but I really like this song. It’s a fun rock song.

Not only do some of the Heartbreakers play on the album but also three of the Travelling Wilburys, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne who also produced the album. With all of those contributing, it’s little wonder the album was so good and successful.

Track Listing:

1. Free Fallin’
2. I Won’t Back Down
3. Love is a Long Road
4. Face In the Crowd
5. Runnin’ Down a Dream
6. Feel A Whole Lot Better
7. Yer So Bad
8. Depending On You
9. The Apartment Song
10. All Right For Now
11. A Mind With a Heart of Its Own
12. Zombie Zoo

Tom Petty

Tom Petty- lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, tambourine, handclaps

Mike Campbell- lead guitar, bass, Dobro, mandolin, keyboards

Jeff Lynne- rhythm guitar, backing vocals, bass, keyboards, piano, synthesizer

Phil Jones- drums, percussion

George Harrison- guitar, backing vocals on “I Won’t Back Down”

Jim Keltner- drums, maracas, tambourine, (track 3)

Benmont Trench- keyboards, piano (track 9)

Howie Epstein- backing vocals (tracks 2 and 3)

Roy Orbison- backing vocals (track 12)

Kelsey Campbell- scream (track 12)

Alan Wiedel- handclaps (track 6)

I’ve always liked Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and I really like this solo album from Tom. Nuff said.

Next post: Kim Mitchell- Rockland

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: The Hooters- Zig Zag

“Zig Zag” from The Hooters seals the proof that they were to the UK what T’Pau was to the US, one hit wonders. T’Pau are only known in the US for their hit, “Heart and Soul.” When I posted about their 1989 album, “Rage,” I found it went undiscovered there. In the UK, The Hooters will forever known as one hit wonders for “Satellite.” What this meant for me in 1989 is that because I was living in the UK, the “Zig Zag” album passed me by. If I had been in the US at the time, I would have snapped it up in a heartbeat as they were the local band which made good. The Hooters are from my birth city of Philadelphia.

If there’s anything different about “Zig Zag” from their previous two albums, it is that the lyrics of the song take a more political theme. The opener, “Brother, Don’t You Walk Away,” speaks about the widespread homelessness in America, how were are all humans but fate has favoured some but not others. Musically, it’s what I came to expect from The Hooters. Some good combined new wave, melodic rock where Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman add some rather unusual instruments. The music does augment the message of the song.

The opener was released as a single but didn’t do anything commercially, the song that did was “500 Miles.” It has a strong reggae flavour to it and Rob and Eric harmonize their vocals together very well. Supporting them was the 60s rock trio of Peter, Paul and Mary and their backing vocals add a bit of somberness to it. The song itself is about someone who is far away from home but too embarrassed to go back. However, they throw in a very significant event from the time, the lone Chinese protester who stood in from of a tank in Tianenmen Square.

Some good melodic hard rock is found in the track, “You Never Know Who Your Friends Are.” This is a very upbeat track with some straightforward rock and it’s about friends who are backstabbers and sometimes people who you thought weren’t your friends actually are. When I heard the track, “Give the Music Back,” at first, I thought it was about how synth pop was destroying creativity in music or about the anti-music stance of the religious nuts. The song is actually about the closing down of the famous Record Plant Studios on New York. This studio was responsible for recording such great albums as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” Blondie’s “Parallel Lines,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” The Eagles “Hotel California.” Apparently, reading the history, the studio closed down in New York but moved to LA. The Hooters were one of the last ones to record at the New York studio and this song is a great tribute to it.

My hidden gem for the album doesn’t come to the absolute end with the closer, “Beat Up Guitar,” though I do love the swagger behind “Mr. Big Baboon.” The track is sort of self-biographical where they sing about their rise from the city of Philadelphia to where they got to then. It also pays tribute to their home city and Eric Bazilian plays his best guitar solo on the album here. As I listen to the album, the more I lament missing it the first time around.

Track Listing:

1. Brother, Don’t You Walk Away
2. Deliver Me
3. 500 Miles
4. You Never Know Who Your Friends Are
5. Heaven Laughs
6. Don’t Knock It Till You Try It
7. Give the Music Back
8. Always a Place
9. Mr. Big Baboon
10. Beat Up Guitar

The Hooters

Eric Bazilian- lead and backing vocals, lead guitar, various wind and stringed instruments

Rob Hyman- lead and backing vocals, keyboards

John Lilley- rhythm guitar

Frank Smith Jr.- bass, backing vocals

David Uosikkinen-drums

Additional Musicians:

Peter, Paul and Mary- backing vocals on track 3

Joel Dubay, Todd Haug- backing vocals on track 6

Rick Chertoff- trumpet on track 6

God, did I miss a treat back in 1989! I can possibly say the same if I had been in the US when T’Pau’s “Rage” album came out. Still, this was a great album from The Hooters.

Next post: Tom Petty- Full Moon Fever

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: Rod Stewart- The Best of Rod Stewart

Truthfully, I was never that big of a Rod Stewart fan and I only know him from his hits. I did review his albums “Tonight I’m Yours,” from 1982 and “Camouflage” from 1984. Going back and reading those posts, I was quite fond of the first but scathing of the second. Not even Jeff Beck could save “Camouflage.”

With “The Best of Rod Stewart,” which was the first of a series of Rod compilation albums, I feel that I don’t really need to buy any more of his records because with this, I have all the songs of his I need, almost. Two songs which I really like are omitted from the album. One, “Infatuation,” which was one of the high points of the album, I wasn’t keen on, is one of them. Come on, we all like to see the video where Jeff Beck pops up in a motel room and plays his guitar solo. Even without the video, it’s still a good song. It does appear on the other compilation albums.

What doesn’t appear on this album or any of the next couple of compilations, which definitely should have, is “Ain’t Love a Bitch,” from the “Blondes Have More Fun” album. Now, I didn’t review that album because back in 1979, I thought it was too disco but I remember that one song and really liked it. The title alone was enough to amuse my then 18 year old mind. Yet, the disco “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” does appear on this album. They put the wrong song from that album on here. Another song missing is “Hot Legs” from the “Footloose and Fancy Free” album but the two songs which are here almost make up for it.

Now onto the positive and there are many. All of the other songs which I liked from Rod when I heard them as singles are on here. Of course, there’s the legendary “Maggie May” and other great Rod classics like “Sailing” and the very suggestive “Tonight’s the Night,” which had a religious girl I know who was a big Rod fan go off him because she thought the song was disgusting. I laugh at that. Of course we have “Young Turks” which resulted in the first of Rod’s cheesy videos from the MTV era. Whenever I hear this, I still think of young people dancing on the hoods of cars. But of all the songs on here, my favourite Rod song of all time happens to be “You’re In My Heart.” As many of you know, I’m a sucker for a good power ballad and Rod does ballads very well but it is the guitar solo which makes this one tops in my book.

Misinformation was one reason why I visited this album. I was informed that Rod had an album out in 1989 called, “Downtown Train.” It turns out that it was a single made for this album and while it doesn’t displace any of the RS songs I do like, it does fit in well with the album.

Track Listing:

1. Maggie May
2. You Wear It Well
3. Baby Jane
4. Do Ya Think I’m Sexy
5. I Was Only Joking
6. This Old Heart of Mine
7. Sailing
8. I Don’t Want To Talk About It
9. You’re In My Heart
10. Young Turks
11. What Am I Going to Do (I’m Still in Love With You)
12. The First Cut is the Deepest
13. The Killing of Georgie Part I and II
14. Tonight’s the Night
15. Every Beat of My Heart
16. Downtown Train

Rod Stewart

I thought I’d put this one in because it should be on the album.

And this one

I know there are more definitive Rod Stewart greatest hits album but this one from 1989 is sufficient for me.

Next post: The Hooters- Zig Zag

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: U2- Rattle and Hum

For the purists and annoyingly anal out there, I know that U2’s “Rattle and Hum” album actually came out in 1988. Admittedly, it did slip my mind when I was gathering my lists of albums for that year but when I started to put my list for 1989 together, I found myself thinking, “Didn’t U2 put out an album in this year?” So, I checked and while I wasn’t technically correct, I do remember hearing some of the singles released from the album in early 1989, so there.

“Rattle and Hum” was a combined studio and live album and it divided critics. Not fans mind you because the album went to number one in fourteen countries. However, while the positive critics praised the band for stretching out and venturing into new frontiers, the negative ones shot them down for being too egocentric and accused the band of trying to put themselves in the same category of some of the greats who play on the live songs.

Individually, the songs on “Rattle and Hum” are all good, even the covers. Full marks to The Edge on his guitar playing on The Beatles classic, “Helter Skelter.” Plus, they do a pretty good job on “All Around the Watchtower,” although I will still take Jimi Hendrix’s version any day. The best live recorded song was with BB King, “When Love Comes to Town.” This one was done with lots of heart, although I can’t stop thinking that this song was used in an episode of “South Park” where it was discovered that Bono was the shit. Also, I do like the use of the choir for the backing vocals on “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Maybe the problem is that I’ve listened to too many re-issues where you get the original album and then some bonus live tracks at the end of it. Consequently, I get the feeling that is what U2 should have done on this album. Put the studio recorded songs first and the live ones at the end because for me, the way it’s done here, breaks up the continuity of the album.

Of course, many people out there know some of the big hits from the studio portions. “Desire” and “Angel of Harlem” were both big hits and I still like them today. For me, however, the hidden gem is “Hawkmoon 269,” which was written as a tribute to author Sam Shepherd. This song brings back memories of their earlier, pre “The Joshua Tree” albums, my favourite era of the band. On another note, more credit must be given to The Edge for his writing and singing of “Van Diemen’s Land.” And since I’ve been noticing bass lines in recent years, I realize I haven’t given Adam Clayton his fair dues as a bassist. He does lay down some good basslines on this album.

Track Listing:

1. Helter Skelter
2. Van Diemen’s Land
3. Desire
4. Hawkmoon 269
5. All Around the Watchtower
6. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
7. Freedom for My People
8. Silver and Gold
9. Pride (In the Name of Love)
10. Angel of Harlem
11. Love Rescue Me
12. When Love Comes to Town
13. Heartland
14. God Part II
15. Star Spangled Banner
16. Bullet for the Blue Sky
17. All I Want Is You

U2

Bono- lead vocals, guitar, harmonica

The Edge- guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocal on track 2

Adam Clayton- bass

Larry Mullins Jr.- drums. percussion

Additional Musicians:

Bob Dylan- organ (track 3), backing vocals (track 11)

The New Voices of Freedom- backing vocals on track 6

Joey Misculin- organ on track 10

The Memphis Horns- horns on tracks 10 and 11

BB King- guitar, vocals (track 12)

Billie Barnum, Carolyn Willis, Edna Wright- backing vocals (track 3)

Rebecca Evans Russell, Phyllis Duncan, Helen Duncan- backing vocals (track 12)

Brian Eno- organ (track 13)

Benmont Tench- organ (track 17)

I’m still not sure about the layout of “Rattle and Hum.” I think intertwining live and studio recorded songs breaks up the continuity of the album. Still, they are all good songs. This would be their last album in the 80s and this brings up another interesting point. I always thought they went a bit weird in the 1990s.

Next post: Rod Stewart- Storyteller, The Best of Rod Stewart

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: Bob Dylan- Oh Mercy

Hypothesis: Many people in Great Britain thought that Bob Dylan was a washed up old singer by the late 1980s and not fairing much better in the US. This is because his three studio albums between the 1983 “Infidels” and the 1989, “Oh Mercy,” were all commercial flops for the singer. However, that all seemed to change in 1989. First there was his success at the end of the previous year with the Traveling Wliburys and then came this album which was considered by many a comeback album for Bob.

It is a well known fact that Mr. Dylan is famous for his protest music, especially during the 1960s and the opening track on the album, “Political World,” carries that fact forward. This song is about how politics seems to be taking over everything and society is becoming faceless. Not only does the song prove that he’s not past it with politics, the song sets the tone for the rest of the album. There is a foreboding feel to many of the songs done in a soft rock setting. Back in 1976, I applauded him for going electric on his “Hard Rain” album and it’s good to hear that he hasn’t turned his back on it.

With that said, Bob does throw in a few interesting changes. The love ballad, “Where Teardrops Fall,” has a blues feel to it and a very interesting track is the gospel sounding “Ring Them Bells.” One could argue that Bob was reconnecting with his religious period back in the very late 1970s and early 1980s as it seems he’s calling out to God. There is a haunting, yet uplifting melody to it.

While it’s a given on Bob’s protest music, in many of his songs throughout his long career, tell a good story. That happens here on my favourite track, “The Man In the Long Black Coat.” Who the man in the long black coat is is unknown and Bob isn’t telling anyone. There are more religious connotations with it and that has led some to question that it might be Satan. My first thought that it was a TV evangelist but who’s to say. It’s done to that haunting melody which I have already mentioned and that makes it a killer track.

There is a potential “Original vs. Cover” post here with the song, “Everything is Broken.” Bob does a good job here but I have also heard the cover by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and that kicks ass too. That’s another thing with him, he’s done some originals which have been covered by other artists who have totally rocked out those songs. Thinking about it, an original vs. cover post wouldn’t be right because the covers are done in styles totally different to Bob’s. Still, it’s cool to know that he has such great influence on other artists.

Towards the end of the album, you get the yin and yang with the tracks “What Good Am I” and “Disease of Conceit.” In the former, Bob seems to be questioning his worth in comparison to a woman, while in the latter he points out how people are effected by their own conceit and how conceit can bring a person down. Both are done to that haunting soft rock feel. I do like the guitar solo in “Disease of Conceit.”

Track Listing:

1. Political World
2. Where Teardrops Fall
3. Everything is Broken
4. Ring Them Bells
5. The Man in the Long Black Coat
6. Most of the Time
7. What Good Am I
8. Disease of Conceit
9. What Was It You Wanted
10. Shooting Star

Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan- vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, organ

Malcolm Burn- tambourine, keyboards (tracks 3-7 and 9)

Willie Green- drums (tracks 1,3,6,8,9 and 10)

Tony Hall- bass (tracks 1,3,6,8 and 10)

John Hart- saxophone (track 2)

Larry Jolivet- bass (track 2)

Daniel Lanois- Dobro, steel guitar, bass, omnichord (except track 8)

Cyril Neville- percussion (tracks 1, 6 and 9)

Alton Rubin Jr.- scratchboard (track 2)

Mason Ruffner- guitar (tracks 1, 8 and 9)

Brian Stoltz- guitar (tracks 3, 8 and 10)

Paul Senegal- guitar (track 2)

Cliched argument here: Some say Bob Dylan was back with this “Oh Mercy” album while his hardcore fans will say that he never went anywhere. All I know that back in 1989, it was great to hear him again.

Next post: U2- Rattle and Hum

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Great Rock Albums of 1989: Stevie Ray Vaughan- In Step

By 1989, my fears that blues based guitarists were becoming extinct seemed to be coming a reality with the last hurrah being those great albums from Stevie Ray Vaughan here and Eric Clapton in 1985. Even then, both were accused by critics of selling out and becoming too commercial 80s. However, except for a live album from Stevie in 1986, there wasn’t much more of that coming out. Then Stevie, after his stint in rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, came out fighting with the “In Step” album and balance was restored in the universe once again.

One great thing which can be said about “In Step” is that no one can accuse Stevie of trying to sound too commercial 80s. This album takes me back to a decade or so earlier when I used to salivate over great blues based guitarists. Stevie kept the fires going here as he just blows me away with mind blowing guitar solos on each and every track.

Stevie tackles his demons on the tracks “Tightrope” and “Wall of Denial” where he sings about his battles with drugs and alcohol without sounding preachy. He just lets the rhythm of the tracks and accentuate the message and hammers it in with blistering guitar solos. In fact, after some careful listens, I declare “Wall of Denial” to be my favourite track on the album.

Even with the three covers on the album, Stevie puts his own stamp with those great guitar solos. His covers of Willie Dixon’s “Let Me Love You Baby” and his one of Buddy Guy’s “Leave My Girl Alone” are done in that classic blues tradition, which would have made both of those men proud. I have always found the blues can be hypnotic when played properly and Stevie certainly does that on these songs. Furthermore, I would deserve to be shot if I didn’t include the penultimate track, his cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s, “Love Me Darlin,'” here.

Closing track, “Riviera Paradise,” is very interesting here. It’s a nearly nine minute long instrumental, in contrast to the other one, the two minute and nineteen seconds long “Travis Walk.” Some long instrumentals can become boring but Stevie keeps it interesting with the changes. Now here’s my weird mind at work but if lyrics were to be added, then I think the mood of the song would be perfect for Michael Bolton to come in and sing them. It’s just the feeling I get from the song. Even so, one can’t escape what a great album this is.

Track Listing:

1. The House is Rockin’
2. Crossfire
3. Tightrope
4. Let Me Love You Baby
5. Leave My Girl Alone
6. Travis Walk
7. Wall of Denial
8. Scratch-N-Sniff
9. Love Me Darlin’
10. Riviera Paradise

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan- guitar, vocals

Tommy Shannon- bass

Chris Layton- drums, percussion

Reese Wynans- keyboards

Something I forgot to mention, down to me gushing over the guitar mastery of Stevie, is the bass playing of Tommy Shannon. He relay lays down some great basslines which provide the foundation for Stevie to work his magic. Full marks should be given to Tommy and more to “In Step” for being such a great album. Unfortunately, this would be his last studio album as Stevie would be tragically taken from us in 1990 in a helicopter crash. I’m sure he’s up there jamming away with the denizens of rock heaven.

Next post: Bob Dylan- Oh Mercy

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Decision Regarding the Future

80smetalman’s Log: Supplemental

I have come to a decision on what to do here on 80smetalman once I’ve complete the tour of 1990. My following didn’t really get going until I was well into 1979, which was another great year for music. Therefore, most of you missed 1978 and the series before that which I called “Great Rock Albums of the 1970s.” Many great albums from the decade, pre-1978, were posted about. There was no real sense of order, an album from that time period came to my head and I would write about. I wasn’t constricted by years or bands or anything. Example: One post was “Never Mind the Bollocks” from the Sex Pistols, which, as you know, came out in 1977. The very next post was David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars,” which was released in 1972. Some may see the lack of order but it worked for me at the time. I’m sure Stone of Metalodyssey can vouch for this as he was my big follower back then. It’s also why I launched a campaign to save his blog in the beginning of the year.

So, that’s what I’m going to do post 1990. There will be no set years following on and I’ll just post about an album which comes to mind. In fact, I think the first post should be Metallica’s “Black Album.” I think this way is best for me because I can do so with less stress about it and on top of that, I can post about other related material like top ten lists and such.

I hope you’ll continue to come along for the ride. In fact, you can suggest albums from that time period for me to post about. In any case, I am really excited about doing it this way and I hope you’ll be too. On another note, on my Michael Bolton post, I mentioned a sub genre called ‘conformist rock,’ I’m surprised no one picked up on it. Maybe it wasn’t the big thing in the US as it was in the UK.

Next post will still be Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Thank you all for the support you’ve given me thus far, may it continue.

Great Rock Albums of 1989: Mike and the Mechanics- The Living Years

Mike and the Mechanics were a paradox for me. I didn’t hate them, in fact, I found their music easy to listen to. However, they were no where near being metal. Therefore, I didn’t pay much attention to them and was the reason why I didn’t post about their 1985 debut album. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the recommendation from Damien, I wouldn’t have posted about this album, “The Living Years.”

Listening to the album, I find that they walked the tightrope between synth pop and hard rock and do it very well. One example is the track, “Black and Blue.” If more synths were added to the song, then it would have been more in the vein of Duran Duran. However, if the guitar had been turned up more, it might have been a really good rocking song.

Not fitting to either of the categories above, back in the day, I labelled Mike and the Mechanics a top 40 band. They did have several hits and on this album, it’s the title track which was a worldwide hit for them, going number one in many countries. I have to admit, I do remember the song from back then and it is a pretty good song, even for this metalhead.

Some critics slated “The Living Years” for being too inconsistent. I don’t agree with that view. I think they tried to venture out and explore more and they have my admiration for doing so. While, there are no real rockers on the album, “Seeing is Believing” comes pretty close. Mike Rutherford does stretch out on the guitar more and if he had hammered out a solo, then it would have been the icing on the cake.

For me, the middle of the album which is the best part for me. The tracks, “Nobody Knows,” “Poor Boy Down,” and “Blame” all put their toes in the pool of progressive rock. “Nobody Knows” bounces nicely between ballad and up-tempo. “Poor Boy Down” starts off like Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” but I have to applaud the keyboard work of Adrian Lee here. This is another one that if they added more guitar to it, it would have made a great rocker. I can say the same thing about “Blame” except that Mr. Rutherford rips a cool guitar solo on it and that makes it the best track on the album. His efforts on “Beautiful Day” are worth a note too.

Track Listing:

1. Nobody’s Perfect
2. The Living Years
3. Seeing Is Believing
4. Nobody Knows
5. Poor Boy Down
6. Blame
7. Don’t
8. Black and Blue
9. Beautiful Day
10. Why Me

Mike Rutherford- guitar, bass

Paul Carrack- vocals, tracks 2, 4, 7, 10

Paul Young- vocals, tracks 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9

Adrian Lee- keyboards

Peter Van Hooke- drums

Additional Musicians:

Sal Gallina- keyboards

B. A. Robertson- keyboards

Alan Murphy- guitar

Martin Ditcham- percussion

Luis Jardim- percussion

Christopher Neill- backing vocals

Alan Carvell- backing vocals

Kings House School Choir- backing vocals track 2

Actually, back in late 1985 and early 86, I had my own version of Mike and the Mechanics. Working at a bus parking lot, I hung around with two mechanics so that’s what we called ourselves. In any case, “The Living Years” is a pretty good easy listening album.

Next post: Stevie Ray Vaughan- In Step

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

To give Bruce Dickinson his well deserved knighthood, click the link: https://www.change.org/p/special-honours-committees-for-knighthoods-a-knighthood-for-bruce-dickinson