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Rush - Power Windows

Mike + The Mechanics



The Living Years (1988)
Word of Mouth (1991)
Beggar on a Beach of Gold (1995)

Mike Rutherford's 'Hobby Band' took on a life of its own when they scored a massive international hit with the title track from their second album 'The Living Years'. The band remained in much the same form for two more excellent releases in the late-Genesis style and scored a couple more chart singles with songs like 'Another Cup of Coffee'.

M6 (1999)

1999 saw The Mechanics reduced to a trio of MR with the Pauis (Carrack & Young), the sound moved away from rock to soulful pop with more emphasis on songwriting and production.

Rewired (2004)

After Paul Young's untimely death, Rutherford and Carrack went into the studio to make 'Rewired' as a duo with a dramatic shift in sound to a heavily synthesized 'modern' approach. Recording and production on this album are really quite spectacular!

The Road (2011)
Let Me Fly (2017)
Up in the Air (2019)

Mechanics Mk II. MR reinvented the band with a new stable lineup featuring, again, two lead singers: Andrew Roachford (known for solo hits in the 90's) and Tim Howar. The presence of Roachford reinforces the Soul side of the band and Howar handles tho more Rock-orientated material. The most recent 'Up In The Air' sees them reworking the early-period hits in fresh, new versions.

All in all, if you appreciate the post-Hackett, hit-making Genesis then you will find much to like in the Mechanics albums, all very well played and produced with fine songwriting and committed performances by excellent musicians. It has certainly surprised me how much I am enjoying them.

Rainbow - Besst Of

Steamhammer



Reflection (1969)
Mk II (1970)
Mountains (1970)
Speech (1972)

The Berlin-based 2nd-hand Ebay seller that I regularly use is proving to be a treasure-trove for rarities and oddities, with the discovery of Steamhammer as a latest find.

Steamhammer were formed in Worthing and it's members all came out of the 60's UK Blues and Folk scene with the double-guitar approach that Wishbone Ash also used. First album 'Steamhammer' (reissued as 'Reflection') is a solid blues-based disc which reminds me a lot of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. For 'Mk II' they were joined by woodwind player & multi-instrumentalist Steve Joliffe who injected a jazzy feeling that has this album coming over as a heavier version of Caravan. Joliffe left to join Tangerine Dream and the band returned to heavy-blues with 'Mountains'.
Line-up changes resulted in a shift to psychedelic, progressive workouts with final album 'Speech' which came out on the Krautrock 'Brain' label and had just 3 extended tracks.

A band with that classic early-70's vibe, great playing and solid songs.

Boogie!

Deep Purple - Stormbringer

The Sundays 'Reading, Writing & Arithmetic' (1990)



Haven't heard this in a decade or 2, an album so wistfully delicate it manages to be both memorable and forgettable at the same time. Soundwise it is a sort of stripped-down 'Cocteau Twins meets The Smiths' with lightly shimmering guitar and the lovely vocal theatrics of Harriet Wheeler.

Hugely hyped when they emerged in the 90's, The Sundays only recorded three albums before going into permanent retirement. This is the debut and possibly best of those.

Sunday-morning music. So appropriate.

Fates Warning - Long day good night

Pat Benatar
Precious Time (1981)
Seven the Hard Way (1985)



For years and years a little voice has occasionally appeared in my head, nagging at me to listen to some Pat Benatar albums. To be quite honest I had only ever really heard 1980's 'Crime of Passion' which spawned several hit singles. Pat started out as a classically-trained singer who moved into accessible Pop/Rock with a hard-edged sound similar to Heart.

'Precious Time' was her third album and the first to be produced by her guitarist/husband Neil Geraldo; a solid, high-energy collection of finely-crafted Rock songs. 'Seven the Hard Way' is a more slick & streamlined 80's production with big synths and widescreen Arena-Rock sound.

I had overlooked Pat Benatar but she was enormously influential to the next generation of female rock vocalists, setting the mould for raunchy, talented ladies who had to be taken seriously.

Next up: Berlin and T'Pau !

King Creosote and Job Hopkins "Diamond Mine"

Mr Mister 'Welcome to the Real World' (1985)
T'Pau 'Bridge of Spies' (1987)
Cutting Crew 'Broadcast' (1986)
Berlin 'Count Three & Pray' (1986)



Yes, there's a major trip back to the 80's happening at Fretless Manor! Along with an in-depth look at Rock-Godmother Pat Benatar I have a bunch of other albums all of which contain a single massive hit. Discs that I overlooked / rejected back then as being too commercial and uninteresting; age has mellowed my tastes (somewhat) and a large dose of nostalgia has jumped in - looking for something safely familiar in these troubled times.

Mr Mister ('Broken Wings') a group of American session muso's including drummer Pat Mastelotto who went on to become a mainstay in King Crimson. These guys can play - no doubt about that; musically it is mainstream 80's radio-rock with plenty of energy and bucketloads of production effects. Loads of fun here.

T'Pau ('China in Your Hands'), fronted by redhead Carol Decker this British group aimed firmly for the US market with a lush AOR sound. This album is better than I remember it to be, but Decker's voice starts to grate a bit as the album progresses.

Cutting Crew ('(I Just) Died in Your Arms') Another UK band with a solidly American sound. This is a surprisingly enjoyable listen with plenty of guitar, atmospheric synths and pleasantly-written songs. Will certainly be giving this a few more spins.

Berlin ('Take My Breath Away') and then we have an American band with a distinctly European New-Wave approach. This is a gritty and powerful record that I am kicking myself for that I have never heard it before. Seriously good.

Let the Good Times Roll !!!