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GTR 'GTR' (1986)



Occasionally, when ordering second-hand CDs, I drop a cheapie in the basket out of curiosity and this was one of those spontaneous purchases.

History: it's the 80's and respected 70's musicians were struggling for survival in a corporate marketplace. Steve Howe (ex-Yes) had left arena-rock outfit Asia to do something more artistically satisfying. Teaming up with Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) looked to be a dream ticket. A band was formed including drummer Jonathan Mover from Marillion and an album was recorded with production handled by Geoff Downes (Yes & Asia).

The result was an AOR-sounding effort rather too similar in style to Asia without enough individual character to really appeal to Yes or Genesis fans. A lack of success had the band folding after a single tour.

But .... decades on, what you do hear here are certain pointers to the current Steve Howe-led incarnation of Yes. This much-derided GTR project emerges as a 'missing link' between then and now, revealing itself to be a well-made curio that deserves some fresh attention.

Interesting.

Fates Warning - Inside Out

Talking Heads 'Stop Making Sense' (1984)



Speaking about remasters, there is a new 2023 edition of the Heads' monumental concert film from 1984. Me, I've just caught up with the 1999 'Special Edition' version, which is pretty damn good.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the music of the Talking Heads with only 'Remain In Light' being a fixture in my playing habits. 'Stop Making Sense' is a great film and a fine concert soundtrack album but I personally prefer the earlier 'The name of this band is Talking Heads' release which has far edgier, more dynamic performances featuring incredible guitar work from guest Adrian Belew.

"I'm walking a line
I'm visiting houses in motion
I'm walking a line
Just barely enough to be living"

Fates Warning - Pleasant shades of gray

Grace Jones 'Slave to the Rhythm' (1985)



To my shame, there are an awful lot of great albums that I have never heard; back in the 80's I was an 'Elitist Music Snob' - tending to regard anything that spawned a hit single as worthless commercial trash. Time and age has brought (a small degree of) wisdom and that luckily means I still have much fine music to discover.

During the recording of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome', Trevor Horn presented them with a track called 'Slave to the Rhythm' which the band rejected. It so happened that Grace Jones was looking to work with Horn and he tried the song out with her, it worked. In fact it worked so well they contructed an entire album around the one number featured in wildly different versions with all of the tricks that the studio team cound muster.

Listening to this properly, for the first time, I am also struck by the power and control that Grace Jones voice has, I have never taken her very seriously and am now en route to checking out her albums 'Warm Leatherette' and 'Nightclubbing'. Also a couple of Horn-produced CD's from Seal are in and on the listening pile.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome, indeed!

Motorhead - Motorizer

Fretless wrote: ↑Sun Sep 17, 2023 9:47 am

Listening to this properly, for the first time, I am also struck by the power and control that Grace Jones voice has, I have never taken her very seriously and am now en route to checking out her albums 'Warm Leatherette' and 'Nightclubbing'. Also a couple of Horn-produced CD's from Seal are in and on the listening pile.

I also recently picked up some Grace Jones vinyl (including Nightclubbing & Warm Leatherette), having passed her by previously.
I prefer the original "Warm Leatherette", which I am pleased to say I bought as the single when it came out.
My classmates were not ready for The Normal when it was played in school

Marvin Gaye - Gold

Grace Jones 'Warm Leatherette' (1980)



Another 'first time listen' to an 80's gem and I am immediately struck by the similarities to Marianne Faithfull's 'Broken English' which had been issued by the same Island Records the previous year.

Both albums feature a synth-heavy, stripped-down New Wave sound leaving room for the two ladies to shine in their own distinctive ways.

Even the covers are similar.