I am here to review melodic rock of all kinds. The industry continues it's slow fade into oblivion. My main goal is to keep the torch lit. Reviews and opinions are my own. Ratings system moving forward for all albums reviewed here. 10 is perfect, like getting an A plus. Fairly simple.
If you like this amazing duo you may have missed these singles from the "Warner Archives". The intro on "Keep Your Smile" sounds scarily similar to Joey Scarbury's "Believe It Or Not", the theme from The Greatest American Hero TV show. After that the song settles into it's own groove and time travels us back to the cutting room floor circa 1978. If this is the cutting room floor, methinks we need to be crawling on our hands and knees scouring the place. Radio of course had no interest in this 40 something year old piece of nostalgia. Both men here are in their prime delivering a should-have-been radio hit. The tune recalls a time when the world was truly more on it's axis.
The record label wasn't finished though. For some strange reason they are releasing more music. Next is another, maybe even better radio ready tune called "Why Is It Me". A soothing blend of acoustic guitars, keyboards and perfect pitch vocals. You can almost see a sunset reflecting off the Gulf of Mexico as this one plays. Are these two songs a teaser? Is there an entire album of lost material ready to be foisted upon us? Decades after radio stations would even consider playing great music like this? I guess only time will tell. For now we have two great new lost tracks from two of the best singer songwriters of the late 1970's. We also have to honor the amazing Dan Seals who died from cancer at the age of 61 back in 2009. His lead vocal is the driving force in this duo, much like what Daryl Hall does for Hall and Oates. His contributions to these new songs are amazing. Let's hope the Warner Archives have more nuggets like these.
Wow, thanks for posting this. I had absolutely no ideas that these tracks had recently been unearthed by the WB/Rhino Archives. And you're not wrong, that first track's intro is definitely a melodic precursor to Joey Scarbury's chief claim to fame (perhaps the same songwriters were involved?!?) Also, quite the companion piece to your great video on Seals & Crofts several weeks back. So sad that so many great artists have been banished from the public airwaves in favor of over-processed and unmemorable crap. And speaking of Dan Seals, his flawless 1985 track "Bop", co-written by the also largely-forgotten Paul Davis, is yet another of those most-worthy, long-lost treasures deserving of a spin-or-twelve on a hip Retro AC station. That, or perhaps some groundbreaking dairy operation out there can start placing throwback pictures of MIA and/or deceased musical stars of yore on their milk cartons!!
I did a video on Paul Davis a couple years ago. His nephew reached out to me and thanked me like I was telling the world something new. I feel like the music is slipping away. Sure, I promote some new things coming out. But just holding on to the greatness of the past is becoming more and more difficult. Dan Seals was a monster country artist in the 80's. It was a nice melodic pop country sound with a decent sheen to it. You and I lived through some of the great music of all time. But nobody seems to care anymore.
It also doesn't help that most of those cherished vintage acts still out there are often resting/coasting on their well-deserved laurels. and yet at the same time more often than not delivering an inferior product, both on 'record' and in concert. The new bands simply don't stand a chance if the sometimes great new work of their musical forefathers isn't given a fair shake. Quite discouraging, but you are among those fulfilling the very important word of regularly getting the word out on the worthwhile new bands/music. Keep up the great work. SALUTE!!
It's delicate balancing act. On the one hand I KNOW that most of the classics are better than what is currently being made by the few newbies that can pass muster. On the other hand I think it's like musical rigor if you ignore all the new material out there. People seem to not want new music.
And your clear-headed point above is one of the main reasons that the states of Classic Rot(!) and Melodic Rock have been in such dire straits(!)for at ;east the past fifteen years or so. Few folks in positions of power have the guts or much-needed strength of character required to go out on a limb and play the best of the new rock, by both the heritage dino acts and the best of the new breed. Ultimately I guess the average music enthusiast is left to their own devices in that regard. Glad to know that at least there are still some other musical kindred spirits out in the proverbial wild!!
Wow, thanks for posting this. I had absolutely no ideas that these tracks had recently been unearthed by the WB/Rhino Archives. And you're not wrong, that first track's intro is definitely a melodic precursor to Joey Scarbury's chief claim to fame (perhaps the same songwriters were involved?!?) Also, quite the companion piece to your great video
ReplyDeleteon Seals & Crofts several weeks back. So sad that so many great artists
have been banished from the public airwaves in favor of over-processed
and unmemorable crap. And speaking of Dan Seals, his flawless 1985 track "Bop", co-written by the also largely-forgotten Paul Davis, is yet another of those most-worthy, long-lost treasures deserving of a
spin-or-twelve on a hip Retro AC station. That, or perhaps some
groundbreaking dairy operation out there can start placing throwback
pictures of MIA and/or deceased musical stars of yore on their milk
cartons!!
I did a video on Paul Davis a couple years ago. His nephew reached out to me and thanked me like I was telling the world something new. I feel like the music is slipping away. Sure, I promote some new things coming out. But just holding on to the greatness of the past is becoming more and more difficult. Dan Seals was a monster country artist in the 80's. It was a nice melodic pop country sound with a decent sheen to it. You and I lived through some of the great music of all time. But nobody seems to care anymore.
DeleteIt also doesn't help that most of those cherished vintage acts still out there are often resting/coasting on their well-deserved laurels. and yet
ReplyDeleteat the same time more often than not delivering an inferior product, both on 'record' and in concert. The new bands simply don't stand a chance if the sometimes great new work of their musical forefathers isn't given a fair shake. Quite discouraging, but you are among those
fulfilling the very important word of regularly getting the word out on
the worthwhile new bands/music. Keep up the great work. SALUTE!!
It's delicate balancing act. On the one hand I KNOW that most of the classics are better than what is currently being made by the few newbies that can pass muster. On the other hand I think it's like musical rigor if you ignore all the new material out there. People seem to not want new music.
DeleteAnd your clear-headed point above is one of the main reasons that the
ReplyDeletestates of Classic Rot(!) and Melodic Rock have been in such dire straits(!)for at ;east the past fifteen years or so. Few folks in positions of power have the guts or much-needed strength of character required to go out on a limb and play the best of the new rock, by both
the heritage dino acts and the best of the new breed. Ultimately I guess the average music enthusiast is left to their own devices in that
regard. Glad to know that at least there are still some other musical kindred spirits out in the proverbial wild!!
Not sure if you are going to get a notification on this but I wanted to let you know the new site name...realmusicreviewsinrealtime.blogspot.com
Delete