Classic Rock Bottom

I guess the 50th album in the series I thought up all by myself is one of those "poppier" albums that someone, who took the time to listen to last week's post, thinks it means that I'm in a "weird musical mood" and that I'm up to something. 

All I can say is that it's probably not what's going on. Mostly.

This week's pick is the 1989 release from Cutting Crew, The Scattering. This is the followup to their 1986 debut album, Broadcast, which reached #16 on the US charts and was certified gold. That album contained the #1 single "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", the #9 single "I've Been In Love Before" and the #38 single "One For The Mockingbird".  

The Scattering reached #150  on the US charts and two singles did reach the top 20 on the US Adult Contemporary chart, but nothing hit on the US Main chart. The album was also not successful as the debut in many other countries.

The review on allmusic.com (included below, of course) sums up perfectly why this wasn't a success,  but a mention must be made of lead geetarist Kevin MacMichael who went on to play with Robert Plant and his talent can be heard on the Fate Of Nations album.  Sadly, he passed away in 2002.

Cutting Crew released a few more albums with different members but were never able to match their debut album's success.

By the time Cutting Crew released their second album in 1989, they were viewed as irrelevant by both critics -- who always despised them anyway -- and the fickle public that elevated "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" and "I've Been in Love Before" onto the pop charts two years earlier. The cold shoulders which welcomed The Scattering were most likely due to the lack of immediately catchy songs; nevertheless, while The Scattering doesn't have ear candy like the band's hit singles, the music is less-blatantly commercial and more personal. It's still slick stuff -- big '80s synthesizers, glossy FM radio guitars, in-your-face drums -- but Nick VanEede's vocals have a frosty glow that creates a mood and sustains interest. (The resemblance of his voice to Rob Dickinson's of Catherine Wheel has yet to be acknowledged.) "Big Noise" and "(Between A) Rock and a Hard Place" aren't as heavy as their titles suggest; however, they sound great on the highway, as guitarist Kevin Macmichael lets it rip without pounding the listener into submission -- something the grunge groups who permanently jettisoned bands such as Cutting Crew from AOR stations in the '90s enjoyed doing. The Scattering will probably seem dated to anyone who isn't an '80s enthusiast, but it's tasty nostalgia for people who remember the decade fondly. Cutting Crew were obviously infatuated with the arena-sized riffs of U2 and Big Country, and while the group doesn't reach those bands' creative heights, hook-packed material such as "Everything but My Pride" and "Tip of Your Tongue" finds them walking tall.

The Scattering

1. Year In The Wilderness
2. The Scattering
3. Big Noise
4. Everything But My Pride
5. Handcuffs For Houdini
6. (Between A) Rock And A Hard Place
7. Tip Of Your Tongue
8. Reach For The Sky
9. The Last Thing
10. Feel The Wedge
11. Binkies Return
12. Brag

Availability: The remastered version can be had for around $8 used.

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So you're saying I'm right?

Sure. You can, well, keep believing that.

Image result for i knew it gif

Some of us fully plan on listening to the previous post, we just haven't had time.

So I find this post very interesting.  Why?  Because it is.  That's why.  

I will say that although I certainly remember The Cutting Crew's huge hit, it was always just okay to me.  I can't say that I've ever listened to the debut album.  At least, if I did, I don't recall it.  But my favorite CC story is when my neighbor told me that he couldn't believe it when he heard my 5 year old (at the time) son singing (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight, but he was totally in awe of his knowledge of 80's rock.  That was a proud Dad moment.

I've gotta say, I enjoyed this listen.  Two songs really, really stand out.  Big Noise and Brag.  The first deserves a second listen, which I hope to accomplish.  I was distracted while listening, so I didn't give it the attention that I think it might deserve.  Same goes for the closer.  Brag is a very beautiful song.  Frankly, I want to hear both of these tracks again.

Otherwise, the listen was a pleasure.  A trip back to the eighties production wise, along with just enough guitar to keep it interesting.  

Yep, this might be my favorite album in the series to this point.

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