Classic Rock Bottom

This is technically the 19th album in that series but I'm gonna turn things on its ears and furry paws and make the proclamation that this is the second album in yet ANOTHER series. It's up to you to figure out what it has in common with last week's selection which is now to be considered the first in this new, shimmery series of ear sounds. 

YEAH!

This week's pick is the 1986 release from Outlaws, Soldiers Of Fortune. Going into this, remember that it's the 80's and there's going to be a lot of familiar 80's tropes. There's also going to be some missing Outlaws tropes, but all of this is explained rather well in the allmusic.com which, of course, is included below.

Not a bad album, but it sold rather poorly. The one song that stuck out to me sounds the most Outlaw-ish to me and of course I'm never wrong with the red pick. NEVER!

Soldiers of Fortune was the last record by the Outlaws that could actually be called an "Outlaws" album. The disc was issued in 1986, three years after the band left Arista, in the wake of huge chart and sales successes a few years earlier by .38 Special, which wed FM radio pop, that '80s keyboard sound, and Southern rock in a winning formula. Given that and the way this record sounds, the title of the album is perhaps more telling of the band's motivation than it is an aesthetic choice. Guitarist Henry Paul returned to the Florida band's fold for this outing, restoring the three-guitar front line that leader Hughie Thomasson favored. But for all the restraint presented here, it hardly mattered. Drum programs abound, as do synthesizers, but nonetheless there is something very compelling about this record. Its feel is utterly nocturnal. It's slick, polished, and holds only a ghostly resemblance to the Outlaws of old. There are no roaring jams and no wrangling, knife-edged guitars -- only those spooky, out-of-the-murky-soil melodies that were the band's trademark. There are beautiful songs here, like the opening "One Last Ride," with its shimmering warm synth lines and elasticized guitars and vocals by Jon Butcher. The title track was crafted to hit the same mark that .38 Special's "Caught Up in You" and "Hang On Loosely" were, with its nearly chanted choruses, smooth guitar riffs with just a hint of Southern rock sting, and a hook to die for. "The Night Cries," for all of its Southern flair, still could have been written and produced by Lindsey Buckingham. "Cold Harbor" reflects Paul's gift for writing narrative pop songs and weaving beautiful acoustic guitars through his tomes. "Saved By the Bell" is another tune sculpted in the "Soldiers of Fortune" mold. Only "Just the Way I Like It," "Lady Luck," and (to a lesser extent) "The Outlaw" revel in an '80s form of Southern boogie rock, but even these are textured gloriously. Sonically, this album sounds dated, but musically it's the true space oddity in the Outlaws' catalog, and deserves both a listen and a berth just for that.

Soldiers Of Fortune

1. One Last Ride
2. Soldiers of Fortune
3. Night Cries
4. Outlaw
5. Cold Harbor
6. Whatcha Don't Do
7. Just the Way I Like It
8. Saved by the Bell
9. Lady Luck
10. Racin' for the Red Light

Availability: Around $13-14 new or used.

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I could swear I had an Outlaws CD, and perhaps I do, but I can't find it and it definitely isn't this one, even if I do.

So I'm listening to this one with fresh ears. Scratch that, I'll put my 2010' ears away and I'm going to attach my 80's ears, because that's the sensible thing to do, rather than complain about the sound. It's like saying Mozart and Beethoven are all grand piano and last century. I don't get those people who say they outgrew a music style. How do you do that? It was 80 now it's 10. So what are you saying, you shrunk (you wish) or rather that your taste shrunk. Well if that's the case I feel sorry for you because you weren't wise enough to keep your 80's ears in the original protective box, like I did.

OK, let's go.

Stop. Hold on for a second. Is this going to be another one of those CD's where every second song is good? And at that, it's the song #2 that leads the good ones, so the even numbers are interesting and the odd numbers are sucky. As they say in South: Yep. At least the rule applies until we get to song #7 which should have been irrelevant in the aforementioned formula, but instead it turned out to be the Green song. Yes it's green because it's clean, free of emission and opposite of noise pollution and red. Be aware of those who favor red. They might be commietachie sleeper cells. Don't say I haven't warned you. So let's get back to song #7 which is "Just The Way I Like It". No, it's also the title of the song. But you know what, it was co-written by Spencer Proffer, the producer of this and many other fine Album Oriented Rock albums. But here comes the kicker, what Jon forgot to mention is that it was co-written by one and only Billy Thorpe. Now you see, why it is the Green track.

From here on, thankfully the band abandons the formula I wasn't attached to begin with and rocks out the second half. The album closes with a song I've been waiting to hear from the beginning, since it's the only song in which you can tell there is more than one guitarist in the band. I mean, why have them three is you not gonna let them loose.

Only 3 tracks peeked my interest. Lady Luck is the third one. Few others are good, but there are definitely freeloaders among these Outlaws.

That first song didn't sound like the Outlaws at all at first, but as it went on I got it.  And that guitar sound just screams this time period.  Ouch, the title track is in a key that's too damn high.  The hook is good, but they need to drop that key a bit. There's more of that period guitar work on Night Cries.  That guitar sound is very reminiscent of a Robert Plant song that I can't quite place right now.  I could look but I don't want to.

The electronic drums scream 80's as well, but not in a good way.  

Most of this just muddles around.  What the hell is it with the high vocals.  It's obviously strained, why would anybody think that sounds good?

I certainly agree on the red track.  Henry Paul has a great, southern voice.  Best song here for sure.

Love that opener!  I know its keyboard, but its nice and the songwriting is solid.  I've long been a Ghost Rider fan of this band, but would love to open their catalog up and give more albums a listen. So this is the launching point for that.  I'd love some recommendations beyond the 2 albums mentioned if anyway has a solid view of their work...

There is change in the momentum on the title track, its pretty poppy but has nice moments.  The harmonies are solid I sure would love to hear more of that 3 guitar attack.  Getting the feeling of soft rock with the 3rd track.  Its nice though I still want to hear the band take off, maybe its a song sequencing issue?

The Outlaw (or is it Outlaw minus the "The"?), it has a great start but is steeped in 80's production standards which I'm totally OK with.  Like the riff interplay on this one, its what I was hoping for.

Cole Harbor or Cold Harbor?  Seems were having some issue with the track names this week...  Not my cherry pick but its a very close second!  So your back to being wrong again!  I like it when things normalize around here.  What my Cherry pick you ask?  Just hang tight, I got side 2 to go still...

Not sure side 2 is an improvement.  Saved by the Bell makes me think of Saved by the Bell because its cheesy poppy and so was that show, but I gotta say Kelly Kapowski was pretty hot, and that Showgirls chick well, who cares if she cant act!!  Oh sorry, back to the album...

The guitars are far too brief and the songs sound like they came from the label think tank looking for a hit.  I like side 1 better, and the real Cherry track here is that opener, now that's a cool tune!!

Sigh. You're wrong again.

Outlaws, Lady In Waiting and Hurry Sundown are all quite good and should be in the collection of those that matter.

So.....not you.

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