- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Eighties'
- Release Date: '10.10.25.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1214'
Our Rating:
87 is the second album by Smash Palace that never came out due to Epic not supporting Smash Palace when they needed them too. The album is comprised of 5 songs written for the album but not recorded until now, with the original line-up and 5 original 1987 demos that have been remixed and finished. The original line-up were of course Brian Butler, Stephen Butler, Phil Rizzo, Harry Lewis and Greg Persun. If you loved Smash Palace back then or the bands subsequent albums then this will be an essential purchase.
The album opens with Bitter Blue that sounds like any number of late 80's college rock bands, a little bit John Cougar Mellencamp, a little bit Psychedelic Furs, they hope to get sunshine on your parade, on this song that would have worked on the Pretty In Pink soundtrack.
I'll Be There for you in your darkest days, they will hold you and keep you safe, against insistent guitars and an overactive cowbell. Can they help you get past all of life's struggles or comparisons to the Hoodoo Gurus.
Poor Man's Paradise keeps the lyrical intent of fighting for the underdog and trying to find a way for a Poor Man's Paradise to become reality, like solving America's homeless problems and banishing hunger so everyone is happy, this chugs away with gently jangling intent.
Top Of The World is slower and has some swelling strings adding emphasis to some of the feelings they have when sitting with you on Top Of The World. Everything Under The Sun is wistful memories of all the sorrows of war and despair that the central character encounters, over a tune that's not far from Flash Light era Tom Verlaine although the guitars don't sparkle that much.
Along For The Ride is in love with Sparkle In The Rain era Simple Minds, the keyboards have that late 80's sound and funky disco guitar, while we know you wanted her to come Along For The Ride rather than leaving you.
Centipede uses some very familiar Synth string sounds for this trip to more bucolic places where you may find that Centipede crawling over you, while you try to decide how you want your life to go.
Stranger Than Strange is of course not that strange musically unless adding strings to your guitars and making them sound a bit moodier, but they had obviously been on the road and seen a few sights they weren't expecting, been to a party they probably wished they hadn't, trying to come down without going insane.
First Time For Everything is one of those songs that you have to be careful singing when older, unless you want to be seen as the cherry popping daddy, or encouraging teens to fall from grace and into the great sex drugs and rock & roll lifestyle, the guitars do some great stuff with some nicely bent notes helping everyone try new things.
The album closes with Imaginary Lines whose shard like guitar near the intro leads into a wind-blown epic for anyone who wonders where you would draw those lines between good and evil, fun and sorrow, things you will and won't do to get where you want to be.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/518063-smash-palace-87 https://smashpalace.bandcamp.com/album/87 https://www.facebook.com/SmashPalaceMusic
