| re: Billy Squier - Signs Of Life | |
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Posted by: |
Leesa (gallytrotter@mchsi.com) 09:10 pm UTC 08/04/07 |
| In reply to: | Billy Squier - Signs Of Life - Scaramouche 09:58 pm UTC 08/03/07 |
| That really is a suprising choice, 'Signs of Life', to re-release in lieu of 3 others, actually 5, that truly deserve the honour--if those are being reissued as well, then yeah, it's great. The main reason that CD (and the 3 that are out of press before it) are so rare is that was when the vinyl was giving way to CD's--in fact, Signs was released on both and I got it originally on both. Sorry, but I've always felt the overall quality of the material on Signs to be really under par. Billy was holding out for Mutt Lange to do that material before he switched to Jim and I can't fathom how Mutt would have made it any better really than Jim did, production-wise. Billy's mid/late 70's band, Piper, released a self-titled and 'Can't Wait', both of which I scored on CD's, but wore the original vinyl out. Really fun stuff. 'Tale of the Tape' had been ear-marked for Brian May to produce, but I think 'The Game' was the Queen committment he couldn't shake loose from. It's a marvellous album and I'm thrilled to hear that it's back. 'Enough is Enough' had 'Love is the Hero' which Freddie Mercury had a huge hand in, as he did with 'Lady With a Tenor Sax', also on that lp. 'Hear and Now' has a couple of co-writes with Desmond Child, Billy's favourite composer at the time, and is really very good. 'Creatures of Habit', a 1990/91 release, is my all-time favourite Billy work. A true shame Jim hadn't the chance to take a stab at some of those tracks as they were infinately stronger than anything off 'Signs'. I thought 'Emotions' and 'Don't Say No' were both still in press. Billy was treated just as shamefully as the rest of Capitol's stable-fodder--Patty Benatar was nothing more than a musical whore in their eyes. The way these artists were bled and used really gives the whole medium a black eye. 'All of the Good Ones Are Taken', with 'Overnight Angels',was probably one of Ian Hunter's weaker works. Roy Baker of Queen fame produced ONA's, only if to prove he didn't walk on water production-wise. The whole thing just didn't work. Nevertheless, great for people to be able to hear the real thing instead of the 'best of' crap issues. Thanks for the info! Leesa > After recently re-releasing 'Tales of the Tape' & > 'Emotions In Motion', American Beat Records will shortly > re-issue 'Signs of Life' (no date yet). > > This has been out of print forever, and very expensive > second hand. > > Great album (especially Sweet Release)!! Also Brian May > played a great solo on the track (Another) 1984. > > They also recently re-released Ian Hunter's 'All of the > Good Ones Are Taken'; maybe they could have a look at a > re-package /re-master of 'Bad For Good'?? > | |
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