Mr Kinski's Music Shack

No Static At All (A Journey into AOR 1976-1986) is a new 3 CD compilation from Cherry Red that takes a deep dive, beyond some of the more obvious FM radio staples of the time into some less well-known deeper tracks from Boston, Chicago, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Rainbow, Yes and more. It comes with wonderful cover-art and an informative booklet, with key information about all the acts featured on the compilation.

From the classic songs blaring out of FM radios and car stereos the world over to hidden jewels, this is the story of 10 years of Adult Orientated Rock from 1976 to 1986. Pump your hair full of hairspray and put on your flared denim jeans, lets rock!

Boston’s Something About You opens disc one, from the bands self-titled album that sold over 17 million copies, a typically well-crafted multi-layered dual guitar piece. Washington DC band Angel deliver rich harmonies and punchy guitars on 1977’s Don’t Leave Me Lonely, one of the early gems on this compilation.

Styx contribute Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), a progressive song that’s a world away from their soft-rock hit Babe that landed a few short years later. Another band with a classic prog underbelly are Aviary with their keyboard heavy Feel The Heart.

New England add a touch of new wave / power pop sheen to Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya, with the band setting their phaser pedal to stun! The guitar riff that drives 707’s I Could Be Good For You makes this an AOR anthem worthy of rediscovery.

Heading back to 1978 for the 7” version of their massive hit Hold The Line, Toto were later to dominate the AOR / classic rock scene with Africa and Roseanna. Straight Lines contribute the jazzy, summer sound of I’m Talking To You, one of the highlights of this compilation. Asylum Records solo artist Terence Boylan appears with the Fleetwood Mac at their most offbeat like Where Are You Hiding?, another piece that deserves more than its status of “radio hit”.

A rare appearance from a non US artist features the UK band Rainbow with their timeless hit single Since You Been Gone. Make sure you join in with a hearty “huh” at the appropriate point to celebrate Graham Bonnet’s timeless vocal performance. Nils Lofgren, who went on to become a key member of the E Street Band, appears with probably his most well-known solo song, Shine Silently from 1979. I saw Nils on the bill of The Who’s August 1979 Wembley Stadium show, alongside AC/DC and The Stranglers. I remember a trampoline being part of Nils performance. Starz close disc one with their catchy as hell but dated lyrically.

Eye in the sky

Journey open the second disc in this collection with 1981’s Stone In Love, showcasing the delightfully raspy vocals of Steve Perry that you will recognise from their classic Don’t Stop Believin. The power-pop influenced Caught Up In You from .38 Special is a hidden gem that is itching for rediscovery. The guitar work is particularly imaginative and varied in style. The band feel like a US version of the UK band City Boy, a favourite of mine from the late 70s.

The mighty Blue Oyster Cult are represented by the 7″ version of Burnin’ For You from 1981, another new wave / power pop influenced piece, from the band who always delivered great arrangements. Pat Benatar and the power ballad Shadows Of The Night was a single in 1982. Benatar is a great rock vocalist, and her album from the previous year, Precious Time, is a great album, with Fire & Ice a standout track that refuses to age.

Alien from Atlanta Rhythm Section changes the mood, with a Rhodes driven piece of Christopher Cross-like yacht rock, topped by delicious harmonies, giving the song its place as one of my favourites from this three CD set.

REO Speedwagon were never one of my favourites from the early 80s but Keep On Loving You does act as a portal to 1980, and will remind you of the hits blasting out from your FM radio. I am particularly partial to a lot of The Alan Parsons Project albums, and Eye In The Sky is one of my favourite tracks. A light, delicate piece with harmonies that are gold-plated on this single, here in its 7″ format.

A world away from their Prog heyday, a reinvigorated Yes serve up Owner Of A Lonely Heart, a Trevor Horn produced colossus driven by the revolutionary Fairlight CMI digital workstation and a tasty and instantly recognisable guitar riff. Asia and Only Time Will Tell is a powerful pop rock piece, featuring the vocals of the late John Wetton.

Another unknown by me act is Balance with their strutting In For The Count from 1982. Quarterflash and 1980s Find Another Fool also leans into new wave stylings, and has an interesting, slightly post-punk drum performance. Pages mutated into the massive act Mr. Mister, but in this incarnation are a Michael McDonald influenced pop-rock / jazz-fusion band, with Sesatia from 1981, a track I enjoyed a lot, even though it was new to me.

The hugely successful Chicago appear here with Chains, that is ushered in with a dated keyboard sound, but soon improves with an addictive guitar and bass heavy verse. Rick Springfield’s Don’t Talk To Strangers is a more substantial piece than the song he is remembered for, Jessies Girl, which is lighter but still a piece of early 80s classic pop.

Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry duet on the catchy Don’t Fight It, that features Neil Giraldo from Pat Benatar’s band on guitar. Don’t Fight It reached a respectable #17 on the Billboard chart when released as a single in 1982.

That was yesterday

The third and final disc opens with Night Ranger’s Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, another power pop influenced rock piece from one of the finest years in pop, 1982. The chorus is pure FM rock, and all the better for it. The band FM contribute a rare UK entry to this compilation, and it hits all the right tropes on That Girl – Simmonds drum roll and all!

The Outfield and All The Love In The World features Andy Summers-like guitar lines and a glorious guitar solo. Its easy to forget how massive Foreigner were during the period covered by the compilation. That Was Yesterday was taken from the Agent Provocateur album from 1984.

Dakota and Runaway suffers slightly from the dated electronic drums, but it has a hint of 80s electronica, with the synth bass line and a chorus current band The Midnight would kill for. Songwriter extraordinaire Russ Ballard, formerly of Argent, appears here as an artist with Voices, that appeared on an episode of Miami Vice. You can only listen to this song if you promise to roll up the sleeves of your pastel coloured suit jacket. The synths are particularly interesting on Voices.

Black/White is a lesser known single from Mr. Mister, who had massive hits with Broken Wings and Kyrie. Robert Palmer’s cover of Cherelle’s I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On is a bit on an outlier here, more pop / funk in its roots than AOR, but Palmer is always a welcome addition to any compilation from the 70s or 80s, so no complaints from me.

Billy Idol’s Eyes Without A Face is one of his finest 80s singles, a top 5 Billboard hit. i-TEN’s I Don’t Want To Lose You was produced by Keith Olsen and Steve Lukather, and has some wonderful Rhodes piano sections to give it a slightly different flavour to other songs on this collection.

Robert Tepper’s No Easy Way Out appeared in Stallone’s Rocky IV. The compilation ends with two giants – John Parr’s massive single St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) – which is as much yacht rock as AOR and Boston’s final top 40 US hit, Can’tcha Say (You Believe In Me) / Still In Love, a mini epic that shifts tempo mid-way through, throwing in some lovely guitar harmonics and unconventional bass lines.

Some of the production sounds on No Static At All (A Journey into AOR 1976-1986) may have not stood the test of time, but the song writing is strong throughout this compilation. Tight harmonies were a crucial ingredient for a musical genre that time forgot, with this compilation hopefully awakening some musical memories for you to enjoy.

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TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

Boston – Something About You
Angel – Don’t Leave Me Lonely
Styx – Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Aviary – Feel The Heart
New England – Don’t Ever Wanna Lose Ya (7″ Edit)
707 – I Could Be Good For You
Toto – Hold The Line (7″ Version)
Eddie Money – Shakin’
Donnie Iris – Ah! Leah!
Straight Lines – I’m Talking To You
Terence Boylan – Where Are You Hiding?
The Gregg Allman Band – Come And Go Blues
Red Rider – Lunatic Fringe
Aldo Nova – Fantasy (7″ Version)
Gamma – I’m Alive
Barry Goudreau – Dreams
Rainbow – Since You Been Gone (7″ Version)
Zon – Put On The Show
Nils Lofgren – Shine Silently
Starz – Cherry Baby

DISC TWO

Journey – Stone In Love
.38 Special – Caught Up In You
Blue Oyster Cult – Burnin’ For You (7″ Version)
Pat Benatar – Shadows Of The Night (7″ Edit)
Atlanta Rhythm Section – Alien
Little River Band – The Night Owls (7″ Version)
REO Speedwagon – Keep On Loving You
The Alan Parsons Project – Eye In The Sky (7″ Version)
Yes – Owner Of A Lonely Heart (7″ Version)
Asia – Only Time Will Tell (7″ Version)
Loverboy – Gangs In The Street
LeRoux – Turning Point
Balance – In For The Count
Quarterflash – Find Another Fool
Pages – Sesatia
Chicago – Chains
Rick Springfield – Don’t Talk To Strangers (7″ Version)
Peter Cetera – Livin’ In The Limelight
Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry – Don’t Fight It

DISC THREE

Night Ranger – Don’t Tell Me You Love Me (7″ Edit)
FM – That Girl
Kansas – Fight Fire With Fire
The Outfield – All The Love In The World (7″ Version)
Joe Lynn Turner – Endlessly (7″ Version)
Foreigner – That Was Yesterday
Giuffria – Call To The Heart
Dakota – Runaway (Promo Single Edit)
Billy Satellite – Satisfy Me
Russ Ballard – Voices (7″ Version)
Mr Mister – Black/White
Robert Palmer – I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On
Streets – Crimes In Mind
Billy Idol – Eyes Without A Face (7″ Version)
Icon – Shot At My Heart
Eric Martin Band – Sucker For A Pretty Face
i-TEN – I Don’t Want To Lose You
Robert Tepper – No Easy Way Out
John Parr – St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) (7″ Version)
Boston – Can’tcha Say (You Believe In Me) / Still In Love

Buy No Static At All (A Journey into AOR 1976-1986) from Amazon