Saga - In Transit (1982) - €10,00

In Transit is a live album by Canadian progressive rock band Saga. The album was recorded at the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle in Munich on February 5, 1982 and at the Tivoli Concert Hall in Copenhagen on February 22, 23, & 24, 1982.
In Transit is one of this Canadian band's best albums, which is not often said about a live release. Saga's progressive edge is toned down by Michael Sadler's serious vocal style, which is both highly energetic and pleasantly soft.
Like Marillion, their songs involve short keyboard stints followed by gracious electric guitar work, with intricate themes being unraveled in the lyrics all the while. This album radiates with the band's electrifying fervor, and by not being too progressive or pretentious, each song ends up being immensely entertaining.
"Humble Stance," with the precision of Ian Crichton's guitar playing, is stunning, as is the drumming on "Wind Him Up." The synthesizer is used wisely on "How Long," faintly shimmering in and out amongst the clarity of Sadler's voice.
Ending with the spirited bombast of "On the Loose," the album as a whole has no weak moments, and not a lot of crowd interference either, which can sometimes tarnish a live album. Saga produces a comfortable balance of progressive elements and straight-ahead rock, so that their music can be appreciated by fans of both styles. In Transit is solid evidence of this.


Recorded Live In Munich, West Germany & Copenhagen Denmark

Side A
A1. Careful Where You Step - 4:20 
A2. Don’t Be Late - 6:52 
A3. Humble Stance - 5:50 
A4. Wind Him Up - 5:48 

Side B
B1. How Long - 3:52 
B2. No Regrets - 3:57 
B3. A Brief Case - 2:19 
B4. You’re Not Alone - 5:31 
B5. On The Loose - 4:19


Notes
Release:  1982
Format:  LP
Genre:  Neo-Progressive Rock
Label:  Polydor Records
Catalog#  2374200

Vinyl: V+
Cover: V+

http://www.ad-vinylrecords.com/product/saga-in-transit-lp/

The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers Of The Road (1981) - €10,00

Brothers of the Road is the eighth studio album, and tenth album overall, by the rock group the Allman Brothers Band. Released in 1981, it is the band's only album without drummer Jai Johanny Johanson and the last album to feature bassist David Goldflies and guitarist Dan Toler and the only album to feature drummer David Toler.
The song "Straight from the Heart" was the group's third, and to date last, Top 40 hit. It was also the first Allman Brothers album to not feature an instrumental song.
By the time the 1980s rolled around, the Allman Brothers had endured such a tumultuous ride the decade prior, that almost all of the air was let out of their musical tires by the time Brothers of the Road hit the record stands.
Many of the elements of the Allman Brothers' sound remain intact here, but there are several things lacking that make this a less than essential album. The raw, rugged jams with climatic buildups and blistering guitar workouts have been substituted for a glossier, more pop-friendly sheen (thanks in no part to Clive Davis' involvement with the group at the time).
And while "Straight From the Heart" saw a reasonable campaign on the charts, the rest of the album is tepid at best. Shortly thereafter, the Allman Brothers decided to hang it up again.


Side A
A1. Brothers of the Road - 3:50
A2. Leavin' - 3:46
A3. Straight from the Heart - 3:48
A4. The Heat is On - 4:13
A5. Maybe We Can Go Back to Yesterday - 4:42

Side B
B1. The Judgment - 3:39
B2. Two Rights - 3:30
B3. Never Knew How Much (I Needed You) - 4:45
B4. Things You Used to Do - 3:42
B5. I Beg of You - 3:22


Notes
Release:  1981
Format:  LP
Genre:  Southern Rock
Label:  Arista Records
Catalog#  203914

Vinyl:  V+
Cover:  V+

Prijs: €10,00

Steve Winwood - Talking Back To The Night (1982) - €10,00

Talking Back to the Night is the third solo studio album by English recording artist Steve Winwood. Released less than two years after the top 3 hit Arc of a Diver, it failed to see as much success as its predecessor, reaching #28 on the Billboard 200. "Valerie" was a minor hit in 1982.

Talking Back to the Night is Steve Winwood's synth pop album. Synth pop clearly was the thing in 1982, but still it feels weird to listen to this kind of album by a '60s artist. The Moody Blues used a lot of synths on The Present, but anyway it was a 'band' album. This may scare off some of Steve Winwood's potential audience, which is a shame because, like already mentioned, Talking Back to the Night is a fine album – like Arc of a Diver to which, on the other hand, the compositions on this album are quite similar.
"Valerie" may have been a small hit back in '82, but it certainly got a new life from Eric Prydz who sampled the chorus for his massive club hit "Call on Me" (2004). When I listened to "Valerie" for the first time, I thought Steve says 'I'm not the same boy I used to be' at the end of the chorus. You know, we are used to songs about having changed. We presume that something bad has happened in the past. But instead, Steve sings 'I'm the same boy I used to be', which tells us that the past was good.
"Valerie" may be the best track on Talking Back to the Night, but actually, nearly all songs on the album are good. "Help Me Angel" sounds quite dull to me and "There's a River" doesn't impress me, while "And I Go" (which sounds most like Arc of a Diver on this album) and "It Was Happiness" fall somewhere in between. But "Big Girls Walk Away", "While There's a Candle Burning", "Still in the Game" (which, instead of the Van Halen standard "Jump", may be the actual paragon of "Still Alive" by The Crash) and especially the title track are certainly quality material. Talking Back to the Night is not a classic, but it beats a ton of so-called 'classics' of the 1980s.


Side A
A1.  Valerie  4:03
A2.  Big Girls Walk Away  3:50
A3.  And I Go  4:10
A4.  While There’s A Candle Burning  3:08
A5.  Still In The Game  4:48

Side B
B1.  It Was Happiness  4:58
B2.  Help Me Angel  5:04
B3.  Talking Back To The Night  5:42
B4.  There’s A River  4:38


Notes
Release:  1982
Format:  LP
Genre:  Synth-pop
Label:  Island Records
Catalog#  204771320

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+

Prijs:  €10,00

The Isley Brothers - The Real Deal (1982) - €10,00

The Real Deal is the 21st album released by The Isley Brothers on August 7, 1982. The album is notable for the group's decision to alter their trademark funk rock sound in the 1970s with the then-current early 1980s electro funk scene dominated by Rick James, Prince, Zapp and The Gap Band.
Following the releases of two 1981 albums, the gold-selling Grand Slam and the lesser-successful Inside You, the Isley Brothers were finding themselves in a rut following a successful nine-year run of gold and platinum albums and a succession of hit singles that had made them one of the top-selling R&B/funk bands of the 1970s.
After hearing the sounds of the Gap Band and Rick James, The Isleys (Kelly, Rudy, Ron, Ernie and Marvin) and brother-in-law Chris Jasper, whose role in the Isleys had grown to the point where he was adding background vocals himself alongside longtime lead vocalist Ron Isley and also added in a vocoder co-lead while playing synthesizers, which sometimes was overdubbed atop Marvin Isley's bass guitar riffs.
For their next album, 1982's The Real Deal, the group went for a more minimalist funk sound with the title track, which hit the top 20 of the R&B charts, Ron Isley, Ernie Isley and Chris Jasper showcase "Stone Cold Lover", the vocoderized "Are You With Me", the mid-tempo "It's Alright With Me" (with Chris Jasper being the only other vocalist beside Ron Isley singing on the song) with the smoother pop rock ballad "All in My Lover's Eyes", which peaked at number sixty-seven on the R&B chart in 1983, while Ron and Ernie are showcased heavy on the Jimi Hendrix-inspired "Under the Influence", which showcased a more bluesier approach than the group was used to.
Despite hopes that the album will bring the Isleys back to the top of the charts, it stalled at number 87 on the Billboard 200. A year later the group will bounce back with Between the Sheets, which became the last album to feature Chris Jasper.
Though younger brothers Ernie and Marvin would also depart, forming Isley-Jasper-Isley with Jasper, they eventually returned to the Isley Brothers fold in 1992 following the death of eldest brother Kelly Isley and the exit of Rudolph Isley. Ronald Isley has since remained the group's most consistent of the members.


Side A
A1.  The Real Deal (Part I And II)  (7:03) 
A2.  Are You With Me?  (4:48) 
A3.  Stone Cold Lover  (5:12)

Side B
B1.  It's Alright With Me (5:32) 
B2.  All In My Lover's Eyes  (5:13) 
B3.  I'll Do It All For You  (4:20) 
B4.  Under The Influence  (5:42)


Notes
Release:  1982
Format:  LP
Genre:  Soul / Funk
Label:   Epic Records
Catalog#   85790
Prijs:  €10,00

Vinyl:  VG+
Cover:  VG+