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Trollheart · 01-01-2021, 10:25 AM

Sometimes, logic can just go and take a flying leap, and reason can follow it. Which is my way of saying that here, as this is my thread, I’m going to feature albums that really can’t be considered prog in any proper way, but which I, for various reasons, consider worthy of being included.

So you can say, and I will admit, that the albums you'll see appearing here over the next while can be described as really

Feel free to disagree with my choices, and also feel free to follow logic and reason if you like.

Album title: Mike and the Mechanics
Artist: Mike and the Mechanics
Nationality: English
Year: 1985
Chronology: 1
The Trollheart Factor: 3

Track Listing: Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)/All I Need is a Miracle/Par Avion/Hanging by a Thread/I Get the Feeling/Take the Reins/You Are the One/A Call to Arms/Taken In

Comments: Is the main thrust of my argument here the fact that this is an album by an ex-member of one of the true titans of prog? Well, yes and no. I wouldn’t even think of featuring a Phil Collins album here - there’s just no way to justify that, no way at all. His music is so removed from what he did with Genesis that it’s almost like a totally different person recording. And as for Gabriel? Well, early efforts could - and might - be considered, but after So I think we all knew he was heading in an entirely different direction. As indeed did Mike Rutherford, who, after some fairly bleh solo albums under his own name, hooked up with Paul Carrack and Paul Young and formed Mike and the Mechanics.

Now, nobody could say that later hits such as “Over My Shoulder” or “Don’t Know What Came Over Me” could be considered prog, and truth to tell, some of this album fails to qualify too. But so much of it succeeds, or comes as close as makes no difference, that I think it deserves a chance.

Listen to the opening “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” and tell me that’s not prog, with its heavy humming synth, then its warbly keyboards and dark, ominous lyric. Well, maybe you don’t think it is, but for me this track on its own has more prog about it than some of Genesis’s later albums, and I could in fact see it sitting comfortably on their last (to date), Calling All Stations. Interestingly co-authored by pop supremo B.A. Robertson, it’s six minutes long - no prog epic, certainly, but still quite a long track on any other album, and especially to start it. I will admit, there’s a major downturn then for the next track, but then, after “Silent Running” our Mike would have had to have come up with something pretty special, and he, well, did not. Even at that, the rising squealing keys and ticking percussion that introduce the song do have proggy overtones, though once the song gets going it’s clearly a pop/rock love type song, and relatively throwaway. Probably why it was released as a single (though the opener was too) and did so well in the USA.

But if you consider “All I Need is a Miracle” a blip, it’s soon overlooked as the quiet, almost cushioned drums of “Par Avion” whisper in, and we have the first ballad on the album. Of course every genre - mostly - has its ballads, and that fact alone doesn’t mark it out as being prog, and in fairness it probably isn’t, but then I could again hear this on a later Genesis album, maybe We Can’t Dance or even earlier, maybe Duke? A new voice to take the mike (sorry) here, one John Kirby, one of two tracks he guests on. Who is he? No idea. The quiet restraint of this song is upended entirely by the bombast and thumping attack of the obviously very angry “Hanging by a Thread”, with almost metal-style guitars and drums that just seem to want to punch your head in, Paul Young spitting out the lyric like an accusation. I like the fact that Mike and the Mechanics shuffle the vocalists around here, Young singing some tracks, Carrack others. Keeps it interesting. And Kirby too.

It’s also interesting that this is not altogether a guitar-heavy album; Rutherford made his name of course in Genesis as guitarist/bassist, though he does play keys too. Though not here. Then again, this isn’t strictly speaking a Mike Rutherford solo album, more a band he got together to play music with, but it’s nice to see he can put the axe down from time to time. Not so of course on the current track, which is very rifftastic, with orchestral hits from the synth and has quite the Genesis melody to it, very circa Duke. Almost calypso-style then for “I Get the Feeling”, which makes me shudder a little, bringing back memories of Phil Collins on No Jacket Required as the brass takes over, handclap beats and well, it’s just a pretty weak song, probably one of the weakest on the album, with Carrack back on vocals. Meh.

It’s pretty much top notch from there on in though, as we hit the manic “Take the Reins”, which ramps everything back up on a rock footing, the beat skittering along, the vocal reminding me of a steam locomotive puffing along, a certain air of Huey Lewis about it, then another standout is the gorgeous ballad “You Are the One”, where Kirby makes his second and indeed last contribution to the album. Beautiful piano from Adrian Lee, soft lush synth, just beautiful. And into yet another standout, the very prog-influenced “A Call to Arms”. This was in fact part of a song Rutherford wrote for inclusion on the Genesis album, but nobody except him liked it, so he rewrote it for his own album.

I consider it a companion piece to “Silent Running”, linked musically as well as thematically; if any two tracks on this album can be considered prog-worthy, it’s those two, and the lyrics mesh too. If “Silent Running” is the warning about an impending (nuclear?) disaster - “Take the children and yourself and hide out in the cellar/ By now the fighting will be close at hand” - then “A Call to Arms” seems to me to be either the end of that conflict, or the fight back. Or maybe not. Anyway I link them in my mind and they definitely bookend the album and for my money give it its prog credentials. The sweeping percussion and synth that usher in the song, the pained, aching vocals of both Carrack and Young, the insistent thump of the drums all through it, the dark, ominous atmosphere that permeates the music, all make this a real treat to listen to.

Had the album ended there, I would have been happy, but there’s a pretty throwaway little pop song at the end, and I could have done without “Taken In” very nicely thank you. It doesn’t ruin the album, not as such, but it certainly blunts the effect of the far superior track that preceded it.

Track(s) I liked: Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)/Par Avion/Hanging by a Thread/You Are the One/A Call to Arms

Track(s) I didn't like: I Get the Feeling/Taken In

One standout: A Call to Arms

One rotten apple: I Get the Feeling

Overall impression: Different from his work in Genesis, yes, but not that different. I had great hopes for Rutherford’s new band, but they quickly went down the easy pop route and discarded any rock/prog rock roots so I lost interest.

Rating: 9.5/10

Future Plan: I listened to and enjoyed the second and third album, but after that I just lost interest. To be honest, the third one, Word of Mouth had some decent tracks but was not a patch on the first two. Then I heard “Over My Shoulder” and I was done with these guys.

01-01-2021, 10:25 AM	#59 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Sometimes, logic can just go and take a flying leap, and reason can follow it. Which is my way of saying that here, as this is my thread, I’m going to feature albums that really can’t be considered prog in any proper way, but which I, for various reasons, consider worthy of being included. So you can say, and I will admit, that the albums you'll see appearing here over the next while can be described as really Feel free to disagree with my choices, and also feel free to follow logic and reason if you like. Album title: Mike and the Mechanics Artist: Mike and the Mechanics Nationality: English Year: 1985 Chronology: 1 The Trollheart Factor: 3 Track Listing: Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)/All I Need is a Miracle/Par Avion/Hanging by a Thread/I Get the Feeling/Take the Reins/You Are the One/A Call to Arms/Taken In Comments: Is the main thrust of my argument here the fact that this is an album by an ex-member of one of the true titans of prog? Well, yes and no. I wouldn’t even think of featuring a Phil Collins album here - there’s just no way to justify that, no way at all. His music is so removed from what he did with Genesis that it’s almost like a totally different person recording. And as for Gabriel? Well, early efforts could - and might - be considered, but after So I think we all knew he was heading in an entirely different direction. As indeed did Mike Rutherford, who, after some fairly bleh solo albums under his own name, hooked up with Paul Carrack and Paul Young and formed Mike and the Mechanics. Now, nobody could say that later hits such as “Over My Shoulder” or “Don’t Know What Came Over Me” could be considered prog, and truth to tell, some of this album fails to qualify too. But so much of it succeeds, or comes as close as makes no difference, that I think it deserves a chance. Listen to the opening “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” and tell me that’s not prog, with its heavy humming synth, then its warbly keyboards and dark, ominous lyric. Well, maybe you don’t think it is, but for me this track on its own has more prog about it than some of Genesis’s later albums, and I could in fact see it sitting comfortably on their last (to date), Calling All Stations. Interestingly co-authored by pop supremo B.A. Robertson, it’s six minutes long - no prog epic, certainly, but still quite a long track on any other album, and especially to start it. I will admit, there’s a major downturn then for the next track, but then, after “Silent Running” our Mike would have had to have come up with something pretty special, and he, well, did not. Even at that, the rising squealing keys and ticking percussion that introduce the song do have proggy overtones, though once the song gets going it’s clearly a pop/rock love type song, and relatively throwaway. Probably why it was released as a single (though the opener was too) and did so well in the USA. But if you consider “All I Need is a Miracle” a blip, it’s soon overlooked as the quiet, almost cushioned drums of “Par Avion” whisper in, and we have the first ballad on the album. Of course every genre - mostly - has its ballads, and that fact alone doesn’t mark it out as being prog, and in fairness it probably isn’t, but then I could again hear this on a later Genesis album, maybe We Can’t Dance or even earlier, maybe Duke? A new voice to take the mike (sorry) here, one John Kirby, one of two tracks he guests on. Who is he? No idea. The quiet restraint of this song is upended entirely by the bombast and thumping attack of the obviously very angry “Hanging by a Thread”, with almost metal-style guitars and drums that just seem to want to punch your head in, Paul Young spitting out the lyric like an accusation. I like the fact that Mike and the Mechanics shuffle the vocalists around here, Young singing some tracks, Carrack others. Keeps it interesting. And Kirby too. It’s also interesting that this is not altogether a guitar-heavy album; Rutherford made his name of course in Genesis as guitarist/bassist, though he does play keys too. Though not here. Then again, this isn’t strictly speaking a Mike Rutherford solo album, more a band he got together to play music with, but it’s nice to see he can put the axe down from time to time. Not so of course on the current track, which is very rifftastic, with orchestral hits from the synth and has quite the Genesis melody to it, very circa Duke. Almost calypso-style then for “I Get the Feeling”, which makes me shudder a little, bringing back memories of Phil Collins on No Jacket Required as the brass takes over, handclap beats and well, it’s just a pretty weak song, probably one of the weakest on the album, with Carrack back on vocals. Meh. It’s pretty much top notch from there on in though, as we hit the manic “Take the Reins”, which ramps everything back up on a rock footing, the beat skittering along, the vocal reminding me of a steam locomotive puffing along, a certain air of Huey Lewis about it, then another standout is the gorgeous ballad “You Are the One”, where Kirby makes his second and indeed last contribution to the album. Beautiful piano from Adrian Lee, soft lush synth, just beautiful. And into yet another standout, the very prog-influenced “A Call to Arms”. This was in fact part of a song Rutherford wrote for inclusion on the Genesis album, but nobody except him liked it, so he rewrote it for his own album. I consider it a companion piece to “Silent Running”, linked musically as well as thematically; if any two tracks on this album can be considered prog-worthy, it’s those two, and the lyrics mesh too. If “Silent Running” is the warning about an impending (nuclear?) disaster - “Take the children and yourself and hide out in the cellar/ By now the fighting will be close at hand” - then “A Call to Arms” seems to me to be either the end of that conflict, or the fight back. Or maybe not. Anyway I link them in my mind and they definitely bookend the album and for my money give it its prog credentials. The sweeping percussion and synth that usher in the song, the pained, aching vocals of both Carrack and Young, the insistent thump of the drums all through it, the dark, ominous atmosphere that permeates the music, all make this a real treat to listen to. Had the album ended there, I would have been happy, but there’s a pretty throwaway little pop song at the end, and I could have done without “Taken In” very nicely thank you. It doesn’t ruin the album, not as such, but it certainly blunts the effect of the far superior track that preceded it. Track(s) I liked: Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)/Par Avion/Hanging by a Thread/You Are the One/A Call to Arms Track(s) I didn't like: I Get the Feeling/Taken In One standout: A Call to Arms One rotten apple: I Get the Feeling Overall impression: Different from his work in Genesis, yes, but not that different. I had great hopes for Rutherford’s new band, but they quickly went down the easy pop route and discarded any rock/prog rock roots so I lost interest. Rating: 9.5/10 Future Plan: I listened to and enjoyed the second and third album, but after that I just lost interest. To be honest, the third one, Word of Mouth had some decent tracks but was not a patch on the first two. Then I heard “Over My Shoulder” and I was done with these guys. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 01-17-2023 at 08:47 AM.