The majority of the songs written by the mother and daughter pair of Judithe and Robin Randall. They were essentially a series of demos, with programmed drums, but that considered the production is more than respectable. Aside from some fine guitar solos, the focus is firmly on the vocals, while the quality of the songs are possibly even stronger than on the SIGNAL album.
The massive chorus on opener ‘Someday You’ll Come Running’ is a mountain that only the finest AOR vocalists can climb but his effort loses nothing against the better-known FM version, and his voice soars equally on ‘Stranger Among Us’, with the sort of dramatic writing arrangement that later became Pride of Lions’ trademark.
Though ‘Coming Back For More’ has a lush, West Coast-ish sound, my favourite tracks are the rockier ones; on ‘The Last time’ he sounds like Jimi Jamison, and AOR does not come any better than the soaring choruses of ‘Hard Heart to Break’ And ‘State Of Love’, the latter bolstered by female backing vocals.
‘Slow Down the Night’ has a stately vocal arrangement befitting a FOREIGNER ballad and ‘Look Love In The Eyes’ is another great song with prominent synths that would have made a suitable eighties soundtrack.
The songwriting approaches Desmond Child or Diane Warren quality. The songs may not be his, but suit his expressive voice perfectly as it lives out their tales of heartbreak in love. The album closes on an even more emotional note with ‘Never Be A Next Time’, with a piano intro and his vocals intertwining with backing singer Diana DeWitt, who can also be heard on backing vocals on the title track, an almost haunting ballad.
Even better a fifth anniversary reissue added a second disc, comprising six more glorious unreleased songs, albeit in rougher demo form, and his performance at the first ever Gods of AOR festival, with a mix of songs from this album and SIGNAL, KING KOBRA and UNRULY CHILD favourites. That was a memorable one for those of us lucky enough to be there.
The album cover picture is of a haunted figure with a faraway look in his eye, and at that show he was clearly ill at ease with himself. After gender reassignment Marcie Free ultimately reunited for a heart-warming comeback with UNRULY CHILD, but their recent releases are far removed from this moment of AOR at its finest.
