ROADMASTER re-issues

March 31st, 2012 by jason

Sweet Music/Hey World

Fortress

Rock Candy 2012

Formed in the early 70s and releasing their first debut album in 1977, Roadmaster are a fine melodic hard rock group who should have been huge.

Sweet Music, the second album from 1978 (on Mercury) opens with the cracking “It Doesn’t Mean A Thing” and then things get even better with “I Must Be Dreaming”, a driving number with vocal harmonies, crunchy guitar and plenty of melody. There’s a hint of Boston in there, and Steven McNally has a great voice, wide ranging, powerful, that adds both glam and pomp to the sound. Rick Benick’s guitar and Michael Read’s keyboards both stand out, they balance and intertwine well. “Ya Move Me” could easily mix Boston and Mott The Hoople, and there’s a touch of Styx, Kansas and Trillion in there too.

The following year’s Hey World add more dimension, a harder smoother sound and multi-layered arrangements. The opening title track and “My Eyes Have Been Opened” both really are superb, the sleevenotes rate this album as one of the greatest of the genre and rightly so.

The band’s fourth and final album, 1980’s Fortress has a sharper guitar edge and is less pomp, but is equally melodic. The vocals remain defining and the guitar work really does stand out, some great solos from the outset. Production from Flo and Eddie, a new swagger, and a Journey like sound, it’s criminal that the band bowed out after this.

Roadmaster briefly reformed 10 years later, and sadly singer McNally later died of cancer. But three fantastic albums given great treatment here, long overdue on CD.

All 4/5

Joe Geesin

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Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)