Rock Candy Records has been reissuing / remastering FRANKIE MILLER albums, and as requested, here’s one of his best: 1980’s ”Easy Money”, including 5 bonus tracks.
Mention the name FRANKIE MILLER to any musician of a certain era and their face will immediately light up regarding his singing ability and subsequent influence on a generation of British vocalists. The owner of one of the finest bluesy voices of the era, Frankie’s shadow loomed long and hard across a multitude of styles, with enough true grit and authority to carve out a top tier reputation. Compared in the same exalted breath as Rod Stewart, Paul Rodgers, Terry Reid and Joe Cocker, Frankie quickly established a reputation second to none.
For ”Easy Money” there was the need of bridging Miller’s brew of bluesy pop style with a commercially viable sound suitable for audiences in the early 80s. It sits well alongside his previous records, but ‘Easy Money’ incorporates more polish than before. ‘Why Don’t You Spend the Night’ remains one of Miller’s best songs, and it’s great to hear his solo version of ‘Tears’ – later re-recorded as a duet with Bonnie Tyler in 1983.
Frankie Miller’s previous 1979 album had provided the Glaswegian born singer songwriter with a major hit single in ‘Darlin’ but it also presented a major conundrum. The vibe of the LP leaned towards a mellower, perhaps even a pop direction, something that was totally incongruous with his persona and ambition. Frankie was a unique vocalist with a roughhewn voice that conjured up vignettes of a tough life lived with fearless abandonment.
Having developed an in-concert reputation that would be the envy of many a rock n’ roll, soul and blues singer, his musical direction had not been made progressively clearer with each passing album as they embraced different styles.
”Easy Money”, Frankie’s seventh album, was if anything a return to his roots. It was recorded by a cabal of players known as the Hitmen, who also doubled as producers, and mastered by expert George Marino. The results were impressive, allowing Frankie to flex his muscles and voice with complete authority.
The songs were on-point and focused giving the record a cohesive vibe. Even the ballads sounded more ‘Miller’ and the production, although contemporary, was rooted in a far more organic space bringing out the best of both worlds.
Of course, any committed Miller fan would want to seek out the songs that ring with immediate hooks and for those we need only to look at ‘Cheap… Thrills’, ‘So Young, So Young’, and the superbly soulful and funky ‘Gimme Love’.
Other strong tracks are ‘Heartbreak Radio’ (later picked up by Kim Carnes in 1988) and ‘No Chance’. As ever, it’s his sandpaper-laden vocals which give the album so much appeal. These are songs that ooze class but have inbuilt heft that root them in the kind of scene that Frankie had earlier occupied in clubs and pubs.
The bonus tracks are also collectibles, especially the rocking ‘Beggin’ For Trouble (Demo)’, and the rare single B-side ‘Sail Away’ (a Randy Newman cover) produced by the great Russ Ballard.
Highly Recommended
01 – Easy Money
02 – The Woman In You
03 – Why Don’t You Spend The Night
04 – So Young So Young
05 – Forget About Me
06 – Heartbreak Radio
07 – Cheap…Thrills
08 – No Chance
09 – Gimme Love
10 – Tears
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Lock Up Your Secretaries (Demo)
12 – The Woman In You (Demo)
13 – Beggin’ For Trouble (Demo)
14 – Lonely Eyes (Demo)
15 – Sail Away (EP B-side)
Vocals – Frankie Miller
Electric Guitar – Reggie Young
Acoustic Guitar – Bobby Thompson
Bass – Joe Osborne
Drums, Percussion – Larry Londin
FRANKIE MILLER – Easy Money [Rock Candy remastered +5] (2022), MP3+FLAC
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