Formed from the ashes of melodic pop-rockers Mannequin whim released an LP in the early ’80s, Canadian act THE WORKS got signed by A&M Records for the release of their debut album 1989’s “From Out Of Nowhere“.
Seduced by the band’s catchy poppy radio-ready melodic tunes, the record label planned to launch THE WORKS in the USA, but failed to properly promote the band.
A shame, as all songs into “From Out Of Nowhere” had the potential to become a MTV hit, as this type of well-crafted melodic rock was all over the airwaves in 1989. As proof of their quality as songwriters & performers, THE WORKS later morphed into WALL OF SILENCE, one of the greatest Melodic Rock / AOR Canadian band of all time.
A&M Records managed things so badly, that the album even never got released outside Canada. Only a decade later Japanese label Bareknuckle got the rights to finally publish “From Out Of Nowhere” in Japan.
This is the Japanese pressing we’re featuring here, manufactured 1999, with a much better digital transfer tech to CD than in 1989, and sound quality is superior.
“From Out Of Nowhere” has its own distinct sound I think which I actually like a lot. The opener is very decent with excellent drums and heavy bass; I especially like the vocals too. ‘Wild Reaction’ is a fast-paced rocker with a Loverboy kind of feel to it. ‘Dancing on a Wing’ is also very melodic and the guitars are super.
‘Broadway Jane’ took me by surprise when I first heard it; for me, sax has to be done just right for it to work, otherwise it can ruin a song, but here it works very well; the vocals are extremely catchy too and I’d have to say, this is my favourite off the album.
‘Miss Perfection’ is another one with catchy vocals and a decent rhythm to keep me interested. ‘Slave To The Thrill’ is probably my second favourite and is another fast-paced rocker.
While THE WORKS later surpassed themselves with their new band WALL OF SILENCE, this “From Out Of Nowhere” effort is a very cool 1989 product with ‘that’ clean, crystal clear production sound – courtesy of magician Tom Allom (Def Leppard, Y&T, Loverboy) – melodic stuff with a classic Canadian stamp. (thanks to J.S.)
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01 - Love Is A Dangerous Weapon.
02 - Wild Reaction.
03 - Dancing On A Wing.
04 - Broadway Jane.
05 - Miss Perfection.
06 - Slave To The Thrill.
07 - Fool To Love You.
08 - Standing On Shaky Ground.
09 - Robbery.
10 - Sherri's Gone.
The Works – From Out Of Nowhere (1989), MP3+FLAC, CD-Rip
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