Stylus over Substance (Volume 4) - Harlequin, Lava Hay, The Front, The Kings & Trooper

Time for a little Canadiana. Funny how some acts can be so influential and yet be totally unknown to the rest of the world. Then again, to be fair some of these albums weren't well known at home either. You pays your money you takes your chance. I didn't have any of these albums back in the day, so it's been an interesting trip down memory lane. With Harlequin and Trooper I knew some of the songs, but on the others they were brand new to me. Sometimes that's awesome, sometimes it makes me sad to be so later to the party. I suppose it's better late than never.

• Harlequin - One False Move (1982)
• Lava Hay - Lava Hay (1990) 
• The Front - Gina's at a Party (1983)
• The Kings - Amazon Beach (1981)
• Trooper - Thick as Thieves (1978)
  

Harlequin - One False Move (1982) - Harlequin's third album, and the last of their records to be produced by the legendary Jack Douglas. I still have no idea why I never got this album at the time as I liked the songs I heard on the radio, "I Did it For Love" and "Superstitious Feeling" were very good. The band was still anchored by the one two punch of George Belanger's distinctive vocals, and Glen Willows fret wizardry. The songs here are all good, although I am listening to many of them now for the first time - and in terms of stuff that sticks it's the ones that I was exposed to in my youth that still stand out.

I'm still a sucker for this era as it was still essentially '70s arena rock and hadn't yet turned into the glam metal that was to come. Harlequin was once a pretty big deal in Canada, but this was more or less the end of the line for them, and so many other bands that had hit it big (Canadian big) in the late '70s. Yeah, I'm thinking of April Wine here. Harlequin would release one more album in 1984 before taking an extended hiatus. It would be another twenty years before they'd release another record. However, for a little while these guys were on a tear, and while I can't claim to have been on board at the time, I always considered myself a fan, and I'm making up for lost time. Although picking up used records doesn't exactly do anything for the band ... 

Lava Hay - Lava Hay (1990) I've got to admit I was pretty excited when I found a sealed copy of the album. I'd heard of, but never heard them and was always curious. Yeah I could have just streamed the album, but I didn't. Lava Hay were a folk duo (of sorts, it's an unfair label, but it sort of fits) comprised of Michele Gould, Suzanne Little who played acoustic guitar, sang and wrote the songs. Being on Nettwork the album featured members of stablemate Sarah McLachlan's band. Notably bassist Dave Kershaw. Also on a number of tracks were Kevin Kane, Vincent Jones, and Tom Hopper from The Grapes of Wrath. Heck even Steve Berlin, who was with Los Lobos at the time, but had previously been in The Blasters, appeared on a track playing saxophone and co-produced the album with the band.

Maybe my expectations were too high, but after a couple of plays through the album never really resonated with me. It was enjoyable, and there were no real duds, but there wasn't any staying power either. As soon as the record was over, I'd forgotten what I'd heard. I'd play it again and it was like I'd never heard it. 

Yeah, it does seem like I'm shitting on the album, but I'm trying not to. It is really nice background music, and more likely this really isn't my cup of tea and it was wasted on me. It was a really was a great sounding record, and Steve Berlin produced a cohesive, if forgettable album. 

The Front - Gina's at a Party (1983) Ah, here we go. When I first took a chance on an album by The Front a few months ago I'd been on the look out for their debut. As fate would have it, my favourite record shop was having a huge sale and the store was 50% off with very few exceptions. I'd seen this there but it was a little more than I wanted to spend (have I mentioned I am cheap?). But I took the opportunity to pick up quite a few records. My issue is turning out to be where do I put all this stuff? That's a problem for future me, right now present me is having a field day.

The Front truly was a band who should have made a bigger impact than they did. The debut Gina's at a Party is a great record. The album was slick AOR and pushed all the right buttons. Sure, one could argue this was generic AF but by that measure so were a host of other really solid bands. This still pushes all my happy buttons. The songs are solid, catchy and the performances are top shelf. It was produced by Howard Parrott, who was also behind the band's 1984 and final release. Yeah, two years, two albums and then done. 

What I really appreciated about the notes on this one, as opposed to their follow-up was that the vocalists was listed beside the song. Tim Thorney and Paul Henderson were the core this time out, with Joel Feeney listed in the credits as a backing vocalist. 

After this Tim Thorney would move to a supporting role for other artists, and sadly passed away June 21, 2021 after a prolonged illness. He was the real deal and based on the strength of what I've heard he really should have been out in front. 

The Kings - Amazon Beach (1981) Hot on the heals of their debut, The Kings once again paired with Bob Ezrin and released Amazon Beach in 1981. The band was more muscular than on their debut, the swagger more pronounced, the songs rocked harder, the band was oozing confidence ... it was almost punk-prog in places (which was oil and water as the two were never meant to mix). The album jacket boasted one of coolest covers I've ever seen.

The result of all this awesomeness?

Crickets.

Man people were fickle. Me, I never even knew this existed until recently. Time had done a pretty good job of burying the album. The Kings themselves had been relegated to one hit (well, two hits in one) wonder status.

I suppose if people were looking for more of "This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" they were going to be disappointed - then again people who were looking for that on their debut were already disappointed. Maybe that disappointment carried over and poisoned the potential success Amazon Beach deserved. Oh what could have been.

After the album failed to live up to expectations, the band was dropped from Elektra. The Kings would soldier on, after all the beat goes on. Sadly for most of us, it was like the old, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one's there to hear it does it make a sound?"

Trooper - Thick as Thieves (1978) Before The Tragically Hip became known as "Canada's Band" there was Trooper. Oh there were bigger bands that went on to fame and fortune outside our borders, but Trooper was our little secret. Each Trooper album would yield a single or two that managed to get woven into our cultural fabric, and 1978's Thick as Thieves would add a couple more songs to the band's legacy. Most notably "Raise a Little Hell" a song that actually got airplay south of the border, and Frank Ludwig's "Round Round We Go" and "The Moment that it Takes" that was written by drummer Tommy Stewart and bassist Doni Underhill. All of them would feature of Trooper's Hot Shots a year later.

The band was still on an upward trajectory and was cranking out the albums. Thick as Thieves was their fourth in four years, and like their earlier albums was produced by Randy Bachman. It would be their most successful album to date. 

As a kid Trooper always presented a unified front as a band. I had no idea there were tensions between the members and the Frank felt especially boxed in. With Ra McGuire and Brian Smith serving as the Lennon-McCartney of the band, that left Frank playing George's part. Of course this is all conjecture, but a year later after the band released Flying Colours Frank would leave. However, with Thick as Thieves the band was indeed thick as thieves.

"Raise a Little Hell" is still one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever committed to tape. My goodness I still get warm fuzzies when I hear it. Everything about that song just killed. My goodness Brian Smith is an underrated guitar player. The guy had tone for days. All the guys in the band were truly working together as a tight unit.

Don't get me wrong, I like The Hip, but Trooper was Canada's band.