Strangeways were lauded as Glasgow, Scotland’s band that would put the country on the map in the 1980’s. They were a melodic rock band that, among fans of that genre, have reached legendary status. Any AOR fan worth his salt will spend hours convincing anyone who will listen that Strangeways three album releases rank among the best melodic rock albums of all time. I will give them this, the band are talented, they play mushy Raised on Radio Journey style pop very well and they had the look of that eras rock stars. Starngeways, however, weren’t Journey. They were a decent enough band but they failed to take it to the next level. Read on and give the band a listen to decide if they were as good as some say or just another melodic rock band that didn’t quite cut the mustard.

Rock Candy Records has released the band’s first three albums and included detailed stories of the band’s trials and tribulations, along with fantastic photos, in the new liner notes.

The debut album held promise as it was produced by Journey’s producer, Kevin Elson, who knew how to take this kind of band into the studio and craft the sounds into radio friendly hits. It should be noted that this is the only Strangeways release to feature vocalist Tony Liddle, as he quit the band after just one album.

The music on the debut is well executed and the songs “The Kid Needs Love” and “Heartbreak Zone” should have received more radio play. However, this one pretty much came and went without making too much of a splash. That said, musically, it is the best the band ever did.

In England the critics hailed this album as the best example of AOR music ever to be recorded. It is layered nicely, and it sounds nice and friendly, but if one is totally honest, looking back with hindsight, this album really sounds like the most sugary sweet gobbledy goop songs that Foreigner, Bon Jovi and Journey could muster up in the ‘80’s. The tunes, including “Dance With Somebody,” ‘”Only A Fool,” “Stand Up And Shout” and “Empty Streets” are almost too perfectly executed. Think the best Survivor could ever possibly do and you get what this album is about. It is well processed and features new vocalist Terry Brock yet, somehow, it almost seems too much of a good thing. That very lack of humanity is what keeps this one from lasting the test of time.

By the time the third album came, and international success was still eluding them, Strangeways were reduced to going through the motions and repeating every AOR cliché ever written. This one sounds too much like a conglomeration of Survivor, Journey, mushy Foreigner and every other band they had hoped to be. Plain and simple, they were tired by this point and it shows in the music.