The Records were one of the most promising bands of 1979. That year, the British group visited the airwaves with “Starry Eyes” and “Teenarama,” and although they proceeded to create viable music, such efforts went largely unnoticed by the greater public.
After the Records splintered, guitarist Huw Gower launched a solo career. His debut offering, a four-track EP entitled Guitarophilia, surfaced in January 1984 and has recently been reissued by This Must Be Heaven Recordings.
As a fringe benefit, the disc contains several bonus tracks that were also cooked up during the ’80s, with the exception of the glowing shimmer of “Nothing About Love,” a song recorded in the mid-’90s that features Roseanne Cash on lead vocals.
Huw Gower’s commitment to the sound and style of the Records rings loud and clear amid Guitarophilia, specifically on “French Girls” and “She’s Still a Mystery.” Jingling guitars, joined by pert harmonies and stabbing hooks rate as the best power popping new wave hits that never were. Grounded in a similar super catchy vein is “Love On Demand,” while “Calling Out the Heretics” mines moodier mannerisms.
Exploding with aggression and strength, “Free As a Bird” plugs in as a rocking riot of blistering riffs, the booming brass of a trumpet and a wailing violin. A faithful version of Eddie and the Hot Rods’ classic rebel anthem, “Do Anything You Wanna Do” punches in as another stand out number, along with Huw Gower’s hard-edged “New American Hero,” which provides a swell of flashy licks and a volcanic chorus.
Additionally consisting of bright and shiny production values, needling keyboards and twitching rhythms, Guitarophilia represents 80s pop rock to the core. The material is very Top 40 oriented, making it easy to envision these songs snuggling cheek to cheek on the charts with the likes of the Cars, Hall and Oates, and Huey Lewis and the News.
Not only does Guitarophilia show off Huw Gower’s fine guitar playing – which is economic yet enterprising – but his craft for writing and arranging potent melodies. A naturally raw singer, his vocals are tinged with a rootsy flavor, resembling something of a punky Bob Seger.
A mere 300 copies of Guitarophilia have been pressed. so don’t delay and purchase the record today! The disc can be ordered from CD Baby or digitally downloaded from any major market, as well.
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