AFTER HOURS – Take Off [AOR Heaven Classix remaster] Out Of Print

Unfortunately discontinued, the AOR Heaven Classix brought some truly amazing much sought after albums finally reissued with a superb remastered sound. That’s the case with “Take Off“, the first ’80s record from British Melodic Rock / AOR band AFTER HOURS.
A strictly limited edition of 1000 copies (now out of print) containing unreleased photo material plus liner notes by specialist Dave Reynolds.

The Southampton based AORsters had a brief foray into the world of Adult Orientated Rock that was short-lived and only consisted of a couple of albums (‘Take Off’ -1988- and the self-titled from 1989) before splitting up and going their separate ways.
Lead singer John Francis had a brief tenure with SHY (check out the demo of ‘What Love Can Make You Do’ on the Shy Anthology) before disappearing completely with nothing being heard of any of them until 2011 when the band returned with a new album.

‘Love Attack’ is an AOR masterpiece that deserves its place in the hearts of every AOR fan. How this band never broke the big time is a case for the criminal justice system or merely a case of bad timing. John Francis has the voice of crushed velvet with the soul of a man who has loved and lost a thousand lovers.

‘Better Late Than Never’ is up next and is a statement that can be attached to this reissue… a belter of a song is this. The guitars of Tim Payne gel together the THAT voice… and I’m 16 again. This is pure ’80s AOR folks…

A point I must bring up is the remastering. Not only has Chris Lyne done a fantastic job here, but he has made the album even better with the crisp and clear sound that belies its two and a half decades!
‘Another Lonely Night’ is just another AOR gem, a hit that never was. I mean if Journey released this song it would have been classed as a mega hit, but as it came from a UK band it was destined to be an undiscovered pearl.

AFTER HOURS heavily worked the backing vocals / harmony layers, so the choruses are top class.
Title track is an urgent, punchy melodic rocker full of magic and great keys / guitar interplay, ‘The Game’ is a keyboard-driven feast with a hook to die for, while ‘Without You’ harkens back to the early ’80s AOR sound with a bright set of guitars / vocals.

This is the basic rule for this album and the one that followed. AFTER HOURS and especially John Francis were and are destined to be so much more.
And given that the original members have reformed some time ago and seems are currently working on another album, maybe this time they will be given a fair crack of the whip! I mean check out their cover of the Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’ which in my mind is the best version of the song EVER! And I don’t like that song at all. So for a band to register it listenable to these ears is a feat done by no other.

Requested by one of you, this AFTER HOURS “Take Off” AOR Heaven Classix remastered reissue is a mandatory listen to every fan of the classic, keyboard-driven AOR from the ’80s.
A MUST HAVE

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – Love Attack
02 – Better Late Than Never
03 – Stay By My Side
04 – Another Lonely Night
05 – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Body ‘N’ Soul)
06 – The Game
07 – Without You
08 – Paint It Black
09 – Take Off

John Francis – vocals
Tim Payne – guitar
Martin Walls – bass
Andy Nye – keyboards
Mark Addison – drums

TRY HERE:
www.amazon.co.uk/Take-Off-Remast-After-Hours/dp/B0041B6TF4
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