SHELTER (Joe Lamont) – First Stop [Rock Candy remaster] (2018)

Finally someone did justice and remastered one of the greatest and most requested AOR albums of the ’80s: Rock candy Records just reissued “First Stop“, the only album by SHELTER, a great slice of first half of the ’80s American AOR.

The road to fame and fortune is littered with fallen heroes, musicians that just couldn’t get a shot at the big time, languishing in the shadows, forgotten and broken by a fickle turn of fate. Many of these artists came very close to realizing their dream but were let down by circumstances that were entirely out of their control.

Shelter worked so hard to score a major label record deal, but this scenario was exactly what happened to them, and the band’s sole album was totally ignored by the label and not promoted.
Pick up by Polydor Records, this classy East Coast outfit were signed via a production deal with the owner of the famous Hit Factory recording studio in Manhattan. It was, for a short moment in time, a dream come true.

The band had and impressive style, like a knock out combination of Foreigner, LeRoux, Harlequin, Prophet and Preview, that’s meaning classy Pompy AOR sound.
Issued in 1982, “First Stop” showcased a sound that was fast becoming the biggest thing on US radio, and Shelter appeared to be act that could step up to the plate and easily knock it out of the park. Sadly, it was not to be.

The album was released with virtually no marketing or publicity, crash landing with the muted fizzle of a damp firework. However, import copies made their way to Europe, generating a seed of appreciation that, tragically, in the pre Internet age, could not be capitalised on.
Eventually, the band split up, but their music lives on; tracks such as ‘On The Line’, ‘Tricks’ and ‘Who Do You Love’ resonate with pure spit and polish.

Including the impressive vocals of frontman Joe Lamente (ex-Steeplechase and who will release a stupendous AOR album as Joe Lamont in 1985, featured HERE) the album is full of wonderful tunes.
‘On The Line’ opens with all the drive and urgency of good Melodic Rock, ‘So Glad I Found You’ is pure AOR magic, and ‘The Way I Feel’ is a great ballad.
More quality pomp AOR comes with ‘Tricks’ and ‘Why’, and the pumping bass lines and ‘those’ synths tuens ‘Foolish Lovers’ a personal favorite.

If you never head SHELTER’s “First Stop”, this very good remastered reissue gives the chance to listen to it in all its glory, if you already got this little gem, it’s time to update it with this fresh sounding treatment.
Whichever the case, “First Stop” is essential in your ’80s AOR collection.
A MUST

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

01 – On The Line
02 – So Glad I Found You
03 – The Way I Feel
04 – Who Do You Love
05 – Why
06 – Underneath Your Make-Up
07 – Shelter
08 – Tricks
09 – Foolish Lovers
10 – Because Of Love

Joe Lamente (vocals)
Russ De Salvo (guitar)
Peter Valentine (keyboards)
Carl Bova (bass, backing vocals)
Billy Messinetti (drums, backing vocals)

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/First-Stop-Shelter/dp/B07CPCFVN1
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