STREETS – Streets 1st [Rock Candy remaster]

The two excellent albums from melodic rockers STREETS featuring the awesome Steve Walsh (Kansas) and guitar master Mike Slamer have received a brilliant remastered treatment by Rock Candy.
Streets were formed in 1983 by Steve Walsh after his departure from Kansas, who decided to take more control of his musical destiny and was joined by bassist Billy Greer and drummer Tim Gehrt. The final piece of the puzzle was completed by super talented Mike Slamer, a British born former member of City Boy who had relocated to the US in order to seek out new musical opportunities.

The combination of Walsh’s symphonic background mixed with Slamer’s melodic rock sensibilities makes for an engaging combination with Streets, proved on their debut “1st”. Combined with Neil Kernon’s production and engineering talent, the album is a rich and full event. This nine tracker comes bounding in with that typical sound that made the ’80s American Melodic Rock scene so relevant.

The opening pair of tracks are awesome. “If Love Should Go” is brimming with melody, harmony and that summer-dazed carefree dreamy approach, and it doesn’t stop there as the punchy “Move On” is truly moving indeed.
“One Way Street” is a cracking rocker with a sharp riff and a punctuated keyboard line, followed by the mid-tempo elegance of the radio friendly AOR in “Lonely Woman’s Cry”.

“Everything Is Changing” is another great song with a lovable refrain and chorus, the guitar driven “Cold Hearted Woman” delivers a terrific AOR atmosphere, while “So Far Away” continues in the same vein yet more uptempo and crunchy.
Album closer “Fire” is an aptly titled hot, melting rocker mixed with some very clever near progressive keyboard parts from Walsh and a killer guitar work.

If you never heard about Streets, you need to check this “1st” (and the next one ‘Crimes In Mind’) immediately.
These albums are first class examples of quality Melodic (hard) Rock displaying all the bells and whistles you could possibly wish for.
Particularly on this debut, there’s also a refreshing progressive influence, mainly due to the extraordinary musical talent involved and, of course, Steve Walsh’s phenomenal vocal agility. The sound obtained on this Rock Candy remaster is incredible, believe me.
A Must Have

01 – If Love Should Go
02 – Move On
03 – One Way Street
04 – Lonely Woman’s Cry
05 – Everything Is Changing
06 – Cold Hearted Woman
07 – So Far Away
08 – Blue Town
09 – Fire

Steve Walsh – vocals, keyboards
Mike Slamer – guitars
Billy Greer – bass, backing vocals
Tim Gehrt – drums, backing vocals

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