PAGES – Pages 3 [Japanese remaster SHM-CD] Out Of Print

Requested by many here, the last, self-titled album by PAGES in its Japanese remastered edition on SHM-CD is a must have. This was a Limited Release which turned out of print soon. Not to be confused with the ’78 self-titled debut – this ‘Pages’ is their 1981, final album.
“Pages” not only is a superb AOR album, but also the sound of this remastered reissue on SHM-CD is terrific.

Before achieving world-wide success with Mr. Mister, Richard Page founded Pages alongside keyboardist / vocalist Steve George in the late Seventies. The duo released 3 delicious albums, being this last “Pages”, a true representation of pure US AOR / FM music from the early ’80s, a showcase of the best L.A. session musicians on show.
We have here masters like Jay Graydon on guitar, Neil Stubenhaus & Abraham Laboriel on bass, monster drummers like Vinnie Colaiuta and the highly missed Toto’s Jeff Porcaro, among other luminaries.

Amazingly produced by Jay Graydon, the album has a very dynamic, melodic and at places, smooth n’ groovy feel. There are some irresistible songs here.
The album-opening “You Need A Hero”, which has an ingenious chorus bass line, is a terrific AOR pop-rocker that sounds exactly like then-contemporary Ambrosia. “O.C.O.E. (Official Cat of the Eighties)” is an amusingly clever song that’s rhythmically infectious and ultra-catchy, while “Come On Home” is an engagingly tuneful ballad with an arrestingly elegant atmosphere.

We have great uptempo rockers where the guitars take center role, as the galloping “Sesatia” (with nice harmony vocals) and the fast paced, the more rocking AOR tune here adorned with candy-floss keyboards not far from Toto’s sound.
The lead vocals shine of the extremely slick “Tell Me” (again a Toto feel), the marvelous mid-tempo AOR of “Only A Dreamer” (a highlight), and closer ballad “Midnight Angel”, a showcase for Richard Page’s smooth vocals.

Regarded as a WestCoast classic, in fact “Pages” is more AOR on the uptempo side than in the soft, and of the greatest albums in this style appeared in the first half of the ’80s.
This album largely deserved a high-fidelity SHM-CD format but as said, sadly was a Limited Release and now it’s out of print with copies being auctioned for as much as $300 due to the very limited press.
The sound, freshly remastered 2013, is simply awesome, crystal clear.
A Must Have

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

Capitol Music Group Japan ~ TYCP-80049
Ｐ Ａ Ｇ Ｅ Ｓ 【Mini LP ＬＴＤ ＳＨＭ－ＣＤ】

01 – You Need A Hero
02 – Tell Me
03 – O.C.O.E. (Official Cat Of The Eighties)
04 – Come On Home
05 – Sesatia
06 – Only A Dreamer
07 – Automatic
08 – Fearless
09 – Midnight Angel

Richard Page: Vocals, Piano
Steve George: Vocals, Piano, Moog
Jay Graydon: Guitar On Tracks 6/7/8
Charles Johnson: Guitar On Tracks 2/3/5/7
Steve Khan: Guitar On Tracks 1/4
Paul Jackson Jr: Guitar On Track 4
Neil Stubenhaus: Bass On Tracks 1/2/3/4/5/6/7
Abraham Laboriel: Bass On Track 8
Vinnie Colaiuta: Drums On Tracks 3/5
Jeff Porcaro: Drums On Tracks 1/4/7
Mike Baird: Drums On Track 6
Ralph Humphrey: Drums On Tracks 2/8
Paulinho Da Costa: Percussion
Tom Scott: Sax On Track 4
Al Jarreau: Vocal Effect On Track 9

Out Of Print
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/TYCP-80049