WRABIT – Rough & Ready [Japan HR/HM 1000 Vol.4 series] (2022) HQ *0dayrox Exclusive*

Universal Music Japan has started this year another campaign of their ‘HR/HM 1000‘ series, that meaning the reissue of long time out of print albums from their Hard Rock / Heavy Metal catalog at the price of 1000 Yen = about 9 USD.
As part of the 2022 Universal Music Japan HR-HM 1000 Vol.4 series, as requested, we have here Canadian melodic rockers WRABIT first album “Rough & Ready“. This album has been quite hard to find all over the years, with countless horribly sounding bootlegs floating around.
So this Japanese pressing featuring the latest mastering is a must have for collectors with a stupendous sound quality to appreciate “Rough & Ready” fantastic production – which is far from ‘rough’, but polished and huge way ahead of this time. Indeed, while recorded 1980-81, this album sports that glossy AOR sound heard later in America circa 1983-84.
Song-wise, this is arena melodic rock / AOR like Survivor, Journey, Styx, and Kansas at that time.

Formed in the late Seventies, Canada’s Wrabit seem poised for a major breakthrough, drawing massive crowds to their shows and creating a buzz in the industry upon signing a deal with MCA Records.
It was 1981 when their debut, “Wrough & Wready” (aka “Wrabit” in the US), hit store shelves and prompted an onslaught of radio support in both their native country and portions of the US.
With a sound & style similar to Journey – whom started to make waves in 1981 – Wrabit saw reasonable success almost from the start.

“Wrough & Wready” is a quite a powerful first statement for the band. Brandishing an instantly more aggressive tone than what was typical for AOR music in 1981, the album charges from the starting gates with hook laden track after hook laden track, all with impeccable harmonies.
Lou Nadeau’s voice delivery throughout is directly on target, elevating this from what could’ve been average to something stellar. This kind of transcendence can be felt from the opening track to the final salvo of the ending number.
It’s really quite startling that this album did not garner the band far greater success than it actually did. Yes, it’s that good.

Unfortunately one of the reasons of why Wrabit never make it big was line-up changes that began to plague the band, and it wasn’t long before this first LP half of the group had jumped ship. From that point onward, the next two releases each saw various members coming and going.
After the third and final 1984 album the band split and members fled to Max Webster, Hanover Fist, Lee Aaron and Big Smile.
“Rough & Ready” is A MUST HAVE album into your first hald of the ’80s AOR / Melodic Rock collection.
Highly Recommended

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01 – Anyway, Anytime
02 – Pushin’ On
03 – Can’t Be Wrong
04 – Back Home
05 – Too Many Years
06 – Just Go Away
07 – Tell Me What To Do
08 – How Does She Do It
09 – Here I’ll Stay
10 – Don’t Say Goodnite To Rock And Roll

Lou Nadeau – lead vocals
John Albini – guitars, vocals
David Aplin – guitars
Chris Brockway – bass, vocals
Les Paulhus – keyboards, vocals
Scott Jefferson Steck – drums

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www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UICY-79840