LE ROUX – So Fired Up [Rock Candy Remastered & Reloaded] **HQ Exclusive**

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ

And a celebration of singer Fergie Frederiksen career isn’t complete without “So Fired Up“, the 1983 album he recorded as frontman of LE ROUX. For many people, this is the best American AOR album ever. You will find this in virtually every AOR collectors top 25 album of all time list.
“So Fired Up” is first rate, Classic Melodic Rock / AOR with CAPITALS. Fortunately this milestone from the genre has received a great 24-bit remastering from original source tapes by specialists from Rock Candy Records.
With a change of personnel for 1983’s ‘So Fired Up’ things definitely got on the improve for LE ROUX. Added to the line-up was Fergie Fredericksen (ex- TRILLION and which later joined TOTO). This combination had completely changed the band’s sound to brilliant melodic rock / AOR and the results were spectacular.
In a nutshell, there are classic moments like ‘Turning Point’, ‘Carries Gone’, ‘Lifeline’ – all awesome classic AOR songs – but in fact each of the 10 tracks are pure gold, this is a monster AOR release of the highest order.

Four albums into their career and Le Roux were edging ever closer to scoring success on a national and, indeed, international level. This was back in the days when record companies would give artists enough creative lee-way to develop their craft and build a committed fan following.
‘So Fired Up’ was, then, the band’s fifth album and is largely regarded as one of their finest, erupting with the sort of energy and sophistication that rivals the great melodic rock champions of the day such as Foreigner and Journey.

Originally released in 1983 and once again produced in-house by bassist and founder member Leon Medica, the record featured two new members; that’s guitarist Jim Odon and vocalist Fergie Frederiksen, formerly of lauded pomp rockers Trillion.
With the new material highlighted by Frederiksen’s captivating vocals and the tough-guy guitar playing of Odon, the band found a new lease of life, constructing a record to rival their previous masterpiece ‘Up’.

Sadly, despite the quality of ‘So Fired Up’ and the momentum built with their preceding releases, the record commercially underachieved, leaving the band exposed to label politics. So, when a change of regime occurred at RCA, Le Roux where summarily dismissed along with several other promising acts on the cusp of success.
Holed beneath the waterline, the band fell apart, unable to sustain such a body blow. Thank heaven we still have their musical legacy to cherish. This is a very good remastered CD reissue, including a 3,500 word essay about the making of the album, new interview and enhanced artwork as all spread out over a 12 page full color booklet.
ESSENTIAL

01 – So Fired Up
02 – Lifeline
03 – Let Me In
04 – Yours Tonight
05 – Line On Love
06 – Carrie’s Gone
07 – Wait One Minute
08 – Turning Point
09 – Don’t Take It Away
10 – Look Out

Fergie Frederiksen: vocals
Tony Haselden: guitar, backing vocals
Jim Odom: guitar
Rod Roddy: keyboards
Leon Medica: bass, backing vocals
David Peters: drums, percussion

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www.amazon.com/So-Fired-Up-Leroux/dp/B00AJJV3SU