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Progland was founded by John Gabbard in 2005. It's purpose has been to provide you, the music community with the latest music and dvd reviews. It will continue to be your link to the most popular music reviews in the progressive world.

 

Mike & The Mechanics-"Rewired"

Label - Camino
Reviewed by: Jason Carson
Genre: Prog Rock
Country: England
Language: English
Length: 44:22
Release Date: Jun 07, 2004
Label:
Camino Records
Band Members: Paul Carrack Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals Mike Rutherford Bass
  Peter Van Hooke, Neil Wilkinson Drums Rupert Cobb, Ricky Hanley, Andrea Hunnisett, Lisa Law , Owen Paul McGee , Sharon Woolf Background Vocals
     
Track Listing: 1.)- One Left Standing-5:11 8.)-Somewhere Along The Line- 3:52
  2.)-If I Were You- 4:21 9.)-Underscore- 5:09
  3.)- Perfect Child - 5:11  
  4.)- Rewired- 5:31  
  5.)- I Don’t Want It All- 5:06  
  6.)-How Can I?- 4:44  
  7.)Falling - 5:17  
     
The Review

The latest Mechanics outing is a mixed bag but ultimately rather listenable and has spent a number of spins in my car. REWIRED was actually released in 2004 but just reached the US market sometime last year. This is also the first Mechanics record since the death of one of their two singers, Paul Young(Sad Cafe), a few years back. So right off the bat there will be something missing. However, a soulful Carrack does a decent job in handling all of the vocals this time out. Also note that this is credited to MIKE & THE MECHANICS + PAUL CARRACK, as if that was a selling point. Perhaps it is, as Paul Carrack is quite popular in many territories. But to have the singer's name emphasised when he's already a full time member is somewhat unneccesary. Perhaps this is just as well, as Mike himself is slightly subdued or even lost on his own album. What we almost have here is Paul and the Mechanics. Rutherford's trademark rhythm guitar and somewhat Pink Floyd-esque solos are in bare minimum. As he himself would probably admit, he's a songwriter foremost. But you can't deny that some of his solos were actually pretty good and cozy even. 'WORD OF MOUTH', 'HOME BY THE SEA', SILENT RUNNING' and 'ABACAB' come to mind. Not much of that here, sad to say. These days, M&M is pretty much Rutherford and Carrack and whoever they employ. The 'band' element had dissipated some time ago.***

These are the negatives. However, there's still some catchy and decent pop-rock material to be found on REWIRED which you'll may hate or ignore on first listen but will grow on you later. The disc is relatively short and never wears out its welcome, and in more Genesis-friendly times this may have been a hit. There are three standout numbers which beg to be heard at the hair salon, as LIVING YEARS and ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE did back in the day. Carrack is still belting out R&B-laced pop with the best of them, and Rutherford- well I wish there was a little bit more of him that stood out. He has a talent for diluting himself within the context of a project. That's not a bad thing, as he can and does do a lot from behind the scenes that go into the making of the whole picture, but perhaps a bluesy solo like the one on ABACAB wouldn't have hurt. The new Mechanics is also a little more darker and technology-oriented, with a slight techno/beat feel. Plenty of synthesizers, trip-hop beats and loops and sequencers throughout make this almost as unMechanics as you may have heard from these guys. Two tracks are almost instrumentals. REWIRED is almost progressive in a different direction, and credit to them for trying something different. Some will probably prefer that they stick with what they know and leave the modern stuff to the younger cats, but this isn't too far from their 80's pop sound. Lots of ballads and mid-tempo stuff. For whatever I found wrong with this record, I found something I liked. Here's what's here:***

ONE LEFT STANDING:

Mechanical rhythms and overlayered synths and production bring the Mechanics into the 2000's and is more intuned to Gwen Steffani or something like that than Genesis or Mechanics. This sets the vibe for what some of this album will sound like.***

IF I WERE YOU:

An obvious single and one of the few moments on REWIRED that hint at Mike's past in his 'other' band Genesis. Lush keyboards and soulful Carrack vocals which could have placed this on an earlier Mechanics record.***

PERFECT CHILD:

Smooth pop track with 'world' feel in the background vocals which almost stands out to be counted as a single, though something's lacking but I can't figure it out.***

REWIRED:

A near instrumental which goes even deeper into a more modern 'techno' sound with its choppy rhythms, 'dub' vocals and computer-y sound effects.***

I DON'T WANT IT ALL:

A ballad with strands of barely noticable acoustic guitar underneath some modern beats. Nice smooth one which recalls some of the ballads from CALLING ALL STATIONS.***

HOW CAN I:

Some piano on this mid-tempo aor track which relies on Carrack's laid back vocals. Production or arrangement sounds at odds with the music almost.***

FALLING: A darker cut which has a little more punch to it which recalls SILENT RUNNING and some Genesis material. This is one moment where the more modern techno sound works the best on this album, and one of the best tracks on the album. Good chorus, nice atmospheric section, and you feel the Rutherford spirit in the composition more than in the playing. Fine cut.***

SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE:

Another ballad and the shortest track here. Not really essential, but nothing really unpleasant either. Has similar choppy guitar intro, R&B drum loop and laid-back soul vocals from Mr. Carrack. Finally an acoustic guitar solo though.***

UNDERSCORE:

Another near instrumental which comes off somewhat like a soundtrack piece for some action movie or X-Box game. Lots of sound effects and synth & sequencer layers. Good textures and vibe, though you'd forget you were listening to Mike & the Mechanics. This must represent the latent experimental side of Rutherford and company which doesn't get let out of the box too often. This is surely a far cry from LIVING YEARS.***

Not a bad album, though plenty of mised opportunities. But if you're waiting for the Mechanics to sound more adventurous or Genesis-y, just forget it. Not bad, however, if you want to hear some decent R&B-laced smooth pop-rock music. Accept it for what it is, and there jut may be something there to enjoy.

 

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