Fire Me Up

Change occurs in the music world just as often as it does in real life. For example, some bands may start with one style, but as the members mature, the sound of the band changes and evolves. Or perhaps sales on the first album didn't do as well as originally projected, so the record company forces the band to change and evolve. The latter is what happened to the swingin' sounds of Roman Holliday by the time their second (and final) album hit the shelves in 1984. The 'swing' movement they tried to kick-start in '83 didn't rev up, so their label re-tooled the band, dumped the horn section, coiffed their hair, and created "Baby Duran Duran". Such a shame, because this is a nice slice of '80s pop/rock that would make a great debut album by a new pop band, but is such a step down from the swing-based band that released their fantastic debut a year earlier. Shania Twain's future husband, Robert John "Mutt" Lang, wrote the first single (and biggest radio hit) "One Foot Back In Your Door," a nice piece of '80s rock ear candy. From then on, every track bounces and bubbles along rather facelessly. None of the tracks are embarrassing, but to hear the band's energy drain like a bad car battery is very sad indeed. Vocalist Steve Lambert tries his best to make things interesting, and he shines bright throughout. There are moments that sound like they could be older tracks, including "Strangest Feeling," "I'll Wait," and "Touch Too Much," but the musical synth accents give the game away. If you've never heard the first album, and are looking for great '80s pop, then this is your cup 'o' joe, but approach with caution if you are a fan expecting only a slight variation of the debut album. ~ Steve "Spaz" Schnee, Rovi