Mike and the Mechanics – 鈥楾he Road’
?It’s been nearly 26 years since Mike Rutherford’s Mike and the Mechanics originated as a side project from the Genesis guitarist. In the early days, Rutherford had the luxury of having two great vocalists (Paul Carrack and Paul Young) deliver his reflective and refined arrangements. The debut album featured two Top 10 hits with “Silent Running” and “All I Need Is a Miracle.” The next release sealed the band’s success by delivering the number one hit, “Living Years.” “The Road” is the seventh studio album from Mike and the Mechanics.
I confess that I lost track of the band after the release of “The Living Years” in 1988, even though I was a huge fan of Genesis. My older brother turned me on to the band with the 1974 release of “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.”
At the time, the band was still a quintet with the eccentric Peter Gabriel as lead vocalist and Steve Hackett on guitar.
However, my favorite Genesis album came when Gabriel and Hackett exited and the remaining members forged on with the aptly titled “And Then There Were Three.”
For the latest version of Mike and the Mechanics, Rutherford has entrusted the vocal duties over to newcomers Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar. While the duo is no match for Carrack and Young, they perform their duties admirably.
Roachford’s soulful style on the title track kicks off the album with a polished sophisticated style. “Reach Out (Touch the Sun)” is the first single and feeds off an infectious melody and sweeping chorus. While I sometimes yearn for the glory days of Genesis and earlier offerings from Mike and the Mechanics, “The Road” is a promising solid effort that shows Rutherford is far from finished.
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