Mike And The Mechanics Recommendations

  • Mike's band probably comes third in my list of preferred "G-men" solo projects (Phil being at number one, Peter at number two) but I've not bought any of his stuff since Beggar On A Beach Of Gold (an excellent album let down by the bewildering inclusion of an abbreviated I Believe (When I Fall In Love I Will Be Forever) - if you're going to cover a song, do it in full or not at all).


    What's the verdict on the albums after Beggar? Did the band produce anything worthy of their best? I always felt that they took a serious dip with Word Of Mouth and redeemed themselves with Beggar but, with little-to-no radio play after that, I haven't heard anything they've done since then.

  • I highly recommend The Road. An album full of great tracks. The new guys contributed a lot to make the Mechanics sound younger and fresher. For me it is their greatest release since The Living Years (my personal favourite). I must confess,that I had already been a fan of Roachford before he joined the band. The Road reconciled me with the band, as I had given up on them after Word of Mouth, which I think is really bad. Never been a great fan of Beggars either.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

  • Despite the fact that the 1999 M6 album was the first Mechanics album I brought on the day of release, I prefer A Beggar On A Beach Of Gold from 1995. After those two albums its bits and bobs from each album or the 1996 Hit's album.


    Kind regards


    Mark

  • I'm really surprised to see how many people are voting for The Road! It's not that often that that happens.


    For the albums post-Beggar, I'd rank them:


    1. Let Me Fly - The band came together well for The Road, but I think they became a solid act with Let Me Fly. The album is smoother, more cohesive, and personally the songs just touch me more than the ones on The Road. As I said in another thread, though, there is something seemingly lost between the live versions and the album versions. I'll Be There For You is one of the best songs they have done in ages.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: Wonder, Let Me Fly, I'll Be There for You, The Best Is Yet to Come, The Letter


    2. The Road - I went back to The Road before posting this, as it's probably one of my least listened-to Mechanics albums, and while I still find it a bit patchy, there are more moments I loved than disliked. There is some solid songwriting here, and you can feel Andrew and Tim finding their feet in the band.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: Try to Save Me, Background Noise, Oh No, You Can Be the Rock


    3. M6 - While it's no Beggar, M6 has some really catchy songs, and maintains some of the Beggar feel. It's a bit more poppy and even dance'y at times, though, and lacks Beggar's darkness in songs like Ghost of Sex and You or House of Many Rooms.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: All The Light I Need, Ordinary Girl, Whenever I Stop


    4. Rewired - Rewired is a strange one. It was always going to be different without Paul Young, but maybe this one is too different (that said, my favourite track on the album is Underscore, which might be the weirdest!). It sounds of-its-time in a dated way, like they were actively working for a popular style that clashed a bit with who they are, and that 2000s voice distortion style that I don't really like.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: If I Were You, I Don't Want It All

  • Well, As for your views on M6.


    3. M6 - While it's no Beggar, M6 has some really catchy songs, and maintains some of the Beggar feel. It's a bit more poppy and even dance'y at times, though, and lacks Beggar's darkness in songs like Ghost of Sex and You or House of Many Rooms.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: All The Light I Need, Ordinary Girl, Whenever I Stop

    I would mostly agree, I would add "My Little Island" and I like the faux vinyl crackle / pop on it. This was a strange album as it started with one producer and ended with a totally different producer in the hot seat.


    Regards


    Mark

  • On this particular album,


    4. Rewired - Rewired is a strange one. It was always going to be different without Paul Young, but maybe this one is too different (that said, my favourite track on the album is Underscore, which might be the weirdest!). It sounds of-its-time in a dated way, like they were actively working for a popular style that clashed a bit with who they are, and that 2000s voice distortion style that I don't really like.


    Tracks I'd Recommend: If I Were You, I Don't Want It All


    I actually attended the only UK gig in support of this album on the 7th Sept 2004, Shepherds Bush Empire, Shepherds Bush, London. Upon the albums release Perfect Child was the single or most promoted song... sadly Mike had to explain the meaning in case people misunderstood the intention / meaning. But Underscore was my favourite, the music video to that one being the most weirdest of the lot. One Left Standing was also a brilliant song but again strange video.


    As you rightly mentioned the album had strange vocal processing, this sort of dates the album. I even read a Nick Davis interview where he said the album sort of hit a moment in production where it peaked but Mike carried on mixing / producing it and it sounded as it did.


    A strange album, there was a bit of promotion and radio tie in's... but the two singles from it were deleted before the release and ended up as promo only.


    http://thegenesisarchive.co.uk…hanics-albumsong/rewired/


    As the timeline shows, two singles which were deleted.


    An interesting time for the Mechanics, but glad they didn't end after the album / tour / DVD.


    Regards


    Mark

  • I'd have The Road and M6 the other way around, but otherwise echo this entirely.


    I thought The Road might be the final, somewhat disappointing chapter but, as I wish Genesis had done after Calling All Stations, I'm very glad Mike decided to keep the group together because Let Me Fly has some of their best work for me.


    I'd generally leaned more towards the Paul Carrack songs when I first got into the band but, after Paul Young's passing, I found myself equally drawn to his numbers. Perhaps that's why, If I Were You aside, I haven't revisited Rewired. They had a perfect balance, and I think they're heading in that direction again.

  • I thought The Road might be the final, somewhat disappointing chapter but, as I wish Genesis had done after Calling All Stations, I'm very glad Mike decided to keep the group together because Let Me Fly has some of their best work for me.

    Famously, Mike chose The Mechanics over Genesis. Based on the band's releases since then, do you think he made the right decision? I know this question opens a whole can of worms with regards to Calling All Stations and the hypothetical question of whether a follow-up album would be better...

    • Official Post

    I have an affection for both, M6 and Rewired


    M6 was a bit like "let's make Beggar sound dirty". Sometimes it felt like being in a rush, then it had its silent moments. There are some obvious highlights, such as All The Light I Need.

    When I Get Over You and Always Listen To Your Heart are also nice. And Open Up is such an unbelievable ... I don't know what. They just stretched that one further than they should have.


    Rewired was odd for sure. But it was a good idea to come up with something different. One Left Standing sounds like Now That You've Gone wasn't enough soundwise.

    I don't Want It All is a classic Mechanics tracks, while Underscore proved where Mike comes from. 9 tracks, just 7 songs. But a catchy ballad again - If I Were You. I like this one, too!


    And The Road?

    There are some tracks on it which are great

    Try To Save Me

    Heaven Doesn't Care

    Background Noise


    Then there are track which are not great

    Reach Out (this sounds like they were really trying to create a song they don't have)

    It Only Hurts For A While (well, not sure what they thought when doing this one)

    Walking On Water (sounds like a b-side)


    In any case

    I Don't Do Love is one of my all time Mechanics favorite. It worked live well as well, shame they only played in on the first tour with the new line up

    Do you wanna dance? Do you really wanna dance?

    cheers

    Christian


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  • Have to confess, when I first heard Mike's solo work was unimpressed in the 80s... Now 2018, Ive been warming up to Phil's work and latter Genesis which I own..


    Just been giving music of M & M, so will give you my thoughts... Seems like the Road is a good dig to start off with... You have to realize I'm a prog moron...^^

  • I have to say when I listen to a new band I like to start at the beginning and work my way through their catalogue in order. It gives me a sense of how the band or artist has progressed. Just my way of looking at things - different from others I know

    “Without music, life would be a mistake”

  • I have to say when I listen to a new band I like to start at the beginning and work my way through their catalogue in order. It gives me a sense of how the band or artist has progressed. Just my way of looking at things - different from others I know

    I'm going to give MM a concervative approach over the comimg weeks.. Too much music that I enjoy... Though the Road was OK, nothing striking , just simple songs... Going to play one album a day :)


    What I find strange is that Mike Rutherford is a talented bassist and guitarist, but you hear none of these in Road!....