Moving Pictures/Hard Promises
This weekend, On The Turntable will spotlight two rocking lps celebrating 40 years since their release … “Moving Pictures’ from Rush and ‘Hard Promises’ from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
Moving Pictures
Moving Pictures is the eighth studio album by the Canadian progressive rock band Rush, released this coming weekend in 1981. The album received a positive reaction from music critics and became a commercial success. The album remains the band’s biggest selling LP in the US, with sales of over 4 million units. I am not a fan of this band, however, I feel it is important that On The Turntable features this album. It begins with the one song that I do care for … Tom Sawyer … more about why and how my opinions on this band were formed…
Moving Pictures is consider, by many, to be the band’s best album. Honestly, it is the only one that I own. I told you that I would share my difficulty with this band … In 1974, I paid $5.00 to see Rory Gallagher at The Michigan Palace. These were general admission shows. The big draw for me was Tim Buckley was one of the opening acts. We nabbed second row seats and settled in for some great vocals and guitar … The MC introduced us to the opening act …”making their first American appearance … Rush.” None of us were prepared for this extremely loud band … Neal Pert was now the drummer … Getty Lee’s shrieking voice was a shocker … their music just did not mesh with the other two bands on the card. It did not leave a good impression on me, and I never became a fan … I guess I blame the promoter. This band has been super successful and has fans all over the world … as they say, timing is everything. And, that’s my story … Moving Pictures is listed in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” … Rolling Stone Magazine listed the LP number 379 on its list of the Greatest Albums Of All Time … Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Moving Pictures to be the best album of 1981 and the 20th best of the 1980’s. Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranks the album fourth on its top 100 of the year.
Notable Tracks – ‘Tom Sawyer’ ‘YYZ’ ‘Limelight’
Hard Promises
Hard Promises is the fourth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released on May 5, 1981 … The success of ‘Damn The Torpedoes’ gave Tom the power to call the shots. Hard Promises almost did not happen … The record company wanted to charge the new rate of nine ninety eight for the lp and Tom vetoed. The original working title was Bentmont’s Revenge and later considered to be ‘Eight Ninety Eight’ in his negotiations with the record company; before settling on a line from the song ‘Insider’. Side one begins with “The Waiting” which vaulted to number one the new Billboard Rock Tracks Chart.
Though it was never meant to be on Hard Promises, The Heartbreakers recorded the Petty/Nicks duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around’ during these sessions. Another ditty about the album … During the recording of the Hard Promises, John Lennon was scheduled to be in the same studio at the same time. Petty was looking forward to meeting him when he came in. The meeting never occurred, as Lennon was murdered before the date of his planned visit to the studio. Petty and the band paid tribute to the slain former Beatle by etching “WE LOVE YOU J.L.” in the runout deadwax on early U.S. and Canadian pressings. In 2000 Hard Promises was voted number 968 in British Music Critic Colin Larkin’s All Time Top 1000 Albums. Best Ever Albums Dot Com considers Hard Promises to be the 57th best lp of 1981 and the 509th best of the decade. Digital Dream Door Dot Com ranked the album 44th on its top 100 of 1981.
Notable Tracks – ‘The Waiting’ ‘Kings Road’ ‘A Thing About You’
Don’t miss On The Turntable. The program airs Saturday evening at 6pm on 97.7FM/1330AM The Rewind .. on line at www.kvol1330.com and on The KVOL App. On The Turntable replays Sunday at 7am.