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Mike & The Mechanics: Living Years

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: WEA Records
Released: 1988
Time:
 47:12
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Christopher Neil, Mike Rutherford
Rating: *********. (9/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.mikeandthemechanics.com
Appears with: Mike Rutherford, Genesis, Paul Carrack
Purchase date: 1990.10.23
Price in €: 16,99





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Nobody's Perfect (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson) - 4:48
[2] The Living Years (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson) - 5:32
[3] Seeing Is Believing (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson)- 3:13
[4] Nobody Knows (M.Rutherford/Ch.Neil) - 4:24
[5] Poor Boy Down (M.Rutherford/Ch.Neil) - 4:33
[6] Blame (M.Rutherford/Ch.Neil) - 5:24
[7] Don't (M.Rutherford/Ch.Neil) - 5:45
[8] Black & Blue (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson/P.Young) - 3:21
[9] Beautiful Day (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson/P.Young) - 3:39
[10] Why Me? (M.Rutherford/B.A.Robertson) - 6:26

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Mike Rutherford - Guitars, Bass, Tenor Vocal
Paul Carrack - Vocals, Vocals
Adrian Lee - Keyboards
Peter Van Hooke - Drums
Paul Young - Vocals

Alan Murphy - Guitar
B.A. Robertson - Add. Keyboards
Sal Gallina - Yamaha WX7
Martin Ditcham - Percussion
Luis Jardim - Percussion
Alan Carvell - Background Vocals
Christopher Neil - Background Vocals

King's House School Choir - Choir
Micheal Stuckey - Choir Conductor

Tony Banks - Engineer
Nick Davis - Engineer
Paul Gumersall - Assistant Engineer
John Swannell - Photography Colour
Geoff Halpin - Photography B&W
Grey Vermeir - Cover Design

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Thanks to At the Studio Dale Newman, Steve Jones & Angela Jewel
Thanks to At the Office Tony Smith, Carol Willis Impey & Vicky Andrews
Especially to Angie

Catalogue number: WEA 256004-2



Propelled by their first success and a stagnant period in Genesis' output, Living Years continued the winning ways of Mike & the Mechanics. The touching anthem "The Living Years" steamed up the charts, and while nothing else struck gold, everything here can be recommended.

James Chrispell, All-Music Guide



"...Ausgefeilte Kompositionen und Arrangements, die sich im Gehör festbeißen." ROLLING STONE ALBUM GUIDE ***1/2 "...'Living Years', the album's best moments - particularly the title tune, a solemn-yet-inspiring song about coming to terms with mortality - move beyond mere formula to push the band to its limits."

W.M. Schmidt in Audio 1/89



Das tut gut: Genesis ohne Phil Collins. Mike Rutherford, der stille Gene- sis-Bassist, spielt mit einer erlesenen Mechaniker-Schar (u.a. Paul Carrack) konsequent durch, was bei Genesis längst dem Kommerz zum Opfer fiel: Ausge- feilte Kompositionen und Arrangements, die sich im Gehör festbeißen.

© Audio



Zum Stil des Genesis-Triumvirats gehört es, daß alle drei Mitglieder auch ihren persönlichen musikalischen Neigungen nachgehen dürfen. "Es gibt genü- gend Ideen, die man bei Genesis nicht verwirklichen kann", unterstreicht Mike Rutherford seine Ambitionen mit Mike & The Mechanics. 1986 brachte das Debütalbum seines Hobby-Projekts gleich zwei Tophits: " All I Need Is A Mi- racle" und "Silent Running". Studio-Versuch Nummer 2 macht den Seitensprung zur Dauerinstitution. Aller- dings legen Rutherford und seine vier Mechaniker Paul Carrack, Paul Young (nicht der Teenie-Star), Adrian Lee und Peter Van Hooke diesmal eine etwas härtere Gangart vor - mit aggressiven Ecken und Kanten von Schlagzeug und Gitarre. Doch die Songideen - mit Ausnahme von "Nobody's Perfect" - reichen nicht über solides Mittelmaß hinaus. So verstreichen Mike Rutherfords "Li- ving Years" nicht lebendig, sondern eher in mechanischem Gleichmaß.

© Stereoplay



"...'Living Years', the album's best moments - particularly the title tune, a solemn-yet-inspiring song about coming to terms with mortality - move beyond mere formula to push the band to its limits."

ROLLING STONE ALBUM GUIDE ***1/2
 

 L y r i c s


Nobody's Perfect

It must be hard
being an angel
when the devil in your heart
won't set you free
it must be hard
being an angel
when the world has let you down
imperfection all around

Hey look at me
it must be hard
it must be hard
it must be hard.

Nobody's perfect
all of the time
nobody's perfect
we are what we are
there's no perfect reason
and no perfect rhyme
for most of the time
that's what we're looking for.

Gentlemen gentlemen please!
can you please support the notion
of what I'm saying here
that the person here in question
must be an angel here on earth
if they can't see a human being
for what a human being's really worth
gentlemen please!

Nobody's perfect
all of the time
nobody's perfect
we are what we are
there's no perfect reason
and no perfect rhyme
for most of the time
that's what we're looking for.

It must be hard
being an angel
it must be hard
when the world has let you down
it must be hard
being an angel
it must be hard.

Nobody's perfect
all of the time
nobody's perfect
we are what we are
there's no perfect reason
no perfect rhyme
most all of the time
that's what we're looking for...


The Living Years

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So Don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye


Seeing Is Believing

I believe in Jesus
his father's only son
I do believe he sees us
with the loaded gun.

I believe in the magic
Of the Mujahedin
I still believe in Daniel Ortega
the sun in Omega, the Lord of the Rings
I believe in most everything.
I believe, I believe

I have a friend in England
who says I must escape
the meetings of Mao and Nixon
it's an old debate.

But I believe in the magic
of the King and the Queen
And I still have a young rebel's sympathy
radical symphonies still have a ring
I believe in most everything.
I believe
I fear this muddled thinking
has to go some time
I fear this sinking feeling's
not the best of signs
I feel I'm in trouble
as the Eighties close
I look to the future
I'm frightened, I'm scared U suppose.

You may think it's foolish
that I still believe in love
You laugh and you sneer
-it's cruel
It's what I'm thinking of.

I believe in the magic
in the power of the soul
one to one's my equation
that carries the nation on to the goal
we're all brothers and sisters, I'm told.

I believe, I believe, I believe in love
do you believe what you're seeing
Oh I believe in love.

I believe in love
I believe, I believe,
I believe, I believe, I believe in love.


Nobody Knows

There is nothing wrong with me
there's nothing wrong with you
maybe we're just blind to see
each other's point of view.

Nobody knows what we had.

You could do much better,
you could do much worse than me.
I could have walked right out on you
there was nothing stopping me

Nobody knows what we had.

We were running of passion
we were running out of time
there's a face to fit the future
there's a face to fit the crime.
Now the truth is on the table
and the ghost is plain to see
there's nothing wrong with you or me.

I won't live in your world,
you can't live in mine
We don't hate each other darlin'
we just gave up trying.

Nobody knows what we had.

Maybe I'm not crying
maybe I don't mind
But it hurts just knowing
your children won't be mine.

Nobody knows what we had.


Poor Boy Down

He's a poor boy in his pocket
he's a poor boy in his shoes.
he's done his time
he's stood in line
that boy has paid his dues.

He ain't looking for a handout
he's just looking for a start
he don't hate anyone
he don't carry a gun
you can tell that kid is smart.

So you can'
t keep that poor boy down
you can be unkind
you can rob him blind
but you can't keep that poor boy down.
you can lie and cheat
you can chain his feet
but you can't keep that poor boy down.

And all down throughout the ages
the kid's been treated rough
just take a look
in any history book
you can see that times were tough.

Now we move up to the nineties
up to the 21st
one day he'll stand
a full grown man
and be the same as all of us.

So you can't keep that poor boy down
you can lock him up
you can break his cup
but you can't keep that poor boy down.

You can fight and steal
you can drag your heels
but you can't keep that poor boy down
You can kick his ass
if the kid's got class
you can't keep that poor boy down.

Let's stop the truck
go back and pick him up
you can't keep that poor boy down.

Let him go!!


Blame

While you're defending yourself
maybe you'd like to explain
are you a king for a day
is it some ancient campaign
Warpaint your flag on your face
Gather the troops on the line
you never made a mistake
There at the scene of the crime.

Chorus:

blood on your hands
blood on your feet
down in the pouring rain
what do you care
out on the street
we're gonna drive you insane
nobody else to blame for all that.

Where are the angry young men
where are the fighters or yore
looking for trouble again
looking to settle a score.

Why do you reincarnate
why will you always be here
pour out a nation of hate
pour out an ocean of tears.

(Chorus)

Nobody questions the power elite
who's gonna take up the strain
nobody else to blame!


Don't

I don't want to condescend
I just want to be your friend
I don't want to drive your car
I just want to make a start
with you

I don't want to touch your lace
I just want to touch your face
but everytime I reach for you
you say you don't want me to - you say
don't
don't hold my hand
you don't understand
don't push too hard
don't go too far - don't

you don't seem to be concerned
when you make my body burn
you don't want to torture me
it's just a little purgatory
I don't want to call you names
you insist on playing games
when I try to state my case
you just put me in my place -- you say
don't
will you walk with me
will you talk with me
open your heart
and be human to me
it's not fantasy
it's reality
This need for you that's
Consuming me.

I don't want to tempt no fate
you just won't communicate
when I try some sympathy
You just turn your back on me
You say don't


Black & Blue

Hey, hey one fine day
you're going away ooh
what do you say, little girl.

Yeah it's you I'm talkin' to
tell me what right have you
to leave me black and blue.

You say nothing lasts forever
no never, ever, ever
but the goods you got
oh God, you know it's hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.
Ooh, it's hot.

That's right it's black and white
you're saying day is night
But you leave me black and blue.

You say nothing's everlasting
and that love is just the last thing
that you feel you want.
You know you got
You know it's hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

We'll I've tried to make it on my own
But I just can't leave your love alone.

Maybe just maybe, I'll get it sometime
from a boat or a plane or a magical sign
Send me the pieces, that make up my heart
I'll put them together, a part by a part by ....

Hey you I'm talking to,
Tell me what right have you
to leave me black and blue
yeah what right have you, what right
to leave me black and blue
you wanna fight
you're saying day is night
you leave me black
bring back the pieces that make up my heart
and I'll put them together, a part by a part by a...

Hey you I'm black and blue.


Beautiful Day

Four o'clock in the morning
waiting for the light
it's another day dawning
another day
a better life.

Walk out in the morning sun
I'm always going to be
with you

Lay down when your day is done
I'm always going to be
with you.

I don't blame you for crying
no-one else could see
but today we'll be flying
forever you
forever me.

Walk out in the morning sun
I'm always going to be with you
Lay down when your day is done
I'm always going to be
with you

No doubts now we're free to run
I'm always going to be
with you.

It's a beautiful,
Beautiful day....


Why Me?

These are dangerous times
that were living in
and there are dangerous signs
that were giving in to fear
late one night, I'm lying here
I thought I heard a sound.

Tell the mothers and the babes
tell the old, tell the sick they will be safe
get the young males. Tell them to be brave
I was so concerned with saving live
I never saw you pull the knife.

High on the mountains
across seven seas
All of the people
why me, why me?
Do you feel so frustrated
Frightened and feared
answer my question
Why me, why me, why me
why me, why me, why me?

You're such an angry young man
with all your grievances
people don't understand,
they just can't understand
what you must do to stay alive.

So you try to justify
all the violence and hate, before your eyes.
Through the ages better men than you have tried
to give what is not theirs to give
to take the land where others live.

High on the mountains
across seven seas
all of the people why me, why me?
Do you feel so frustrated
frightened and feared
answer my question
why here, why now,
why here, why now, hey here,
why now, why me?

Oh, for now you have the power
the guns and all the swords
but nature has a nasty habit
of balancing her flaws.

Now you may try to break my body
lock me up and throw away the key
but you'll never break my spirit

I'm free!

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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