Customer Reviews

1st

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When Steve Walsch wandered away form Kansas and formed this band, I don't think he knew what the legacy would be. There are those of us out here, that have been Streets fans, since this album was released. The opening track of "If Love Should Go", was originally released on the radio when I was in college. We used to call and request it all the time. Cold Hearted Woman is sung by Billy Greer (now the bass player for Kansas), and is not only a strong tune, but shows how powerful his vocal is. My favorite track on this CD is "Fire". It has the most kick butt guitar and keyboard riffs I've heard in years. Still one of my top 10 favorite songs of all time. I'm glad these CDs have been released, because they've never been released legally in the US. I've had several CDR version and they've never sounded true to the album. I've very happy that they've finally been released for public consumption! Give them a try, especially if you are a City Boy fan (Mike Slamer is from this progressive rock band), or a Kansas fan. Enjoy!

I dug Steve Walsh and Kansas big time when I was back in school. I picked up the Streets album "1st" as soon as it came out, and was blown away by the riffs, the songs, the vocals, the 80's power. If you are not dancing and singing in the driver's seat during "If Love Should Go" or playing power-air-chords during "Move On", then you are somehow soul-less. Just kidding. Take a chance on this CD!

Suffice it to say, Steve Walsh's voice is unique. His range, power and unique tones in his upper range have always impressed me. While I enjoy his work with Kansas, Streets was always a real treat to hear his vocals over a heavier rock accompaniment. I wore the cassette out years ago, so I was real excited to find it released on CD. It's a favorite. I saw Streets live in Monroeville, PA. Their live performance was as powerful as their studio work. The CD brings back a lot of great memories, and it reminds me of how much I've enjoyed Walsh's work with and without Kansas. This is no way is intended to disregard the other members of Streets or Kansas as fine musicians. Walsh's voice has always been unique to me. Now with the CD and my iPOD, these great tunes can be a part of my collection indefinitely. Sweet!

I saw Streets as an opening band to Loverboy early in their first tour. They blew Loverboy off the stage! My friend and I were off to the record store to buy the cassette the next day. In my opinion (and my friends still to this day) this is one of the best rock albums ever made. It's unfortunate this band wasn't properly promoted by the record company (THEY DID NOT SUPPORT THIS BAND BECAUSE THEY WERE COMFY WITH KANSAS' PLATINUM SALES) That show was one of the most awesome powerful rock shows I ever saw (and I saw plenty). I'm so glad it has been released on CD!!! Do yourself a favor and BUY THIS!!!

this record is the best one by streets,
I remember when this came out,I went out
to the record store and bought it fast so
I could hear steves great and strong voice,
it was very impressive and so was mike slamers guitar
work,this is what got me into mike slamers guitar
playing,this has some of the best songs you could
ever hear,go out and buy this cd,you will love it.

Ok...It sounds a bit dated now, with the 80's synth sound and Van Halenesque guitar, but there are a handful of classic Steve Walsh vocals to be cherished here. "If Love Should Go", "Move On" and "One Way Street" all shine. And "Fire" is an absolute rock epic.

As far as the sound. It is very good. Heavy on the low frequency and nice highs for good cranking.

If you like Kansas' art rock sound with less of the art and more of the rock, give this a try.

Ps. Crimes In Mind...the next release by Streets is also worth picking up. Both of these will most likely be out of print again soon.

Great Job Steve!

I just bought this cd recently. I remember hearing if love should go on the radio several times and liked the song. Lonely woman's cry is the second best song on the cd. All tracks are good and have a harder edge to them than most Kansas cd's. It's not a great cd but good. It had some different stuuf on it for the time. I think it compares favorably with the Kansas cd Power but is a little harder edge rock wise flavor to it. It sounds better on a really good cd player not that it has bad sound but it brings out the good parts of the cd better than a boom box.

I loved it when this album came out. I was playing all over the northeast in a rock band called TransAtlantique, and these songs were featured, If Love Should Go, and Move On were always fun to do. OK, it's debatable whether it's better than Kansas, but I thought it had more of a punch. I just loved their sound, and as someone stated, it was a crime that record companies ignored them because of label politics. Glad to see this is in release again. DC

I knew what I was getting here, as I had the vinyl version years ago. Three good, rocking songs, and the balance a step down from those.

Originally released in 1983, 1st was the (you guessed it) first album from AOR band Streets, which was formed by vocalist Steve Walsh after he left his long-time band Kansas. Walsh was joined by bassist Billy Greer, guitarist Mike Slamer (of City Boy) and drummer Tim Gehrt.

Streets was very much a product of its time. AOR was huge, with bands like Journey and Foreigner dominating the airwaves, so Walsh and company moved away from their progressive rock roots and tried their hand at that kind of radio-friendly melodic rock, and the result is just incredible. 1st is an incredibly catchy album with a solid hard rock punch. Slamer is a fantastic guitarist and songwriter, and he came up with some great hooks and melodies here that are perfectly complemented by Walsh's smooth and powerful vocals. Opening single "If Love Should Go" is a highlight, as is the more rocking closer "Fire," but honestly there's not a weak song to be found here.

If you're a fan of the classic `80s AOR/melodic rock sound, this Streets album (as well as 1985's Crimes in Mind) is an absolute must have release. Kansas fans may find it too radio-friendly, but fans of Journey, Foreigner, Aldo Nova and the like should absolutely love 1st. AOR doesn't get much better than this.

Edition Notes: Wounded Bird reissued 1st in 2002, and while it's definitely good that they got this too long out of print album back into circulation, it's a pretty bare-bones reissue. No remastering, no bonus tracks, nothing much in the liner notes. I'd love to see a label like Rock Candy do a proper reissue of both Streets albums.