Charm Offensive

Steve Barton | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 27, 2004)
• Original Release Date: April 27, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sleepless Records
• ASIN: B0002484CA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #616,938 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Steve Barton not only knows where his music is going, he knows where it comes from. As a founding member of 80s cult favorites Translator, Barton confounded and delighted critics and fans alike by consistently creating songs that not only embraced the excitement of classic pop, but also managed to shine a light on the future. Bands like REM were able to burst through the artistic doors that Translator helped to jimmy open.

Translator was signed to Howie Klein’s 415 Records (along with contemporaries Pearl Harbor & The Explosions and Romeo Void), just as the label itself was being snapped up by Columbia Records. Their debut single, the now classic and ridiculously catchy Everywhere That I’m Not, started a run of great singles and four remarkable albums. Their first two albums were produced by David Kahne, the next two by Ed Stasium. Though their music consistently garnered critic’s top marks, it went largely undiscovered. In 1986 the band – tired, disillusioned, and pulling in different directions – finally called it a day.

For Barton, the years that followed the breakup included intensive writing, both alone and with performers such as John Wesley Harding (their collaboration "Summer Single" can be heard on Harding’s "Pett Levels" CD), playing guitar for hire, and joining with Translator in a one-off reunion. In 2000, he also released his striking solo debut CD The Boy Who Rode His Bike Around The World.

Product Description

Steve Barton has put together a thrilling, punchy band to record his brilliant new disc Charm Offensive. The band features Casey Dolan on guitar, Robbie Rist on drums and Derrick Anderson on bass. Translator drummer Dave Scheff makes an appearance on two numbers. The album was produced by highly esteemed industry veteran Ed Stasium (Ramones, Talking Heads, Smithereens).

The skeleton that holds Charm Offensive together can be found in the truly great pop songs. "When You’re Gone", "Yours To Lose", "Shy", "Hold A Shadow Down" and "Bertha Jane" continue the tradition of classic, hard edged power-pop songwriting that has become Steve Barton’s trademark. Vibrant, uplifting slices of three minute exhilaration combine a heady mix of British Invasion 60s and late 70s new wave, yet are still smart enough to sound completely fresh, completely now.

Fleshing out the body of the disc are arrangements that create depth, from the venomous thrash of "Kiss This", to the muscular, intense balladry of "Monument". "Tina Finds The Silences" is an appropriately edgy, angular and aggressive salute to Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth. Narcolepsy Baby is a perfect McCartney-esque character study - a passionate, evocative vignette. The album closer, "What Treasures I May Find" reveals a gentler, more introspective side to Barton’s craft.

Probably the song that will garner the most interest initially is the sole cover version on the album. The Beatles’ "She’s Leaving Home" has been head-banged into a different shape altogether – assembled into one of the most outrageous re-interpretations of a Beatles song that has ever been digitally encoded.

Ultimately, what makes Charm Offensive a great listen is its depth and variety. The strength is in the songs. Each song stands on it’s own, and each song gets even more satisfying with every spin.

Oh, don’t forget – PLAY LOUD!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong power-pop from former leader of Translator, April 2, 2005

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Charm Offensive (Audio CD)

Barton's tenure with `80s band Translator supplies chiming guitars and angular vocals for this U.S. solo debut, but the New Wave markers are blended smoothly into a revitalized palette of power-pop, with flecks of soul, funk, and psychedelia. Producer Ed Stasium (Smithereens, Ramones) dials up a punchy sound, and Robbie Rist (a/k/a Cousin Oliver) redeems his ruination of The Brady Bunch with tight, powerful drumming.

An on-going fascination with the British Invasion is evident in the original harmony rockers "Bertha Jane" and "Hold a Shadow Down," the Kinks-inspired riff of "When You're Gone," and a head-banging cover of The Beatles' "She's Leaving Home." Barton writes with both the self-doubt and the growing confidence that arrive with age. This is echoed musically in the melancholy baritone guitar of the ballad "Monument" and the propulsive rhythms of "Shy" and "Tina Finds the Silences."

Twenty-years removed from his original spotlight, Barton is fresher and more energized than ever. Fans of his earlier work will hear familiar sounds, but more broadly this is a great spin for anyone who loves power-pop.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ROCKS, sounds like classic Translator, June 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Charm Offensive (Audio CD)

Charm Offensive is Steve Barton through and through. I wish the album was longer though. Hopefully we will not have too wait as long for Steves next Pop masterpiece.
When will TRANSLATOR have their due day, Someone please release Translator,s 4 albums on cd. RHINO or Ryko would be so cool.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploding Surprises!!!!!Charm Offensive, December 11, 2005

By 

J. T. BELK (LAWRENCE, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Charm Offensive (Audio CD)

23 years after the debut of Translator's Hearbeats & Triggers, Steve Barton has emerged with a release of tunes that equal the intensity of the forementioned group's album. Translator was definitely ahead of it's time and Columbia didn't quite know what to do with the band. It's amazing to see Steve's creativity intact. Steve displays he is a power house with strength of young punk while he's entering his 5th decade. I can't single out any of the songs because every track is superb. The 30 second cuts don't do these songs justice. It rocks harder than Translator mainly because Robert Darlington isn't part of the mix. Can't wait to see his band live and hopeful it will get listened to and bought. Steve Barton deserves success with talent like this. Buy It.