Customer Reviews

Midnight Cafe (Reis)

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

 

 

This is probably the best Smokie album. It contains such classics like: Poor Lady, Wild Wild Angels and I'll Meet You At Midnight. Smokie was wildly popular in Europe in late seventies, early eighties, but almost completely unknown in US.

This was a great album released in the mid 70's. Unfortunately, the CD release has different tracks than the original Canadian version. Tracks 1-6 are the same, 7-10 must be a European release. 'Living Next Door to Alice' is not found on the CD, which was on the original release, amongst others that are also great songs. I'd like to find the original version.

Midnight Café has some of the best Smokie tracks that fans will want. It would have been nice if the album had some of the alternative versions of Living Next Door to Alice. But overall, Smokie fans won't be disappointed with this album.

For those raised in parts of the world outside US, Smokie was one of the better melodic rock bands from the mid- and late-70s that had the hooky sweetness to compete with the pop sounds of Abba, Boney M, Bee Gees, Pussycat etc. Still, for me, the harder, darker, rocking "Stranger" (slightly reminiscent of the dark melodic rock of the Eagles' "Witchy Woman" and "One of these Nights,") remains the band's best recording and a real classic, complete with one of the most memorable rock guitar solos. Add to that "What Can I Do," and I can't figure out why these two classics have not made it on to any of the 20 plus Smokie compilation albums doing the rounds. Unfortunately, Smokie is now a nostalgic figure and, as their individual albums do not sell well, there is no cheap used copy of this album available. Sigh! I'll just have to listen to "Stranger" on songza for now, I guess. For half the money, one can buy a triple album compilation with all the other best toons (except the two mentioned above).

A few words in response to canadian reviewer although he was writing his review 5 years ago. Smokie was (and even still IS) a British band. Hence their original label releases on RAK records for UK and european markets are supposed to be ORIGINAL. And THAT was the original UK LP release way back in 1976. Along with "The Montreux Album" this is the best album in their career. No, Sir, you won't find "the original" canadian release only because it does not exist in CD format. But you can burn it down yourself utilizing this plus some compilations. Yes, tracks 1-6 are the same but you made a minor mistake saying that tracks 7-10 were on european release only. Many years ago I was holding in my hands that canadian LP - tracks 7 and 9 were also included on canadian LP which contained only 9 tracks, although the original should have 10. Yes, their greatest hit "Living Next Door To Alice" can't be found here because originally it was a single only song. But it can also be found on numerous compilations. "I'll Meet You at Midnight", "Little Lucy" and greatest "What Can I Do" (composed and sung by Alan Silson) were not included in canadian version. And this is significant in my opinion. All in all - regardless the version you own this is a great album. I wish japanese addictors will release this whenever in digitally remastered mini-LP paper sleeve collectors edition plus all their classic 1975-1978/9 Norman years back catalogue thus giving this poorly known (nowadays) band treatment it deserves.