Customer Reviews

Mike & Mechanics

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the better albums to come out in the 80's.
After a long string of successful Genesis albums guitarist and co-founding member Mike Rutherford released this side project Mike and the Mechanics.
Stepping out from the shadow of frontman and lead vocalist Phil Collins, Rutherford proves he's more than just the big tall guitarist of the group.
He along with Christopher Neil (who also produced the album) and B.A. Robertson write some great songs on this 80's treasure. One song was co-written by Genesis bandmates Collins and Tony Banks "A Call to Arms" probably mean't for a past or future Genesis release.
The Mechanics very talented lineup consists of Ace, Squeeze, and solo artist Paul Carrack who shares the vocal duties with the late Paul Young. Rounding out the band is Peter Van Nooke on drums, Adrian Lee on keyboards and Rutherford on guitar and bass.
The disc opens with the catchy sci-fi themed "Silent Running". It is one of many well written songs on the disc. Other memorable tracks on the CD are; "All I Need is a Miracle" and "Taken In".
One of my favorite tracks is "Hanging By A Thread". It is one of the more harder edged tracks on the disc. I also enjoyed "Par Avion". This album is probably the best of the group's later releases.
Rutherford scores big with this release. He succeeds unlike many artist who decide to do solo projects away from their respective popular bands. He has put together a disc with well written and catchy material with very talented musicians. It's a great disc.

Brilliant--one of the best of its type and era. Original songwriting, dominant singer, polished musicianship. Creative arrangements, excellent "tunes", restrained but tasty instrumental work, in song after song. The tracks are anything but repetitious, and each one could be a lesser group's masterpiece. These are the kind of songs that get into your brain and may even begin to annoy with their persistence...

Other reviewers who do not acknowledge the musical genius displayed on this album have some philosophical/emotional prejudice against this type of music. Maybe they can't get the songs out their heads and they are annoyed. You might put this disk in the same category as Foreigner's stuff...but this has a harder edge, and displays much better musical talent.

You will hear these songs played on "soft rock", "adult contemporary", w/ organ, guitar, synth horns and strings etc. But the truth is, it's just great music. Most listeners will recognize many of the songs here, and be surprised that MatM are the ones who did it.

"Silent Running" was probably overplayed on radio in the mid-80s. But its mysterious, futuristic theme is still fascinating, and very "hummable".

"All I need is a Miracle" has a novel chord structure and a grabbing melody--especially in the chorus.

"Hanging by a thread" has a driving beat and aggressive vocals, with a haunting refrain.

"I get the Feeling" is perhaps the least memorable song but it is tolerable--heavy on synthed organ voices.

"A Call to Arms" and "Taken In" are top numbers. Very original works.

This is not a lightweight album, but it is much more accessible than some of Mike Rutherford's work with Genesis...which was also suberb. But this music is supremely likeable. You will listen to it many more times than some of your other "heavy" or "artsy" stuff.

1985's "Mike + The Mechanics" isn't really guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford's first solo project---it's his third---but it is the first release under the group name, which became Rutherford's successful solo project outside of his main band, Genesis. With lead vocals by Paul Carrack and Sad Cafe's Paul Young, this album is a wonderfully catchy disc of excellent, melodic 80's pop/rock. The pair of Top Ten hits, the spacey "Silent Running," and the finger-snapping "All I Need Is A Miracle," are both M+M staples, but there are other great songs like the beautiful "Par Avion" & "Taken In" (which was a minor hit), the hard-rocking "Hanging By A Thread" & "Take The Reins," and the marvelous "A Call To Arms," which actually started out as a Genesis song, co-written by bandmates Phil Collins & Tony Banks, but Rutherford ultimately saved it for his own album. "Mike + The Mechanics" is a terrific album, one of Mike Rutherford's best offerings as a solo artist, and one of the 80's finest albums.

Mike and the Mechanics put out a great pop album in 1985. They can talk about Silent Running, which kind of borrows a bit from A Flock of Seagulls I Ran So Far Away in the keyboard eerieness. Very '80s a song to me. And I've heard All I Need Is A Miracle maybe 80 to 100 times that it's crazy, and it's a good song too.
But no one bothers to mention the other top 40 hit from this album "Taken In." It's such perfect pop songcraft to me, from the bridges,to the saxophone solo, to the two "I don't believe it/ believe It" sections. To me, that's their finest performance out of all of their albums! Sounds like they recorded the song in ONE TAKE, because the musicianship is solid. They played it heavily in December 1985, then I never heard it afterwards. I could talk about that song for days, maybe more than their most famous hit "The Living Years." It might have peaked in the mid 20s in 1985-1986, but it could have gone to No. 4, 5 or even No.1.
The rest of the album is just as strong and artistic, and balances well with the 3 hits that came for it. Mike Rutherford proved that he could have hits outside of Genesis with this band.

I bought this album (even though it came out long before I was a pop music fan, I was born in 1981) because I have heard "All I Need Is A Miracle" (a fantastic song that just about captures my success at love) and "Silent Running" on radio stations that still play '80's songs. The rest of the album is great. I love "Par Avion," "I Get The Feeling," and "Taken In" as well. There's not a bad song in the album, and the lyrics of Paul Carrack and Paul Young are great. Genesis proved to the be genesis of quite a few great singers/bands-Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel as well as this. I would put this band on a level with Phil Collins, and that is a great compliment to both. This album rocks!

A trend that emerged in the mid 1980s was the emergence of the Supergroup. The term Supergroup refers to a group that is formed by multiple members that have achieved success in other groups. Probably the most popular of the Supergroups was The Power Station (Robert Palmer, Tony Thompson of Chic, John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran). Other examples included Asia and the Traveling Wilburys. However for all practical purposes, it was The Power Station that put the term Supergroup on the map. Supergroups are formed for many reasons: Supergroups such as The Power Station and The Traveling Wilburys were basically formed to be (originally) one time efforts. Other groups such as Asia were formed following the demise of other bands. And yet others are formed as "side projects". Some people tend to forget when it comes to Mike + The Mechanics that they are a Supergroup. The band was formed as a side project by Genesis Guitar and Bass player Mike Rutherford. This side project would lead to commercial and critical success. And although Mike + The Mechanics didn't maintain their commercial success throughout the 90s, they have managed to keep this side project going for nearly two decades.

Mike Rutherford had done some solo work, but not achieved much commercial success. In 1985, he formed his "side project" Mike + The Mechanics and self-titled debut album. When his main band, Genesis would enter the 1980s, each of the members of the band were beginning to explore other avenues and do "their own thing" in between albums. Most notably, it was Phil Collins' solo career that was taking off. This provided Rutherford the opportunity to explore his own options. For his "side project", Rutherford would recruit two lead vocalists to sing the words for his music - one being Squeeze lead vocalist Paul Carrack. The other lead vocalist would be Sad Cafe's Paul Young (not the pop-star Paul Young). While Rutherford would handle Guitars and Bass, he would also recruit keyboard player Adrian Lee and Drummer Peter Van Hooke. One thing I really like is how producer Christopher Neil seems to line-up Carrack and Young to alternate appropriate lead vocals. Carrack tends to deliver the more intense vocals while Young focuses on the passionate vocals. Adrian Lee's keyboards are underrated - he does a great job.

As for the building of this album, Rutherford brings in Christopher Neil and B.A. Robertson to handle the songwriting chores with him. Rutherford is credited with songwriting on each of the nine tracks. Neil and/or Robertson share the songwriting duties with Rutherford. It is worth noting that "A Call to Arms" is a song that was written by Rutherford with his Genesis band mates (Collins and Banks) - Neil and Robertson also participate to some extent on that song.

The songwriting on this album is top-notch. "Mike + The Mechanics" is best known for the three singles that were released from this collection: "All I Need is a Miracle", "Taken In", and "Silent Running". The songs "All I Need is a Miracle" and "Taken In" are pop songs. "All I Need is a Miracle" was a Top 10 hit and "Taken In" was a Top 40 hit. While "Miracle" was the most successful track on this collection, I actually felt it was relatively the weakest (compared to the others). It isn't a very complex song, however it is a "fun" song. You can hear Young's passion on this song. "Taken In" is a softer song that discusses someone who has been deceived many times, but now no longer is going to fall prey to deception. It's the most underrated of the three songs that were released.

It was the first of these three singles that really launched the success of Mike + The Mechanics - that song was "Silent Running". This song was a Top 10 hit, but probably is one of the deepest tracks on the album. This song deals with a man who is on the run and is worried about the safety of his family. In a lot of ways, this song almost was a prototype for the sound that would be heard on later works such as "We Can't Dance" and "Calling All Stations". This collection contains the full version of "Silent Running" - much better than the shortened radio-edit version heard on radio. Carrack delivers the perfect intensity for both "Taken In" and "Silent Running".

While Rutherford and company clearly establish their own footing with this collection, the strongest song still is the contribution from Genesis - "A Call to Arms". This song deals with those being called to defend a cause. I think this is one of the best songs that Carrack and Young actually work the vocals together;. Carrack delivers the lead vocals with the high level of intensity that is needed for this song. However it's Young coming in with the passionate background vocals - namely "Sweet Avalon - the heat is on". The song almost has a mantra-like quality in the chorus.

The great thing about this album is that every song is really good. "Par Avion" and "You are the One" have both a gentle, yet haunting feel. "Hanging by the Thread" has more of a harder rock edge with some nice harmonies. "I Get the Feeling" almost has a feel for being a Carrack solo song - this is a definite "feel good" song. "Take the Reins" has Young delivering more intense vocals, but in a lot of ways - between the harmonies and guitar solo it gives sort of a Doobie Brothers feel.

The only disappointment that I have on this album are the liner notes. There was were no lyrics included - and that is a shame because album has strong lyrics and it would have complimented this collection. This is an outstanding debut album. This album seems to get lost in the portfolio of great albums from the 1980s. This is highly recommended.

The first, and one of the best, "Mike & the Mechanics" from start to finish is a masterpiece worth the attention. I couldn't put it down once I started listening to it, every song on here is a hit! Here's my overview of the album:

Silent Running- New wave sound, Carrack's vocals are perfect for this track. Lyrics about secret revolution. Best song on the album.
All I Need is a Miracle- Remember this song? The upbeat melody and catchy lyrics? It's all here! Paul Young was the best choice to sing this one!
Par Avion- Soft love song, calm and sweet. I don't know who is singing this one, but the vocals are just beautiful.
Hanging by a Thread- Rocker song added in some electronic sound along with Young's powerful vocals. Lyrics about a bad dream dealing with execution.
I Get the Feeling- A good-feeling song with upbeat melodies. Not my personal favorite.
Take the Reins- Another upbeat rocker featuring Young once again, it kinda gets old fast, but that's just my take.
You are the One- That voice again! Who is it? Simple keyboard is all that plays on this track, a simple little love song.
A Call to Arms- Yes, this is a winner. Another new wave inspired song with a hint of rock topped off with Carrack's unforgettable voice. The lyrics deal with calling people to take up arms and fight the enemy. This one you can't pass up.
Taken In- Now this is truly one of my favorites. Upbeat tempo slow-rock song featuring Young's vocals. Sexy saxophone in this song makes it one of the best! It adds to the final touch, good ending song!

The only flaw with this album is that it only has 9 tracks and I wished there could've been more. With that said, I recommend this album if you enjoy Genesis, Mike Rutherford's work, love the sound of the 80's, or you want to relive the good old days. This album is one the best!

This self-titled debut album from Mike + the Mechanics was released in 1985. It consists of nine tracks. Overall, I find the songwriting to be gratifying, the musicianship to be solid, and the sound quality to be pleasing. The material is in a pop musical direction. The lead vocals are handled by Paul Young and Paul Carrack. While the keyboards play a predominant role throughout, there is only minimal guitar work. I like all of the songs. Examples of some of the ones that I enjoy are "Silent Running," "All I Need Is a Miracle," "Par Avion," "Hanging by a Thread," "You Are the One," and "Taken In." The album commences with "Silent Running," a composition featuring ambient, engaging keyboard playing and noteworthy, polished, and interesting-sounding guitar soloing; this tune also exhibits a nicely constructed, memorable intro--consisting solely of attractive, airy keyboard work--and a curious, unexpected conclusion. "All I Need Is a Miracle" is a pleasant, upbeat piece with a striking refrain. "Par Avion," a gentle and pretty ballad, displays smooth and charming lead vocals and atmospheric keyboard playing. The energetic "Hanging by a Thread" sports impressive harmony vocals, while the appealing ballad "You Are the One" presents graceful keyboard work and sleek, earnest lead vocals, and the soothing ballad "Taken In," the final track, features encompassing, serene keyboard playing. The CD insert does not include the song lyrics. The disc is just over 40 minutes. This self-titled debut album from Mike + the Mechanics is recommendable.

Phil Collins may have been the first member of Genesis to master the pop art form, but he was by no means the only one. Teaming up with songwriters Christopher Neil and B.A. Robertson, Mike Rutherford scored big with the debut Mike and the Mechanics album.

Every song on the album has something going for it. There's wry humor ("I Get the Feeling"), pathos ("You Are the One"), anger ("Hanging By a Thread"), rock ("Take the Reins"), and a hint of sci-fi with "Silent Running." "All I Need Is a Miracle" is a quintessential 80's pop song, back when music was fun and was actually *music* (as opposed to corporate programmed dance beats or bands whose guitar players know only one chord).

Those who refuse to accept anything from a Genesis member that is not "progressive" will, of course, absolutely hate this one. For the rest of us, those of us who appreciate good music no matter what its form, this is an album to enjoy over and over.

Surprisingly the popular British group, Genesis, disbanded and they all went on their individual ways. The most famous member is Phil Collins but there is Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford who formed his own group, Mike and the Mechanics. This compilation is the first record of the group I believe. Their songs have a soothing, calm, inspirational effect on me while I listen driving my car. I used to listen to this tape of the same album at work. There were only about 9 or 10 songs on albums as well as tapes. Now, there is double of it. Listening to it entirely this morning, I enjoyed every song with it's unique sound and blend of style. I felt like this music is poetry with lyrics and an eighties sound that I truly feel has gone away. Music in the eighties weren't just about MTV and videos but about messages about love, relationships, individuality, politics, social issues, etc. They don't make that kind of music anymore for the upcoming generation and it's a shame. During the eighties, I listened and watched all kinds of videos by different artists. I miss that world of MTV where music and videos ruled the airwaves. Listening to Mike and the Mechanics, I am nostalgic for those days of youth long past behind me.