Customer Reviews

Neruda

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Red Rider scored a major hit single with the great "Lunatic Fringe" prior to their 1983 release "Neruda", however, this album was their most mature, stronger overall set of straight ahead rockers with an excellent songwriting flair penned by leader Tom Cochrane. Cochrane's raspy but smooth delivery is superb throughout as the album's first four songs are coordinated one right after the other with blitzing power, style and some frills. The surreal, subtle and smooth guitar intro by the lead guitar of Ken Greer in "Light In The Tunnel" suddenly explodes in "Power" with great musical cohesion by the whole band. The fantastic "Human Race" takes off with a great guitar riff by Greer combined with the depth of Cochrane's vocal delivery. Jeff Jones' nice thumping bass line sets the table for the excellent, kickin' "Can't Turn Back". The mood shifts a little with a slower moving, but well crafted "Napoleon Sheds His Skin" as Cochrane's vocals again shine. The rest of the album is just a little bit uneven but there are some very fine highlights with the cool "Winner Take All", "Walking The Fine Line" and "Crack The Sky" (Breakaway").

The CD also contains 3 bonus tracks. "Light In The Tunnel/Human Race" is a different version combining these 2 great songs instead of "Light In The Tunnel/Power" as on the original album and also works very well. Two of their most popular songs finish the CD, the excellent "White Hot" and the classic "Lunatic Fringe".

This is an interesting album worth owning as you will find yourself really getting charged up from it after multiple listenings. Enjoy!

This Cd is one definatly for the Collection. To Me this
is Red Rider At It's musically gifted best. Tom Cochrane's
vocals just exploded on sesational tracks like
"POWER(Strength In Numbers) CAN'T TURN BACK, And
NAPOLEIN SHEADS HIS SKIN. The power chords and just the
sheer intensity of the group at it's prime here can
easliy be recognized as a classic rock recording
Canadian style. Along with Bryan Adams's RECKLESS(1984)
AND Rush's 2112(1976) Red Rider's NERUDA(1983) has to be one of

the best examples of how great Canadian Music is and
how such memorable songs can stand the test of time.

I first heard Red Rider in the late '70's and wound up taping Neruda off the air, as radio stations used to play an entire albumn late on Friday night. I really loved the entire albumn but never did buy it until many years later I found it in the bargin bin, on vinyl, for $2.00. I couldn't believe how much I had missed listening to that inferior tape. There are things going on in the background that I had never heard clearly before. When Neruda came out on CD, I bought it immediately and was happy to have White Hot and Lunatic Fringe included (from earlier Red Rider albumns) on it. Each time I listen to it, I pick up something new. The production is excellent, but the music and lyrics are incredible. Ken Greer is a wonderful guitar player but the whole band was strong, expecially songwriter/singer Tom Cochrane. If I had to pick only one albumn to live with forever, this would definitely be it. It is different, unique, but ultimately it is a classic that causes you to think.

Listen to the song POWER! A song that gives you a different look at a jumper (suicide) "Look! Up on the building, you see a silhouette. The crowd looks hungry, 'cuz he ain't jumped yet! Man upon the tower, looks big up there, he's got somethin' extra, I wonder if he's scared."

You'll get goosebumps.

A must have addition to anybody's music library who doesn't want the "love, love love" lyrics throughout their collection.

If I was forced to give up all my cds except one this may be the keeper. I like all of Red Riders and Tom Cochrane's music but this one stands out. All the songs on Neruda fit so well together and all the songs are great especially" Nepolian Sheds His Skin".Give it a try.

Ah, nostalgia. Thats where you take out the bad parts and leave in all the good parts. This recording is a personal favorite of mine so I will try not to taint it with personal rememberances.
Red Ryder definatly has a distinctive sound. It is not for everyone. When I got this album I hated it at first but then I gave it some time and it has become one of my all time favorites.
It harkens back to the days when listening to an album was an event. You ran home from the store got out your headphones and let it rip all the while it is playing you are reading the liner notes. But I digress. If you have been recommended to buy/listen to this album I suggest you give it a try.

Red Rider was a Canadian band from the early 80's. They were headed by Tom Cochrane who later went on to a moderately successful solo career. They recorded 4 albums and have lots of compiliation albums. This is their third album.

In the early 80's, corporate rock (Eagles, Foriegner, etc.) was dying and progressive/art rock was dead. Disco and New Wave/Punk were the rage. Disco was evolving beyond the BeeGees and merging with New Wave and Electronica.

In the early eighties there were a number of straight ahead rock bands pushing back on the Disco/New Wave sound, but still incorporating some elements of the sound...shorter songs, electronic rhythms and keyboards. These bands all had a similar sound (Red Rider, INXS, the Fixx, etc.). Red Rider and the Fixx almost sounded like the same band at times. But, Red Rider was always the better band.

There are some great songs on this ablum with more depth than was usual in the early 80's. The guitars just soar through the songs. But not every song is perfect and a few of them drag. This is close to a 5 star CD but not quite. Some of the early albums may be better (but I haven't heard them all the way through).

Note that this album is only available as an expensive import CD. It used to be available in a domestic budget priced version. It had three bonus tracks. A remix of Light in the Tunnel/Human Race that wasn't anything special. It also had the two hits from the earlier albums: White Hot and Lunatic Fringe.

This cd rocks. It has some great songs on it. My favorite songs are Light In The Tunnel/Human Race, Can't Turn Back, Napoleon Sheds His Skin & Lunatic Fringe. My favorite track is Light In The Tunnel/Human Race I remember seeing the video for this on MTV back 1983 and loved it. The two songs together make for one of my all time favorite songs. While Human Race did get some airplay on the radio it was never a top 40 hit. But it should have been. So sould have Lunatic Fringe when it was out in 1981. Can't Turn Back was the second single but didn't get much airplay. This cd has three bonus tracks which are Light In The Tunnel/Human Race, White Hot(From the Don't Fight It cd), Lunatic Fringe(from the Neruda cd).

Those Canucks scored again with Neruda! I guess the long cold winters gave them plenty of time to perfect their craft. CRACK THE SKY is probably one of the best deep tracks ever. Add that to the hits HUMAN RACE & POWER and you have a must for any rock fans collection. Neruda is a prime example of the supremacy Canada showed in the Rock arena during the 80's

I don't know another person that owns this cd and I know a lot of music fans. It's a damn shame too, cause this is one great, great album. I bought it 15 years ago on vinyl for 50 cents because of the cool cover, and it's been a favorite ever since. Superb songwriting and great lyrics. The sound and music of course sounds pretty dated, but doesn't take away from the songs. The inclusion of Lunatic Fringe on the cd version is a very happy bonus. I'd compare this to the likes of U2's Unforgettable Fire. It comes very close to attaining that kind of emotional pop perfection, only nobody really noticed.