Customer Reviews

Searchers

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Original Searchers John MacNally and John Pender were the core of the original incarnation of The Searchers, playing on such classic songs as "Needles and Pins" and "Sweets for My Sweet." Frank Allan had been in the band from the late sixties on. Even if the hits had long stop coming, The Searchers soldiered on. Then, it seems, time caught up with them again. Their brand of jangle pop had been flaunted by everyone from Tom Petty to REM, and in 1980, Sire Records (home to Talking Heads, Ramones, etc) signed them for a new album.

The resulting "The Searchers" was a total surprise. Instead of reviving old hits or trying to chamge their sound, the band carefully selected modern songs from current writers and claimed them as their own. The biggest shocker was "Hearts In Her Eyes," written by Will Birch and John Wicks for English new wavers The Records' second album. It is the album's best song by a huge margin and should have been a comeback hit. The guitar and harmonies were tailor made for The Searchers' brand of music and performance, enough so that this is one of those rare instances where the cover outshines the original.

On other songs, such as Tom Petty's "Lost In Your Eyes" or Mickey Jupp's "Switchbaord Susan" (more famously covered by Nick Lowe), the same formula applies. Overall, this is one of those 60's comeback albums that doesn't fall flat or feel like cheap nostalgia. They followed this album with the equally well done "Love's Melodies" a year later. It's taken them a while to finally see their CD release, and it is well worht getting them if you're an 80's lover.

The Searchers were one of the smartest bands operating in the early sixties. And from Liverpool no less. Also did the refining of their sound in Hamburg. I guess that was sort of a rock university training site. Knockout vocals, twelve string, lead guitar--and the definitive version of any song they touched. They always chose wisely. Even into this record, 1979 Sire. Starts with Hearts In Her Eyes written by The Records team of Will Birch and John Wicks. Then Switchboard Susan by Micky Jupp. The Searchers also have a couple of their own tunes here--This Kind of Love Affair and Don't Hang On--as current as any of the covers on this record. Thumping, fast, and excessively tuneful--The Searchers way. They even pump some life into a Dylan song Coming From the Heart. Also a credible version of Petty's Lost In Your Eyes. Love's Gonna Be Strong by Ronnie Thomas the album closer. Brilliant record. Not noticed enough by the public, but critics certainly loved it. It came right out of the blue. Everyone thought they weren't active anymore, but actually they were touring endlessly in Europe, Scandinavia and Australia. They just kept moving. Then Sire came along and recorded two fabulous albums. This one and Love's Melodies. I recommend them always. I always recommend them.

From the most underrated group on the planet. This is a fine example of the Searchers going through a purple patch. I would have rated this five if it was not for the fact that you can get both this album and Love Melodies both on the same CD under the Sire Sessions - one of the best CDs of the 80's.Great work