Peter Goalby was the lead singer of Uriah Heep, Trapeze and Fable but has now retired from the music industry after a career that also included time working with Shy, Tigertailz, John Parr and Slade. He’d completed work on a solo album ‘Easy With The Heartaches’ but it’s remained unreleased until now. These songs were done in a studio in Wolverhampton with Peter, keyboardist Paul Hodson, and guitarist Eddy Morton [guitar solos]; Robin George also co-wrote three songs and plays guitar on those. Thirty years on this long-lost album has recently been released.
The album opens with ‘Easy With The Heartaches’ which I read somewhere was written with Tina Turner in mind to sing it. It has a captivating chugging guitar which leads us along and the vocals are a real joy to behold. It`s one of those almost larger than life anthems. There`s a guitar solo that introduces us to `Hold The Dream` an upbeat number that relays a positive message of hope with a mid-tempo melodic rock backing.
`I Found Real Love` is a rock ballad with all that you`d expect, synth and keyboard tinges, a beating drum heart, guitar riffs and a superb vocal delivery full of hope and joy. We have a real rock out number in `Chance Of A Lifetime` with an immense vocal and some blistering guitar chord riffs along route.
`Mona Lisa Smile` has a more dreamy vibe which I found quite mesmerising while it`s back to a more anthemic expansive feel with `They’ll Never Find Us (Running For Our Lives)` a song that needs an audience to do it credit.
`I Used To Be Your Lover` is a power ballad of a lost love which I could have imagined being sung in a live situation against a backdrop of lighters being held in the air. Although `Take Another Look` is a mid-paced offering it`s quite reflective and seems to muse on a past situation.
`Perfection` is a quite enthralling melodic number that had me kind of drifting off and thinking about events in my life for some reason. There`s a slight directional change with `I Built This House` which evolved and grew into a bit of a pounding rock toe tapper. At times it felt like it could be a call and response number when played live.
`The Last Time` is an excellent rock aria to close out on. Powerful vocals, catchy chords, pounding drums, a guitar solo and keys all come together for this vibrant submission.
I have said a few times recently that I don`t listen to as much rock music these days as I used to and again ‘Easy With The Heartaches’ is an album that reiterates all that is so good about rock and heavy metal music. It`s a head scratcher as to why this wasn`t released three decades ago as it has everything that you could want. But therein lies the enigma and mystique of it.
If you like your rock with a bit of melody and a slight edge and are a fan of bands such as Europe, Magnum, FM, Foreigner and Def Leppard, then this is an album for you.
Rating 8/10
