Search - Outfield :: Any Time Now

Back To The Rhythm That We All Came From.

Jason Stein | San Diego, CA United States | 04/21/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Outfield began as a British trio of Tony Lewis, John Spinks and Alan Jackman and debuted in late 1985 with "Play Deep", an excellent blend of 80's middle of the road, adult oriented rock. In 1987 they released their sophomore effort "Bangin'". In 1989 they release their third cd "Voices Of Babylon". Alan Jackman departed for whatever reason, never to be heard from again. Lewis and Spinks carried on with 1990's "Diamond Days" and 1992's "Rockeye" before disappearing (I'm guessing due to lack of interest by their record company).



14 years on, and now we have "Any Time Now". The track listing posted on Amazon as of this writing is incorrect. It should read:



1. No Fear

2. Wasted

3. This Love Affair

4. Long Walk Back (From Nowhere)

5. I Can't Wait

6. It's All About Love

7. There She Goes

8. The Sound Of Love

9. Give It All You Got

10. Photograph

11. Rainbow's End

12. Peace



Strangely, there were manufacturing issues with my order such as finding two cds in the jewel case, both identical copies. So, I got two copies for the price of one. Also, several tracks during their fade outs are abruptly cut short, which leads me to believe there was a mastering or manufacturing error. It's a mild nuisance, but nothing that ruins the album.



Onto the music...after 14 years The Outfield still consists of Tony Lewis and John Spinks, and they still sound immediately recognizable as The Outfield. However, they have changed, and you can judge for yourself what you think. I felt they have some good songs, but nothing as strong as what was on their first five cds. If I had to pick the best of the dozen tracks it would be "Wasted" with its political slant, "Long Walk Back (From Nowhere)", "It's All About Love", "Rainbow's End" and "Peace". That makes five solid tracks out of twelve. The rest felt like average Outfield leftovers. There's nothing bad about "Any Time Now", but it's not as focused and sharp as their previous work, hence the three star rating. Still, for 14 years, this is pretty good work considering all the changes in the music business since 1992. Hopefully, they will continue and just keep improving--time will tell.



So, if you are a diehard Outfield fan, you will probably like this, otherwise I'd tell you to stick with their greatest hits. I have all six of their albums on cd, plus the greatest hits. It seems that only "Play Deep" and "Bangin'" are available at this time, but I think you can find the rest if you look on Ebay.



As for the alternate version of this cd offered through Tower Records. Be forewarned that it's got a different track listing than the version offered here that I just reviewed. You can find out more on The Outfield's website.



It's good to hear from The Outfield again."

Wish I could rate it higher...

Analog | Planet Earth | 03/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Outfield always will have a special place with me. They are my favorite band for many reasons, but mostly for the nostalgic feeling I get whenever I hear their music. I have loved them since I was just a boy back in the mid 80's, and I don't think music has ever affected me in a more postitve way than the Outfield have, as cheesy as that may be. So you get it, I love the Outfield. Needless to say, I was overly excited when I heard quite awhile back that a new album was in the works. The release of this album was postponed more than a few times, but when it was finally available, I had my copy instantly. First let me clear something up--there are actually two versions of this album, both containing separate songs unique to each album. I originally got the 17 track version which doesn't contain "Wasted", "Long Way Back From Nowhere" (a song worth having for any Outfield fan), "I Can't Wait", or "Peace". When the version featured here was released, I bought it also. The original 17 track album was, as I was informed, a Tower records limited edition, available through the Outfield's website, or Tower's website. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but that doesn't really matter. If you do not have that copy, there are two remixed songs: "Heaven's Little Angel"-groove mix, which is nowhere near as good as the original, and "Tiny Lights"-New Millenium Mix. There are also six other songs: "To Be With You", "Seven Days", "My Old Friend", "Same Old Story", "Two Hearts", and "Broken Heart". Putting both of these versions together, there are 21 new songs here. That's quite a heaping of new Outfield material to absorb. Sadly, most of it is only average. The Outfield are one band that have managed to never change their sound, even 20 years later, and that is wonderful. On "Any Time Now", they sound just as good as they did back in the 80's, but something is missing. The songwriting is just not as strong as it has been in the past. It could be due to the fact that John Spinx was suffering/recovering from liver cancer during the recording of this album, according to the Outfield's website. I can imagine that would take quite a bit out of someone, especially with Spinx being the sole songwriter. The songs aren't bad, but few grabbed me with the force of say, "No Point", "Since You've Been Gone", "The Night Ain't Over", or even "Dance the Night Away". Most of the material on here is just Outfield filler. It is ok, just not awesome. There are, however, three songs on here that you must hear if you're any kind of Outfield fan. "The Sound Of Love" is a great song, more reminiscent of newer Outfield like "Heaven's Little Angel" and "It's A Crime", an instant lovable Outfield tune. "It's All About Love is another favorite of mine which has the same kind of feel as "The Way It Should Be" off of Rockeye. I also love that song. The third song I really like is "Long Way Back From Nowhere" which features Spinx and Lewis both on vocals, something you don't often hear from the Outfield. That is also a great song. The rest are average. Of course, everyone's different, so what I have said may not apply to you. At any rate, if you're obsessed with the Outfield like I am, you'll probably want to get both versions. If you're a fan, get the 12 track version, and for the less than casual fan, you really don't need this album, stick with Rockeye and before. I'm glad to see my favorite band still making music, though!"

"It's All About Love"-The Outfield.

Analog | 02/03/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"14 years is a long time break,it is a wellcome back with a bang!My favourite song is track 6:"It's all about love",should have been the title of the album.Time may have passed but the band have not forgotten their roots,fans or tempted to change direction.Typical Outfield music that made them famous in the 80s & much more.Other powerful songs include "wasted","sound of love","photograph","rainbow's end" and "peace".Regrettably I don't know or understand why the album is titled "Any Time Now"."