Search - Signal :: Loud & Clear

Perhaps the ultimate AOR album

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 10/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After leaving King Kobra, and prior to forming Unruly Child, vocalist Mark Free was involved in the California AOR/melodic rock band Signal, whose sound was the perfect blend of classic AOR artists like Journey and Survivor and newer acts Bad English and Damn Yankees.



Signal's 1989 debut Loud & Clear is an album that, given the musical climate in the late 80's, really should have sold about a billion copies. Think of the really huge AOR acts at that time - Bon Jovi, Bad English, Damn Yankees, and Bad Company - and the albums they were releasing. Loud & Clear is as good if not better than all of them, but sadly failed to gain the attention it deserved. This is just a classy arena rock album with melodies to die for, just enough keyboards, an amazing vocal performance, and the kind of memorable songs that would have fit on just about any 80's movie soundtrack. "Does It Feel Like Love" should have been played every hour of every day on Top 40 radio in 1989, and "Could This Be Love" and "Run Into the Night" would have made great singles as well.



If you're a fan of 80's AOR/melodic rock, Loud & Clear is a must-have album. Fans of Free's work in King Kobra and Unruly Child will probably get the most out of this album, but it really should appeal to any child of the 80's.



Edition Notes: French reissue label Axe Killer reissued Loud & Clear in 2000. The reissue featured digitally remastered sound and expanded liner notes.



Loud & Clear was reissued yet again in 2009, this time by Krescendo. I have no idea how legit this label is, but while the album sounds quite good (it's been remastered), the booklet is essentially a bad color copy of the Axe Killer booklet, complete with dual French/English liner notes. I'm glad the album is back in circulation, but if it walks like a bootleg and quacks like a bootleg...

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