The 1981 Listening Post - Jon English - In Roads

 Jon English - In Roads

#694

February 8 1981

Jon English

In Roads

Genre: Rock

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Been in Love Before

The Shining

This is the seventh record by Australian recording artist English and it sounds like Joe Cocker, Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart had a baby.

English’s version of “Straight from the Heart” isn’t a cover. He recorded it 2 years before Adams put it on vinyl. How he got a hold of that Canadian’s song in Australia is beyond me. Wait for Bryan’s version. English’s is more angry but Bryan’s is kinder.

Hard anyone else written a song as descriptive about a book as English did in “The Shining”? 

This is pretty straight forward and dynamic rock of the 80s. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/in-roads/550433291

The 1980 Listening Post - Jon English - Calm Before the Storm

Jon English - Calm Before the Storm 

April 1980

Jon English

Calm Before the Storm

Genre: Rock

3.75 out of 5

Highlights: 

Survivor

Jon English is, by this time, a stalwart on the Aussie rock scene. There isn’t a style he can’t play in and he crafts perfectly okay songs in each idiom.

He’s like the Australian Steve Miller, in a way. All the way to the New Wave garbage like “Abracadabra”. In this case, “Down in Frisco”, which is a disco tune. In 1980. It’s timing is perfect and I think it could’ve been played on the same stations as Queen in 1980.

It wouldn’t’ have been a hit or anything but it might have gotten some play.

The rest of the album is a little too groovy for my tastes. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/calm-before-the-storm/603384863