The 1981 Listening Post - The Michael Stanley Band - North Coast

 The Michael Stanley Band - North Coast

#299

July 13 1981

The Michael Stanley Band

North Coast

Genre: Rock

4 out of 5

Highlights:

In the Heartland

When Your Heart Says Its Right

Heaven and Hell

Tell Me

Another group that I never heard of before this project. I really enjoyed their 1980 entry and this one…

It’s a lot like the last one. Big rockers, nice sax peppered throughout. I would say that this one feels a little more Power Pop than the last one. “When Your Heart Says Its Right” has Mr. Springfield all over it. And it’s so obvious that Tommy Dobeck is a Max Weinberg kindred spirit. 

It’s interesting to me that Stanley alternates lead vox with Kevin Raleigh, with Stanley even though it’s Michael’s band. Raleigh’s voice is a little glam rock and Stanley’s a little more growly rock. And both work. Well.

This is a solid follow up to the last one, which was a bit of a surprise. Not enough to be a “Discovery” but worth your time if The REO/Spingsteen world is what you’re looking for. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/north-coast-remastered/1100349006

The 1980 Listening Post - The Michael Stanley Band - Heartland

 The Michael Stanley Band - Heartland 

#345

September 8 1980 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Michael Stanley Band

Heartland

Genre: Heartland

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Don’t Stop the Music

He Can’t Love You

Working Again

All I Ever Wanted

New Jersey had Bruce.

Pittsburgh had Iron City Houserockers

Cleveland had The Michael Stanley Band. 

Hear that sax? Sounds like the Big Man, no? You know why? It is the Big Man. I don’t know how that happened, maybe they hired him to come in and E Street them up. Maybe he actually liked the band and wanted to give them some red. I don’t know how these things happen. I do know that he powers the big single “He Can’t Love You”. You know that song. You’ve heard it on FM radio or the Heartland station on Sirius. But I bet if I asked you who it was you wouldn’t name MSB. 

A lot of this falls into the sweet spot in my heart that I have for, say, Bob Seger. A spot that was created by listening to Darkness on the Edge of Town a few too many times. But, it’s there. It’s the spot that wishes I had a pick up truck instead of a minivan. Is it close to Loverboy? Yes. But, it’s better. Just a smidge. And we could all do worse than good Loverboy. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/heartland-remastered/1100352537