Yikes...I'm only at the halfway point of March. So many more albums to listen to before we get anywhere close to 365 consecutive Retro Spins posts.
Formed in 1978, Moving Pictures had mild success with their hit, What About Me? The song peaked on the Billboard charts at number twenty-nine, and overall, remained on the Billboard for twenty-six weeks. The song would return to the charts in 1989, where it peaked at number forty-six, and remained there for an additional seventeen weeks. That's in addition to the song peaking at number one on the Kent Music Report, the Australian equivalent to Billboard.
Formed in Sydney, Australia, the group featured Charlie Cole on keyboards and trumpet, Paul Freeland on drums, Garry Frost on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, Ian Lees on bass guitar, Alex Smith on vocals and guitar, and Andrew Thompson on saxophone. This lineup would record their 1982 debut, but Freeland would exit in 1982, and Mike Meyer joined for 1983's Matinee.
Before we go any further, we'll actually rewind back to their debut, which is what's getting fired up today for Retro Spins.
In general, it felt like a generic rock album. Here today, gone tomorrow kind of tracks. But, then out of nowhere comes a tune like Bustin Loose, which showcases the bands ability to craft a rock opera type track. Not long, or story driven, but mixed in styles that bring you in and out as you rise and fall with it. Hard rocking shredding guitars at one moment with energetic vocals akin to that of heavy metal, only to flow back down to melodic pianos with smooth and soothing singing. I tried to ignore the song as it played, wanting to write the album off as a one hit wonder, but it just kept pulling me back in.
Overall, the album wasn't without its charm, and I did end up grabbing a few for my shuffle list. However, this is by no means a "must own" record. It has its hit, and a few stand out tracks, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend rushing out to grab this one unless you absolutely need to own every song you know from the 80's - Like apparently I do. Even then, this one stayed on my want list for a long time before finally being brought into the fold.
As for Moving Pictures, they went rather dormant after their 1983 follow up. Frost would leave in 1984, stating the band had lost direction. The group replaced him temporarily with Joey Amenta, and replaced Amenta permanently with Kevin Bennette in 1985.
The Last Picture Show, and 1987 live album, would be the last from the band until 2015's Picture This. However, this would not be recorded with the 1987 lineup, as Bennette would depart shortly after the '87 album was released. Nor would it reunite any prior members who left the group throughout the 80's. Since its release, Thompson would also leave the band in 2016.
What Moving Pictures is up to these days, I've honestly no clue, thought their Wiki page states they remain active as of 2023.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS March 17, 1984 |
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