The Left Banke
Strangers on a Train (Voices Calling) - Relix Records - 1978 (86)
Tracks:1. Hold On Tight / 2. Heartbreaker / 3. Lorraine / 4. You Say / 5. And One Day / 6. Queen of Paradise / 7. Only My Opinion / 8. Strangers On A Train / 9. I Can Fly / 10. Yesterday's Love
Comments:
"Strangers on a Train" was The Left Banke's attempt at a comeback in the late 1970s. Four original members were involved in the revival, but the group's main songwriter and arranger, Michael Brown, left the project midway through the recordings and ended up not being credited on the album, although he played piano and mellotron on some of the tracks. The other members Steve Martin, Tom Finn and George Cameron completed the album during 1978 and released the single "Queen of Paradise"/"And One Day". The single was largely overlooked and as the group overall was not entirely satisfied with the album, the release was shelved.
However, the album ended up being released in 1986, in Europe under the title "Voices Calling". By this time, the group had long since disbanded and the album was mainly intended for fans of the group, who were naturally very interested in hearing the whole album.
Although the music does not have quite the same charm as the group's music in the 1960s; especially the excellent 1967 debut album with Michael Brown, there are fine well-composed songs on "Strangers on a Train".
The music generally melodic very much influenced by The Beatles, with strong vocals where you may come to think of The Pretty Thing's Phil May.
Apart from the single "Queen of Paradise", which is quite atypical for the album, the music is written by the three members themselves; whether or not Michael Brown participated in the songwriting is uncertain.
"Strangers on a Train" is a nice opener; upbeat light with a heavier b-part and a track where you sense influence by The Beatles and The Pretty Thing - post "Emotions".
"Heartbreaker" is also melodic and upbeat; here I come to think of Badfinger - post Pete Ham.
"Lorraine" is a fine ballad in the Paul McCartney style. Another ballad is "Yesterday's Train", where the fine tight vocal harmonies bring back memories of The Pretty Things.
"Hold on Tight" is a melodic up-beat rocker; also quite nice.
One of the album's finest tracks is "And One Day", which probably should have been chosen as the A-side instead of the disappointing “Queen of Paradise” for the 1978 single. A great song; again in Paul McCartney style.
More ordinary is "You Say", which has two beats and again is a melodic number.
"I Can Fly" is nice but also a bit ordinary - too predictable; the same could be said about "Only My Opinion", which I like a bit better, though.
It is somewhat paradoxical that the album's weakest track (funky-disco style) was the one chosen as a single. One cannot help but wonder if a better choice could have given the group a come-back. As the tracks on "Strangers on a Train" clearly demonstrate, the potential was there.
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