 |  | HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND (REPRISE RECORDS/1974) |  |
REVIEW: Although enlivened with some sloppy horns and a whisper of orchestration: the dark, mysterious underpinnings of "HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND" bears the unmistakable stamp of guitarist Bob Welch. But this aural "heaviness" adds a depth to the music that encapsulates his otherworldly vision more so than any other Mac album. That's not to say "HEROES" is all menace and no fun: the sly humor of "Silver Heels", the gentle coda "Safe Harbour", and the rollicking title track helps to alleviate the somber atmosphere while keeping an eye on the American pop charts. It's unfortunate that this was to be Welch's last recording with the group, but he does go out on a high note by showcasing the full range of his songwriting capabilities. No matter it it's country-tinged rock ("Silver Heels"), melodic pop ("She's Changing Me"), heavy metal ("Angel"), excursions into the supernatural ("Bermuda Triangle" and the haunting "Coming Home" in which he apes Jimi Hendrix a la "Third Stone From The Sun" - a move that makes it my favorite track), or a stab at soulful jazz (the superb musical interplay on "Born Enchanter"): almost everything he does works extremely well in the atmospheric context of this LP. Even Christine McVie's composing seems to be infected with Welch's mysterioso sensibilities: as the cool textures of "Prove Your Love"; the dark, pounding venom of "Bad Loser"; and the sweeping "Come A Little Bit Closer" (the latter sounding a bit like a Jim Steinman composition without all of Steinman's overblown lyrical pomposities) are of a piece with Welch's cryptic musings. "HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND" remains an obscure gem in the Mac canon (albeit one that deserves a lot more recognition and praise than it has gotten). And even though it did make the Top Forty album chart: it's a downright shame that "Come A Little Bit Closer", "Angel", and the title track weren't hit singles. But perhaps sure-fire success wouldn't have prompted Bob Welch to quit, and thus the future potential of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks may have never been fully realized. HARSH LANGUAGE: none. VIOLENCE: only the tragic loss of life mentioned in "Bermuda Triangle", and the aural weirdness of "Coming Home". SEXUAL REFERENCES: none in particular - only the ins-and-outs of romantic love. Although some might be taken aback by the semi-nude cover photo shot even though it is certainly not meant to cause any offense in its illustration of the record's title.
NOTES FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE: I really like this album even though it takes a few listens before it grows on you. Welch has always been an unsung composer and guitarist, and Christine McVie's continued vitality as a songwriter and performer has really grown since "Morning Rain" (from "FUTURE GAMES"), and her few self-penned contributions to her first solo album. But regardless: "HEROES ARE HARD TO FIND" contains no foul language and no offensive references to violence or casual sex (although "Born Enchanter" talks about Welch's ease with the ladies, and his "looking for the faith I lost"). As such the only thing that might turn some heads is the album cover, but (as stated above) the intent was not to offend. Besides that: it IS a striking photo! In that regards I see no reason why the LP shouldn't get a mild ACCEPTABLE rating from a Christian moral perspective.
HIGHEST BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART POSITION: Number 34
HIT SINGLES: none
September 24, 2008Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RC45KYP8RNZM9 My name is Jeremy Gloff. I am a musician (check me out on Amazon!) and retro music enthusiast. If you enjoyed this review make sure to check out my Amazon user profile to check out my other reviews. I am always up for making new friends and discussing the music I love!!!
July 29, 2008 | | guess you had to be there . . . . | |
This lp and it's cut 'Come a little bit closer' , a FM standard of 1976-77, was one of the few bright spots,musically, of what was a very dark and lethargic period in American popular music. Christine McV.'s hypnotic piano playing and hauntingly vulnerable vocals on that tune specifically and on the rest of the work,generally, make this a solid catalog buy for any serious collector . . .CML
December 16, 2007| | | "IF I COULD SING LIKE PAUL McCARTNEY..." BOB & CHRISTINE ON TOP | |
this is such a beautiful album. christine perfect's songs has never been so good, very consistent songs, nice fender rhodes, very balance, her voice sounds so fluid and she teamed so well with bob welch, too bad that was their last album under this line-up that i loved so much, best line-up for me (with peter green of course).
"prove your love" is wonderful. bob welch is on top with "silver heels" and references to sir paul and etta james, his guitars are so tasty, the harmonies are as perfect as christine, and his voice very rockous, mick fleetwood is as always very solid, what a great drummer, sober, but you feel him. the atmospheric songs of bob welch are incredible, i don't understand why he's not like a superstar.
anyway, this album is amazing and remind me a bit of "future games" and the song "bright fire".
it's also the first time bob doesn't have a guitar partner. and the new production sounds probably as good as martin birch. the only thing is that warner should remaster all the albums from that period with bonus, then it would be pure heaven.
February 16, 2007| | | 4 Stars for the 70's Music Standard | |
At this point the band was best known as a British Blues band, and acclimated with a style that was reminiscent to the US California Style, thanks to the American Guitarist Bob Welch, writing most of the songs on this album and peaking as a great songwriter.
"Heroes are Hard to find" is a great British Blues rock album, defining the 1970's big contribution to the Rock Music. This album is recommended for the 70's Blues Soft Rock lovers and, definitely to all Fleetwood Mac Fans.
3 stars for today's music standard, 4 stars for the 70's.
January 16, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
