Aim – Aim For The Highest

Aim are another in a long line of examples why a sharp logo does not necessarily make for a good album.

Written by: Eric

ARTIST: Aim
ALBUM: Aim For The Highest
LABEL: Blue Thumb Records
SERIAL: BTS64
YEAR: 1974
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

LINEUP: Michael W. Overly – lead & backing vocals, guitars, flutes * Patrick O’ Conner – bass * Warren ‘Bugs’ Pemberton – drums * Loren Newkirk – electric and acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord * Alan Estes – congas, backing vocals

TRACK LISTING: 01 Aim For The Highest * 02 My Friend * 03 Hollywood * 04 You Need Me * 05 Seattle * 06 I’m Here * 07 Morning Magic * 08 How Are We To Live * 09 Endlessly * 10 4 O’Clock Rock * 11 We Can Make It

Background

A very cool logo on Aim’s only LP and easy to spot in cut-out bins for many years, Aim was headed up by guitarist Michael W. Overly who made a name for himself as a solo artist and later in the group Christopher Cloud with Tommy Boyce formerly of the bubblegum songwriting duo Boyce & Hart.

Following the 1973 LP ‘Blown Away’, Christopher Cloud split with Overly forming Aim shortly thereafter and hitting the road with Steely Dan, Blue Oyster Cult, The Guess Who and BTO in support of ‘Aim For the Highest’.

The Songs

With the band’s photo surrounded by what appears to be angel wings and lyrical content on several tracks that could be construed as ‘religious’, I imagine this was a tough album to market. Compounding the album’s issues is a lack of quality material, Mike Overly’s high-pitched tenor which quickly becomes annoying and a tendency to get all funky and boogie things up way too often.

The title track sets the tone with a loud Ohio Players influenced funk-up, turning it down for the lazy R&B of ‘My Friend’ and ‘Hollywood’ which checks-in as side one’s best cut matched with the poppy ‘Morning Magic’ happily recalling the first Steely Dan album.

‘Endlessly’ is a nice classically based ballad which includes harpsichord, an instrument I can never get enough of although once again Overly’s painful yelping is too much to bare, seriously challenging my endurance. Following the glammy ‘4 O’Clock Rock’ as well as the unbearable ‘We Can Make It’, I’m breathing a much needed sigh of relief as the needle finally leaves the vinyl.

In Summary

Another in a long line of examples why a sharp logo does not necessarily make for a good album and since I’ve never come across a copy of ‘Aim For The Highest’ without a hole punch, it’s a good bet record buyers back in ’74 felt the same.

Video

Hollywood