A rock band named Boulder you’d expect this to be a play on words right? Nup. These boys all have a Colorado chromosome in their genetic make-up, hence the city from which they took their name.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Boulder
ALBUM: Boulder
LABEL: Elektra
SERIAL: 6E-238
YEAR: 1979
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Bob Harris – vocals * Stan Bush – guitars * Zeke Zirngiebel – bass * Mithran Cabin – percussion * Marty Stinger – drums
Additional Musicians: Kim Stone * Todd McKinney
TRACK LISTING: 01 Join Me In L.A * 02 A New Mr Right * 03 Winner Takes All * 04 Heartbeat * 05 Turn The Radio Up * 06 Travellin’ Man * 07 Help Yourself * 08 For Love
Background
A rock band named Boulder you’d expect this to be a play on words right? Nup. These boys all have a Colorado chromosome in their genetic make-up, hence the city from which they took their name.
Many will identify this as the first arrival for future AOR main-stay Stan Bush. However, the Colorado based band also features Bob Harris, a Gainesville Florida native who would end up in this outfit. Also from Florida came drummer Marty Stinger – who it seems is a well-traveled drummer.
Boulder, for whatever reason has been given a bit of a slagging in the past. As an example, The International Encyclopedia of HM described this LP as: Just another unimportant AOR-pomp band. For collectors only. A bit unfair in my books, as this LP contains some good material. Certainly the quality of the musicians involved indicates this isn’t a write-off at all.
The Songs
George Daly is the producer here, and he creates a listenable album of radio rock, in the mould of Couchois and Buckeye. The deep and dark entrance displayed on the opener ‘Join Me In L.A’ is a great intro to Boulder’s style of rock. To my mind, it has all the trademarks found on Stan Bush’s later solo material. Surely the lyrical reference to Topanga Canyon is a giveaway to Mr Bush? lol!
A mild form of radio rock is the best way to describe ‘A New Mr Right’, I reckon it’s close to the style/form shown by the Couchois brothers and their two albums released during this era. ‘Winner Takes All’ has its moments, and gets my vote for being the heaviest track on the album – but in saying that, it’s still pretty lightweight. Good track though.
‘Heartbeat’ is the nearest the band gets to the AOR style. Actually, this sounds as if this could be a template that Stan Bush would discover several years later. ‘Turn The Radio Up’ is a sassy slice of rock akin to Bob Seger material, and features some slide guitar and bluesy overtones.
‘Travellin’ Man’ provides the shake rattle and roll attitude, whereas ‘Help Yourself’ is a cranky guitar-based rocker with a slightly harder and uptempo edge. The album closer ‘For Love’ ends this half an hour excursion in acoustic ballad mode. The harmonies are spot on, a bit mellow even for these ears, but having heard the band rock it up earlier, they are forgiven.
In Summary
Despite many years being pinned in the virtual dog-box of ignominy, Boulder is not the rough and tumble affair that many misinformed critics have labeled it. Rightfully, Boulder gets their deserved mention here at Glory Daze.
Beyond this, Harris, Zirngiebel and Stinger have also appeared in Warren Zevon‘s backing band during the early 80’s, while Zirngiebel has also played with and produced Rocky Burnette.
As mentioned, Harris went on to Axe, but one must not forget his lengthy stints with Frank Zappa during the 80’s as well as his work with Steve Vai.
As for Stan Bush, well we don’t need any reminding what he’s been up to. A boon for CD collectors, Boulder has since been reissued in 2010 by Wounded Bird Records.
Boulder on Video
Click to go to YTM album page.
