Roadmaster - Live +5

Roadmaster – Live +5

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A flashback in time for one of AOR’s most loved bands, Indianapolis’ pride and joy Roadmaster.

Written by: gdmonline

ARTIST: Roadmaster
ALBUM: Live + 5
LABEL: RDM Records
SERIAL: RDM 1101
YEAR: 1989
CD INFO: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

0LINEUP: Stephan ‘Mac’ McNally – vocals * Rick Benick – guitars * Michael ‘Bones’ Read – keyboards * Toby Myers – bass * Bobby Johns – drums

TRACK LISTING: 01 It Doesn’t Mean A Thing * 02 Higher, Higher * 03 Ride The Wind Away * 04 Circle Of Love * 05 Say You Wanna Be With Me * 06 Hey World * 07 Sweet Music

Plus 5: 08 Cry Just A Little Bit * 09 Here I Am * 10 Indecision * 11 The Girl Most Likely * 12 Let Your Love Go

Background

A flashback in time for one of AOR’s most loved bands, Indianapolis’ pride and joy Roadmaster. With a history that goes way back into time, this album is an epitaph of 7 live favourites plus 5 additional tracks recorded live in a studio in 1989, some years after the band retired.

Perhaps along with Angel, Morningstar, and Starcastle, our boys in Roadmaster are the best examples of mid 70’s melodic pomp rock, with a truckload of keyboards in the mix. The lineup was stable all the way through their career, and some of their work was exceptional.

In today’s era though, a lot of what they’ve done probably wouldn’t sit that comfortably with the modern rock audience, however a lot of what the modern audience listen to wouldn’t sit that comfortably with readers of this site. So I guess we’re even.

The Songs

It’s great to hear the band in a live environment, and some their classics given the treatment. Imagine then we get workouts on songs such as ‘Higher Higher’ complete with synth bombast, as well as that glorious intro to ‘Say You Wanna Be With Me’. Also their staple concert anthems in the shape of ‘Sweet Music’ and the fabulous ‘Hey World’.

As for the studio tracks, Roadmaster are obviously sounding more modern than their 70’s days, and comparisons can easily be made to latterday versions of Shooting Star and Head East, so it gives you an idea as to where they could’ve headed had they continued as a band.

In Summary

In other musical lives and careers, both Rick Benick and Toby Myers have played with Henry Lee Summer and John Cougar Mellancamp respectively, while Bobby Johns did a stint with country-rockers Exile.

Roadmaster suffered a tragedy recently with the passing of Steve ‘Mac’ McNally from cancer during 1998. There was a concert that was held just prior, set up as a fundraiser for him and his family. However, the memory of Roadmaster and their contribution to the melodic rock landscape remains assured.

Video

Cry Just A Little Bit (Live 1983)

Roadmaster - Cry Just A Little Bit


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