Search - Quarterflash :: Back Into Blue

I'm delighted with it. I thought I'd never find this on CD.

03/10/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the definative Quarterflash album. It was only ever released here in the U.K. on tape way back in the mid eighties. There is not one dud track on it! I can only thoroughly recommend Back into Blue to all, it sounds as good now as it did so far back in the eighties. Anyone who shares my admiration could E Mail me-I'd really like to hear from you."

Here I go, here I go,... back into blue

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 07/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have a hard time determining whether this album was better than Take Another Picture. What really gets me cranked up was that Back Into Blue was the last of their three albums. Period. With the talent involved, particularly Rindy Ross on resonant vocals and sax, plus Marv Ross's heavy guitar, and the heavy sheets of synthesizers that formed a pulsing backbeat that defined classic 80's music, I felt they merited at least another album or two.That being said, the racing, breakneck speed of electronic drums and in sync keyboard bass make "Walking On Ice" the best track on the album. In terms of tempo, think Blondie's "I'm Gonna Love You Too" or "You Crack Me Up" by Huey Lewis and the News.After a nice sax solo by Rindy, "Caught In The Rain" starts with a catchy synthesizer melody that reminds me of Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes." with a chorus punctuated by the ringing harmony of the backing vocals. The song yearns of a time of being together, in the eye of the storm after being caught in the rain, i.e. "I will wait for you forever, cause I'm still caught in the rain."The title track, a sad slow number, describes that emotional return to someone despite instincts to the contrary: "Some people learn, some will lose/Some people never see a single clue/but here I go, here I go, back into blue."The second single, "Talk To Me" could've been done by Laura Branigan, although when Rindy sings the pre-chorus "I don't want to wait here anymore/I can't face another closing door...", I think Blondie could've had a shot at this up-tempo song of loneliness. Thing is, I can't envision them being sax compatible the way Quarterflash was.The heartmelting ballad "I Want To Believe It's You" is another favorite here. Someone burned one too many times by love finally meets someone, leading to that age-old asking the agonizing questions, "are you the one?" "is it right tonight""Love Without A Net (You Keep Falling)" details the experience and folly one goes through: "Love's no gift, love will end. you learn you fall and you learn to bend/And your diamond wings break like glass, you jump again just to see what happens...""Come To Me" is quite an amusing oddball here, as it is an upbeat calypso-type party song. Rindy though does not out of place singing it.For one to survive, in a world where "everybody hurries to be eaten or eat" the blues-tinged "Grace Under Fire" advises: "You've got to be diamond, you've got to be steel. The lucky have ice in their veins. They laugh at the devil and burn like a torch in the rain.""Just For You" lists the reasons why people have sex: "Some to heal and some to hurt, some for thrills and some for dirt." You get the idea. It evenly lists good and bad reasons. Love those soulfully-tinged harmony vocals.The cynical but upbeat "Welcome To The City" is a sour portrait of the big city: "Four hundred dollars buys a room in the city, with a whole lot of people and a hole in the ceiling, freeze in the winter, die in the summer, seventeen kids next door without a mother, hey if you see me coming up the stairs, please don't confuse me with someone who cares." Sugar and spice, right?The main difference is that Rindy Ross does all lead vocals here, as Quarterflash went from being a sextet to a quartet, losing vocalist Jack Charles and keyboardist Rick Digiallonardo, with Marv Ross and Rich Gooch adding keyboards to their duties. In terms of songs, there's a consistency of sound, the band seems tighter, heavy reliance on keyboards, particularly the Yamaha QX-1, with Rindy's splendid alto and tenor sax solos sprinkled within. In some cases, some songs sound much the next, but that doesn't hurt the album. And even with this, this album didn't sell well???????????? One of the albums I grew up with and still adore."

Hard to find rarity!!

Brandon Hixson | Waco, Texas USA | 05/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Quarterflash's third recording, Back Into Blue was released in late 1985 and only managed to land at #150 on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. It's singles, "Talk To Me" - a #83 pop hit and "Walking On Ice", highlight the LP. The band lost a guitar and keyboard player before the third album and gained more layered synthesizers, giving this release a more pop feel than the other two more adult oriented rock albums. This LP also changed engieeners. John Boylan (Boston) produced the first two albums and Steve Levine (Culture Club) was brought in for this recording. This is the only Quarterflash recording that actually sounds dated. I suppose it's because of the thick 80's synthesizers layered all through the album. It is, however, a great collection of songs. The soft ballad "I Want To Believe It's You" is a beautiful song while "Welcome To The City" and "Just For You" offer more of a danceable bass line. The band broke up after the release of this LP. Quarterflash had a new line up in 1991 only keeping the original (Seafood Mama) members Marv and Rindy Ross. The new line up gave the band a newer rock sound, much more like Heart, Nelson and later Pat Benatar. Unfortunately the album Girl In The Wind was only released in Europe making this a hard to find rarity. It's a great album and definitely worth the search!

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