Originally, I wasn't going to visit this album. Instead, I was going to include the single "Baker Street" with a list of rock singles that graced the charts and I liked, but not visit the whole album. Needless to say, "Baker Street" was the main focus on the album and it's mentioned anytime someone mentions it or Gerry Rafferty himself. For me, the song was kind of a present for my 17th birthday as I remember hearing it on the radio just days after. Even then, I knew this song was something special. That is why it still holds a place in my metal heart and many ageing rockers like myself still love it. Besides, it was probably the first song to send that old AM clock radio of mine on its way to the scrap heap.
What people forget is the Gerry Rafferty had other songs from "City to City" on the album that did very well in the charts. Yes normally, I don't give two stuffs about the charts, but as I said before, these songs were islands of rock gladness when all around was disco. The singles "Right Down the Line" and "Home and Dry" also broke into the top forty charts, making it a hat trick for Rafferty. Furthermore, the tracks "The Ark" and "City to City" did well in Holland, Belguim and Germany. Therfore, you can safely conclude that this was a great rock album for 1978.
Track Listing:
1. The Ark
2. Baker Street
3. Right Down the Line
4. City to City
5. Stealin' Time
6. Mattie's Rag
7. Whatever's Written in Your Heart
8. Home and Dry
9. Island
10. Waiting For the Day
Gerry Rafferty- vocals, accoustic guitar, piano
Gary Taylor- bass, backing vocals
Henry Spinetti- drums
Hugh Burns- guitar
Tommy Eyre- piano, keyboards, synthesiser
Graham Preskett- fiddles, strings, mandolin
Raphael Ravenscroft- saxophone on Baker Street
The passing of Gerry Rafferty in 2011 was another great blow to the rock world. I first learned of it from my local paper as he was living not very far from me in Gloucestershire, England when he passed on. While, like Freddie Mercury and Frank Zappa, he is no longer with us, he left us music and at least one song that will live on in the hearts of millions forever.
Next Post: Molly Hatchet
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
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