Artist: BAD ENGLISH
Album: BACKLASH RE-RELEASE (CD)

Year: 1991/ 2008
EAN/UPS: 0803341396463
Media type: CD

Much was expected of the second Bad English album but, unbeknown to their fans, the members were already at loggerheads. Indeed, by the time ‘Backlash’ was released on 27 August 1991, the group had effectively parted company – some say before the album had even been mixed.
The root of the problem seems to have been an all too frequent one – that everybody wanted a piece of the songwriting action. The recording sessions were bad-tempered and Waite decided to return to a quieter solo existence, but he helped promote 'Backlash', released in August 1991, before leaving. Looking back on it now he says ‘It coloured me in a bad light, ‘cos I walked away from a very successful thing.’
Ricky Phillips put himself in the disgruntled camp with Neal Schon, claiming Cain and Waite had tried to take over leadership of the band. Little wonder the record company lost interest in putting major promotional effort behind it, which Phillips regrets. ‘There are some really classy pieces of music on that record. I can really feel the tension…and I like that.’ The album peaked at a modest Number 72 in the US.

John Waite accepted his share of the blame as writer or co-writer of all the songs. ‘Certain parties wanted more songs on the record,’ he remarked, pointing out that ‘the producer picked…he decided what was going to make it and what wasn't.’ The seasoned Ron Nevison had been behind the desk when the album had been recorded at a variety of studios in LA, but even a track record encompassing the Who, the Rolling Stones and Jefferson Starship couldn’t overcome the internal politics that pulled the band apart.

The band was neither a democracy nor a dictatorship, and in Ricky Philips’ words, ‘Everyone forgot what the chemistry was, everyone was fighting for their ideas instead of finding where the most natural flow was.’ When first single ‘Straight To Your Heart’ didn’t crack the Top 40 the writing was on the wall.

Bad English’s forte was a style of radio-friendly rock comparable to AOR giants Toto or, not surprisingly, Journey with a harder edge. But by the time of release, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the rest of the new grunge wave had used MTV to seduce the next generation and 1980s-style rock was old news. The fact that ‘Backlash’ was significantly heavier than its predecessor was only a small advantage.

A second single, The Time Alone With You’, was belatedly selected to follow up ‘Straight To Your Heart’ and was the track that had most chance of emulating their previous Number 1. But that was no surprise, given the presence of Diane Warren’s name in the writing credits alongside Waite and Cain. ‘Make Love Last’ was another similar power ballad penned by the two group members alone, while the fact that a video was shot for ‘Time Stood Still’ suggests this would have been single number three had things turned out differently.

Another writer to feature in the credits was Russ Ballard, the former singer of Argent whose ‘God Gave Rock’n’Roll To You’ was a big hit for Kiss a matter of months later after featuring in the Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey movie. He lent his ear for a rock anthem to ‘So This Is Eden’ and ‘Rebel Say A Prayer’. One final writer thrown into the melting pot was Mr Big/Heart songsmith Mark Spiro who contributed background vocals as well as co-penning ‘Pray For Rain’ and ‘Life At The Top’.

Waite returned to being a solo artist, initially teaming with ex-Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, though he was unable to recapture the heights of ‘Missing You’. or indeed ‘When I See You Smile’. Castronovo and Schon continued together briefly as Hardline, touring Britain as opening act for Extreme, but would later join keyboardist Cain in a reformed Journey behind new singer Steve Augeri. Castronovo, who would also join Journey in 1998, previously drummed on Ozzy Osbourne's hit album ‘Ozzmosis’ and backed ex-Free/Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, a bluesy Brit whose style was not far removed from John Waite.

This album’s closing ‘Life At the Top’, a near relation to Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love’ with a dash of Aerosmith lyric mixed in, was an ironic epitaph for a band of whom much was expected but that enjoyed an unexpectedly brief time at music’s summit. ‘Backlash’ proved all too aptly named, but the album has its moments. Fans of the individuals, the band or the era will undoubtedly enjoy a second helping of Bad English. Right band, wrong time, too many songwriters…

TRACKLIST:

01 So This Is Eden
02 Straight To Your Heart
03 Time Stood Still
04 The Time Alone With You
05 Dancing Off The Edge Of The World
06 Rebel Say A Prayer
07 Savage Blue
08 Pray For Rain
09 Make Love Last
10 Life At The Top