Sweet Hostage - Midnight Rider (1980) [Full Album] 🇨🇦🎸

A1 Six Minus Two 00:00 - 00:39 A2 Midnight Rider 04:39 A3 Sweet Hostage 07:49 A4 We Gotta Play (Rock & Roll) 10:33 A5 Don't Feel Bad 13:12 B1 It Just Couldn't Be 16:25 B2 Rock & Roll Fever 19:39 B3 Fool For You 22:35 B4 Bad News 25:51 Label: Silver Star Records (3) – HRL 104-80 Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo, Misprint Country: Canada Released: 1980 Genre: Rock Style: Classic Rock Produced, Pressed and Released in Prince George, Canada Produced by Richard Turner and Sweet Hostage Sound Production - Keith Halverson Mixed at Halcaro Recordings Limited, Surrey, B.C. by Larry Borisoff When dropping the needle on this Canadian west coast rock 'n' roll, I'm treated to a rare point of view, a glee-filled meditation of the bar scene and the never ending late '70's party time. All inviting vibe with a rockin' swing, rare nowadays, not then obviously. Sweet Hostage's 'Midnight Rider', the sole LP by the group, perfectly captures a time of transition, innocence and excess. The very enthusiastic, yet proudly naive expression of a generation caught between the transition of youth, growing up and maybe having to soon act in a manner that could demonstrate some sensibilities to what will soon become Gen X. Alas, as this LP so aptly demonstrates, it is a futile endeavor to come out of the perpetual party in the back seat of your cousin's Camaro. They drop into each song (I swear!) mention of getting drunk. Drinking ALL the beer in the bar, toking, smoking, doing lots of Coke, the Cocaine influence even makes it into a chorus or two. This band is the type of bar rock I can dig. It's ignorant super fun. This is 1980 we are speaking of, and although I was not yet 10 years old at the time, all this is very clear in my memory of hanging out at the local arcades, and the town filled with many 'bar rockers'. I thought they were pretty interesting, unsurprisingly very erratic, but never scary, as parents might perceive them. This is not punk rock yet it's recorded at a time of the screaming edge. It's related more to JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, some edgy RUNAWAYS feel in a more amateur mode. It's locked into it's interrelated bar-band vision of Cocaine, Whiskey and dingy wall to wall carpeting inspired by those Super Van rallies. One charming thing about this album, it's all originals, where even the drummer takes the lead vocals on 2 tracks. He's got some heavy chops and a cool voice backed up by Shannon. The record label is a very small imprint that usually released Country records. In case you wonder, the 'hostage', who is dubbed 'sweet', is none other than the lead singer, who proclaims : "I'm the hostage, I'm not always sweet, My name is Shannon, NOW GET THE HELL ON YOUR FEET!"; from "Sweet Hostage" She is having too much fun to yet notice what the price is to become a hostage sandwiched between three slick dudes that fire up some really fine licks and fills. People need a great dose of Rock 'n' Roll good times, everything is gettin' too si-rius out there. "Sweet Hostage is Here, We're Gonna Drink Your Beer, And Go Far". This was their only album..