From Grahame Smith's Personal Tapes
OZITCD124
Classic 1970s album with rare bonus tracks. When Chris and Pauline Adams left String Driven Thing after the release of "The Machine That Cried", the heart of the band essentially went with them. To his credit, Grahame Smith rebuilt String Driven Thing from scratch, but the truth was that this was a completely different band using the same name (per Fleetwood Mac). The new line-up recorded two albums together; this is the first of the two. Vocal duties were taken on by Kim Beacon (here referred to as Kimberley) who was the principal vocalist on Tony Banks' first solo album. Beacon's vocals represented a fundamental change from those of Chris and Pauline Adams, implying an immediately apparent change of sound for the band. This, combined with a general move towards a more orthodox pop-rock direction, alienated many of SDT's original fans. Things start off brightly enough with "Overdrive", a mid-paced pop song with a fine harmonic chorus. Songs such as "Without You" try to be more adventurous, with Smith's violin and viola contributions moving the songs on. The late Kim Beacon was one of the finest rock singers of his day, his voice being a cross between Paul Rogers and Rod Stewart. Standout tracks are "Overdrive" and the instrumental "Timpani For The Devil". This instrumental piece draws in brief classical influences as Grahame Smith gets loose on his violin while drummer Colin Fairley expresses himself.
Track Listing
1. Overdrive
2. Without
3. Josephine
4. Mrs Oreilly
5. Man Of Means
6. Black Eyed Queen
7. Keep On Moving
8. Timpani For The Devil
9. To Know Is To Love U
10. Timpani For The Devil Bonus Track
11. Is To Love U Bonus Track
12. Man Of Means Bonus Track
13. A Peasant Bonus Track
14. The Bomb Bonus Track
