SWEET HOSTAGE-midnight rider- SILVER STAR RECORDS rare heavy bar blooze booze rock

SWEET HOSTAGE-midnight rider-Silver Star Records
1980-canada-stereo-HRL10480 rare LP

-  SHARING NOW FROM ORIGINAL LP

-request in comments

-lossy only at this time

~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 now-a days, not then obviously.
They drop into each song (I swear!) mention of getting drunk,
drinking ALL the beer in the Bar, Toking, Smoking, Doing huge
lots of Coke, and that's not from the glass bottle. Even the
cocaine influence makes itself into a chorus or two.
I'm not a fan of AC/DC, or other typical Bar music favorites
but this band is the type of bar rock I can dig.

It's ignorant super fun.

Sometimes things are meant to happen once 

in the annals of time and history.

Sweet Hostage 'midnight rider', the sole LP by the group, perfectly  captures a time of transition, innocence and excess,

the very enthusiastic yet proudly naiive expression of a generation  caught between the transition

of the youth growing up and maybe having to soon act in a manner that could demonstrate some sensibilities to  what will soon become Gen X, but 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.

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"
who I thought were pretty interesting and not surprisingly very erratic
but never scary (as some "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 and the BlackHearts, some edgy - Runaways feel
in a more amateur mode yet 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.

In case you wonder, the Hostage, who is dubbed "sweet" as such, is none other

than the Lead singer,who proclaims herself as Shannon, the Hostage.

" I'm the Hostage

I'm not always sweet

My name is Shannon

NOW GET THE HELL ON YOUR FEET "

from "sweet hostage"

I almost believe it. She is having too much fun, to yet  notice

what the price is to pay to become a Hostage sandwiched

between three slick dudes that fire up some

really fine licks and fills. 

Or is it Licks and Spills?

LISTEN TO ALBUM IN


3 PARTS, BELOW

One charming thing about this album it's all originals where even the drummer
takes the lead vocals on 2 tracks. He's no Levon Helm, but he's got some heavy chops
and a cool voice backed up by Shannon.


The one and only copy I have, is badly warped. If you check out the
audio of the album you may notice the first track on each side has a "thwump"
sound for the first minute or two. It's more pronounced on side 1.
I had to resort to some interesting measures to keep it flat as possible during playback.


The record label is a very small imprint that usually released Country records.
there is a Silver Star Records with similar logo in Texas, but I don't think it's
the same Label and they even release Country records.


We have a whole lot of records to talk about but this just appeared and we got inspired
to let this out to the www because we feel people need a great dose of Rock n roll
good times, everything is gettin' too si-rius out there.