FIONA – Beyond The Pale [Rock Candy remaster] + 2 bonus (2014), MP3+FLAC

Completing the first 3 studio albums by FIONA ‘Remastered & Reloaded‘ by Rock Candy Records, here’s “Beyond The Pale“, featuring 2 bonus tracks.

Fiona’s self-titled debut album certainly introduced a sensational new talent to the world of femme fronted rock. Her striking looks and gilded vocals made for a fascinating combination, giving her an edge comparable to the anthemic styles of Pat Benatar, Patty Smyth and Heart.The debut album made a sure footed impact, nicely setting up her next long playing foray.

For “Beyond The Pale”, Atlantic Records teamed her up with fast rising production talent Beau Hill, a man who made waves producing hard rock act Ratt. It was Beau who recruited a top selection of gifted musicians including Nile Rodgers, Kip Winger and Reb Beach, as well as sourcing a number of key songwriters, including material from the pens of Billy Steinberg, Bob Halligan Jr. and Peter Wolf.

This is an ’80s ‘big sounding’ record with a true mid-Eighties AOR feel, successfully combining clean cut hi-tech production chops with sizeable blasts of anthemic rock, allowing Fiona’s distinctive vocals to punch home the choruses like a hot knife through butter.
Check out songs such as “Tragedy” (Kip Winger on backing vocals), “Thunder & Lightning” and the up-tempo “You Better Wait”, my favorite, written by AOR master James House.
“Hopelessly Love You” is the commercial single destined for radio, “Running out of Night” is pure AOR with a ‘soundtrack feel’, “He’s On My Side” is ‘the’ ballad with a Heart smell, and “Keeper of the Flame” rocks with great guitars.

As bonuses, Rock Candy has added two versions of “Hopelessly Love You” (only 12” vinyl until now), being the extended “Vocal remix” much sought after for years by me (and collectors).
Very good remaster with 24 bit sound along with enhanced liner notes, essays and rare photographs.

01 – Tragedy
02 – Hopelessly Love You
03 – Living In A Boy’s World
04 – Thunder & Lightning
05 – Tender Is The Heart
06 – Running Out Of Night
07 – In My Blood
08 – He’s On My Side
09 – You Better Wait
10 – Keeper Of The Flame
11 – Hopelessly Love You (Vocal remix) [bonus track]
12 – Hopelessly Love You (Dub version) [bonus track]

Fiona – lead and backing vocals
Bobby Messano, Reb Beach, Nile Rodgers – guitar
Reb Beach – guitar
Benjy King – keyboards
David Rosenberg – drums, programming
Joe Franco – drums
Donnie Kisselbach – bass
Kip Winger – backing vocals
Beau Hill – production, backing vocals

turbo FLAC