Rock Candy Records released in remastered form the two albums by Welsh act LONE STAR some years ago but both sold out soon, and now are used copies are pretty hard to find. As requested, here’s the band’s debut “Lone Star”, including 5 bonus tracks.
Appeared in 1976, the Welsh six-piece Lone Star self titled debut album took, what is now termed, Pomp rock by the scruff of the neck and delivered a record that knocked the competition sideways.
Produced by famously flamboyant studio wizard Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, Foreigner, Journey) it displayed a sound that utilised everything and the kitchen sink – bombastic and grandiose, no stone was left unturned to achieve maximum sonic effect.
Indeed, it was a record that found media cognoscenti such as Alan Freeman, Geoff Barton, Nicky Horne and John Peel falling over themselves to recommend it.
Lone Star were trumpeted by those in the know as the next big thing, bigger in fact than Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Queen.
CBS Records certainly thought so when they signed them to a contract for £35,000 before they had even played a solitary live show.
After few months of its foundation, Lone Star recorded a studio session for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1 show in early 1976, and got signed to CBS Records immediately releasing their self-titled Roy Thomas Baker-produced debut album in August of the same year.
Everything about this record is so right, so impressive and so gigantically over the top that nothing has come close to its grandeur since. It charted at No. 47 on the UK Album Charts and was supported by a UK tour with label mate Ted Nugent.
Featuring future UFO guitarist Paul Chapman and containing such highfalutin tracks as ‘Flying In The Reel’, ‘Spaceships’, ‘A Million Stars’ and a monster, pomp-static interpretation of the Beatles ‘She Said, She Said’, the album scores a suitably impressive eleven on a ten scale.
This 24-bit remastering from the source tapes by Rock Candy is pristine and clear, features 5 bonus tracks including the legendary first BBC session and lots of rare photos from the era.
Lone Star never made it ‘that big’ commercially, but these guys were incredibly talented. This is Pomp Rock in its maximum expression, so if you like Giuffria’s Angel, New England and alike, this CD is a must.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
01 – She Said, She Said
02 – Lonely Soldier
03 – Flying In The Reel
04 – Spaceships
05 – A New Day
06 – A Million Stars
07 – Illusions
BONUS TRACKS – Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions:
08 – Flying In The Reel
09 – A Million Stars
10 – She Said, She Said
11 – Hypnotic Mover
12 – Spaceships
Kenny Driscoll – lead vocals
Paul Chapman – guitars
Tony Smith – guitars, backing vocals
Rick Worsnop – keyboards, backing vocals
Pete Hurley – bass
Dixie Lee – drums, backing vocals