Soldiers of Fortune [Remastered] [Deluxe]

by Outlaws

Overview

Soldiers of Fortune was the last record by the Outlaws that could actually be called an "Outlaws" album. The disc was issued in 1986, three years after the band left Arista, in the wake of huge chart and sales successes a few years earlier by .38 Special, which wed FM radio pop, that '80s keyboard sound, and Southern rock in a winning formula. Given that and the way this record sounds, the title of the album is perhaps more telling of the band's motivation than it is an aesthetic choice. Guitarist Henry Paul returned to the Florida band's fold for this outing, restoring the three-guitar front line that leader Hughie Thomasson favored. But for all the restraint presented here, it hardly mattered. Drum programs abound, as do synthesizers, but nonetheless there is something very compelling about this record. Its feel is utterly nocturnal. It's slick, polished, and holds only a ghostly resemblance to the Outlaws of old. There are no roaring jams and no wrangling, knife-edged guitars -- only those spooky, out-of-the-murky-soil melodies that were the band's trademark. There are beautiful songs here, like the opening "One Last Ride," with its shimmering warm synth lines and elasticized guitars and vocals by Jon Butcher. The title track was crafted to hit the same mark that .38 Special's "Caught Up in You" and "Hang On Loosely" were, with its nearly chanted choruses, smooth guitar riffs with just a hint of Southern rock sting, and a hook to die for. "The Night Cries," for all of its Southern flair, still could have been written and produced by Lindsey Buckingham. "Cold Harbor" reflects Paul's gift for writing narrative pop songs and weaving beautiful acoustic guitars through his tomes. "Saved By the Bell" is another tune sculpted in the "Soldiers of Fortune" mold. Only "Just the Way I Like It," "Lady Luck," and (to a lesser extent) "The Outlaw" revel in an '80s form of Southern boogie rock, but even these are textured gloriously. Sonically, this album sounds dated, but musically it's the true space oddity in the Outlaws' catalog, and deserves both a listen and a berth just for that. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	02/05/2013
Label:	Rock Candy
UPC:	5055300356758
Rank:	69188

Tracks

1. One Last Ride
2. Soldiers of Fortune
3. The Night Cries
4. The Outlaw
5. Cold Harbor
6. Watcha Don't Do
7. Just the Way I Like It
8. Saved By the Bell
9. Lady Luck
10. Racin' for the Red Light

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Outlaws   Primary Artist
Steve Grisham   Vocals (Background),Guitar,Vocals
Stacey Lyn Shaffer   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Buster McNeil   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Chuck Glass   Bass,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
John Townsend   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Hughie Thomasson   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Randy Bishop   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Jon Butcher   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Henry Paul   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
David Dix   Drums,Percussion,Electronic Percussion
Jimmy Glenn   Drums
Bart Bishop   Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Suzanne DuBarry   Cover Art Concept,Production Assistant
Jeffrey Avedon   Lighting Director
Duane Evans   Composer
Hughie Thomasson   Assistant Engineer
Hugh Syme   Design,Paintings
Randy Bishop   Producer,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming
Hanspeter Huber   Engineer
Spencer Proffer   Composer,Producer,Executive Producer
Steve Hall   Mastering
Henry Paul   Composer
Jeff Clark   Assistant Engineer
Randee Saint Nicholas   Artwork
Steve Grisham   Composer
Kevin Lahue   Assistant Engineer
Alexander Woltman   Engineer