LITTLE ANGELS

LITTLE ANGELS
JAM (1992)
320 KBPS

Jam was the Little Angels' third album for Polydor Records and their first recording with new drummer Mark Richardson, who had recently replaced Michael Lee. Lee had been sacked for auditioning for the Cult without the band's permission, and apart from replacing him, the band continued with founding members brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson, Mark Plunkett, and lead vocalist Toby Jepson. Jam could almost be described as a lost classic of the hard rock genre, except at the time (the beginning of 1993) it was hardly lost, becoming a number one album for the band, albeit for just one week and holding two rather unwanted chart statistics: one of the biggest falls from the top position; and the shortest number of weeks (five) ever spend in the entire chart for a number one album. Yet soon after this major success, the Little Angels faded quickly back into obscurity, having toured as support for both Van Halen and Bon Jovi. Jam had all the ingredients of a major rock album — powerful melodic guitar-based songs, especially the album's opener, "Way That I Live," and its first single release, "Too Much Too Young," an anthemic singalong with Bryan Adams on guest vocals. Alternating with the rock tracks were softer ballads "Womankind," which not surprisingly became their biggest hit single, "The Colour of Love," and "Sail Away." Then after a brief interlude with the short guitar instrumental "S.T.W," it was back to the AOR format on the song "Don't Confuse Sex with Love," which inexplicably ended with a sample from Big Bopper's hit "Chantilly Lace," and the album closed with a rocking cover of the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You." A surprising major hit album, unfortunately all but forgotten years later.

1. Way That I Live
2. Too Much Too Young
3. Splendid Isolation
4. Soap Box
5. STW
6. Don't Confuse Sex With Love
7. Womankind
8. Eyes Wide Open
9. Colour Of Love
10. I Was Not Wrong
11. Sail Away
12. Tired Of Waiting For You (So Tired)
13. Reprise/STW