Genre: pop
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: Great Buildings
Company: Columbia
Catalog: JC-36920
Year: 1981
Country/State: Los Angeles, California
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: includes original lyric inner sleeve
Available: 1
Catalog ID: 4392
Price: $15.00
Cost: $66.00
Bass player Ian Ainsworth, guitarist Phil Solem and singer/rhythm guitarist Danny Wilde started their musical collaboration as members of the L.A.-based The Quick. While The Quick attracted the attention of critics, they did little commercially and by the early 1980s had called it quits. The three quickly elected to continue their musical partnership as Great Buildings. With the addition of drummer Richard Sandford, the quartet was signed by Columbia Records, resulting in the release of 1981's criminally overlooked "Great Buildings". Produced by Ed Thacker (John Boylan handling one track), the result was an immaculate collection of early-1980s pop-rock. Largely penned by Ainsworth, Solem ,and Wilde, tracks such as 'And the Light Goes On', 'Dream That Never Dies' and 'Maybe It's You' were full of irritatingly catchy melodies and tight vocal harmonies. The boy-girl lyrics may not have been the year's deepest, but then who cared when virtually every one of these ten tracks would have made a dandy single. Musically the album also made it easy to see the direct of Solem and Wilde's forthcoming work as The Rembrandts, though to my ears this set has a certain energy that the pair never recaptured.
- 'Hold On To Something'
-
Elsewhere, Columbia tapped the album for a pair of singles:
- 1981's 'Hold On To Something' b/w 'Combat Zone' (Columbia catalog number 11-02008).
Columbia also released the single in a special 12" picture disc format:
-
1981's 'Combat Zone' and ' Maybe It's You' b/w 'Hold
On To Something' (Columbia catalog number AS 927).
"Great Buildings" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Hold On To Something (Ian Ainsworth - Phil Solem - Danny Wilde) - 3:46
2.) And the Light Goes On (Ian Ainsworth - Phil Solem - Danny Wilde) - 3:15
3.) Dream That Never Dies (Ian Ainsworth - Phil Solem - Danny Wilde) - 3:42
4.) Combat Zone (Ian Ainsworth - Danny Wilde) - 3:34
5.) Maybe
It's You (Ian Ainsworth - Danny Wilde) - 5:07
(side
2)
1.)
One Way Out (Ian Ainsworth) - 3:38
2.) Another Day in My Life (Ian Ainsworth - Danny Wilde) - 3:09
3.) Heartbreak (Danny Wilde)- 4:42
4.) Love Goes Blind (Ian Ainsworth - Danny Wilde)- 3:53
5.) Apart From the Crowd (Ian Ainsworth) - 5:11