THE MICHAEL STANLEY BAND
''''YOU BREAK IT ... YOU BOUGHT IT!''''
1975
42:52
1. I''m Gonna Love You /4:04
2. Dancing In The Dark /2:59
3. Step The Way /3:31
4. Waste A Little Time On Me /3:35
5. Lost In The Funhouse Again /3:40
6. Gypsy Eyes /3:40
7. Face The Music /4:36
8. Sweet Refrain /3:59
9. Highway Angel /5:25
10. Where Have All The Clowns Gone /4:17
11. Song For My Children /3:01
Joey Chopburn /Percussion
Tommy Dobeck /Congas, Drums
Albhy Galuten /Synthesizer
Paul Harris /Keyboards
Jonah Koslen /Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Vocals
Dan Pecchio /Bass, Vocals
Michael Stanley /Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (Electric), Vocals
REVIEW
by Bret Adams After two solo albums in the early '70s, Michael Stanley formed the Michael Stanley Band, which released "You Break It, You Bought It!" in 1975. This Bill Szymczyk-produced platter was the first of three albums on Epic Records, and it also started the process of turning the Cleveland band into hometown legends. Rhythm guitarist Stanley was the band's namesake, but he shared songwriting and lead-vocal duties with lead guitarist Jonah Koslen almost equally for three years until Koslen left by 1978 to form Breathless. Besides Stanley and Koslen, MSB's original lineup also included bassist Daniel Pecchio (a Glass Harp veteran) and drummer Tom Dobeck. Keyboardist Paul Harris was a featured session player on the first few albums. "I'm Gonna Love You" is the album's appropriately energized opener. Stanley's relaxed ballad "Dancing in the Dark" is interesting because it's told from the point of view of a man who looks back fondly on an old relationship although he's currently happy with his woman and their children. Koslen's "Step the Way" starts out as folk-pop, but he adds some nice lead guitar work at the end. "Waste a Little Time on Me" is a fine ballad from Koslen. The arrangement on "Gypsy Eyes" highlights all the instruments, particularly the rhythm section and the biting guitar solo, and Koslen's soft singing holds it together. "Sweet Refrain" has a bit of country guitar twang but pop vocals and harmonies. Stanley's heart-on-his-sleeve "Where Have All the Clowns Gone" and "Song for My Children" essentially form a dramatic medley, which is emphasized by the string section. You Break It, You Bought It! is the promising beginning of a talented Midwestern band equally comfortable with rockers and ballads.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bret Adams
Cleveland native Michael Stanley became a regional phenomenon, but the singer/songwriter/guitarist and his Michael Stanley Band deserved more national success than they achieved. Stanley, whose real name is Michael Stanley Gee, played bass with the folk-rock group Silk in the late '60s. He then went solo and released two solo albums in the early '70s that fit right in with the "singer/songwriter" era. His talent attracted the likes of producer Bill Szymczyk and guest musicians Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, and David Sanborn from the beginning. He formed the Michael Stanley Band (aka MSB) in 1975 and pursued a more straightforward rock direction. MSB recorded a string of albums through the late '70s and early '80s that were modest successes nationally but major hits in Ohio. In fact, the Michael Stanley Band was such a sensation at home that it still holds attendance records at major concert venues. 1980's Heartland was easily MSB's best album, and Stanley agrees. It included the hit single "He Can't Love You" (sung by vocalist/keyboardist Kevin Raleigh) and the minor hit "Lover" (sung by Stanley and featuring blistering saxophone by Clarence Clemons). MSB's second and last Top 40 hit was Stanley's anthem "My Town" in 1983. After recording for Epic, Arista, and EMI, MSB independently released two albums on their own before breaking up in 1987.
The Michael Stanley Band was a reliably consistent, meat-and-potatoes enterprise responsible for superb Midwestern rock & roll. Stanley went on to become a popular television and radio personality in Cleveland. He still regularly releases albums -- solo and the one-off group project the Ghost Poets -- and performs annual summer and New Year's Eve shows along with occasional acoustic dates; these concerts and albums both feature MSB alumni and other Cleveland musicians. Razor & Tie has reissued most of MSB's catalog and two excellent best-of collections on compact disc.
DoWnLoAd
''''YOU BREAK IT ... YOU BOUGHT IT!''''
1975
42:52
1. I''m Gonna Love You /4:04
2. Dancing In The Dark /2:59
3. Step The Way /3:31
4. Waste A Little Time On Me /3:35
5. Lost In The Funhouse Again /3:40
6. Gypsy Eyes /3:40
7. Face The Music /4:36
8. Sweet Refrain /3:59
9. Highway Angel /5:25
10. Where Have All The Clowns Gone /4:17
11. Song For My Children /3:01
Joey Chopburn /Percussion
Tommy Dobeck /Congas, Drums
Albhy Galuten /Synthesizer
Paul Harris /Keyboards
Jonah Koslen /Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Vocals
Dan Pecchio /Bass, Vocals
Michael Stanley /Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (Electric), Vocals
REVIEW
by Bret Adams After two solo albums in the early '70s, Michael Stanley formed the Michael Stanley Band, which released "You Break It, You Bought It!" in 1975. This Bill Szymczyk-produced platter was the first of three albums on Epic Records, and it also started the process of turning the Cleveland band into hometown legends. Rhythm guitarist Stanley was the band's namesake, but he shared songwriting and lead-vocal duties with lead guitarist Jonah Koslen almost equally for three years until Koslen left by 1978 to form Breathless. Besides Stanley and Koslen, MSB's original lineup also included bassist Daniel Pecchio (a Glass Harp veteran) and drummer Tom Dobeck. Keyboardist Paul Harris was a featured session player on the first few albums. "I'm Gonna Love You" is the album's appropriately energized opener. Stanley's relaxed ballad "Dancing in the Dark" is interesting because it's told from the point of view of a man who looks back fondly on an old relationship although he's currently happy with his woman and their children. Koslen's "Step the Way" starts out as folk-pop, but he adds some nice lead guitar work at the end. "Waste a Little Time on Me" is a fine ballad from Koslen. The arrangement on "Gypsy Eyes" highlights all the instruments, particularly the rhythm section and the biting guitar solo, and Koslen's soft singing holds it together. "Sweet Refrain" has a bit of country guitar twang but pop vocals and harmonies. Stanley's heart-on-his-sleeve "Where Have All the Clowns Gone" and "Song for My Children" essentially form a dramatic medley, which is emphasized by the string section. You Break It, You Bought It! is the promising beginning of a talented Midwestern band equally comfortable with rockers and ballads.
BIOGRAPHY
by Bret Adams
Cleveland native Michael Stanley became a regional phenomenon, but the singer/songwriter/guitarist and his Michael Stanley Band deserved more national success than they achieved. Stanley, whose real name is Michael Stanley Gee, played bass with the folk-rock group Silk in the late '60s. He then went solo and released two solo albums in the early '70s that fit right in with the "singer/songwriter" era. His talent attracted the likes of producer Bill Szymczyk and guest musicians Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, and David Sanborn from the beginning. He formed the Michael Stanley Band (aka MSB) in 1975 and pursued a more straightforward rock direction. MSB recorded a string of albums through the late '70s and early '80s that were modest successes nationally but major hits in Ohio. In fact, the Michael Stanley Band was such a sensation at home that it still holds attendance records at major concert venues. 1980's Heartland was easily MSB's best album, and Stanley agrees. It included the hit single "He Can't Love You" (sung by vocalist/keyboardist Kevin Raleigh) and the minor hit "Lover" (sung by Stanley and featuring blistering saxophone by Clarence Clemons). MSB's second and last Top 40 hit was Stanley's anthem "My Town" in 1983. After recording for Epic, Arista, and EMI, MSB independently released two albums on their own before breaking up in 1987.
The Michael Stanley Band was a reliably consistent, meat-and-potatoes enterprise responsible for superb Midwestern rock & roll. Stanley went on to become a popular television and radio personality in Cleveland. He still regularly releases albums -- solo and the one-off group project the Ghost Poets -- and performs annual summer and New Year's Eve shows along with occasional acoustic dates; these concerts and albums both feature MSB alumni and other Cleveland musicians. Razor & Tie has reissued most of MSB's catalog and two excellent best-of collections on compact disc.
DoWnLoAd
