PRISM
''BEAT STREET''
1983
34:17
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1 Nightmare 04:29
2 Beat Street 04:19
3 Dirty Mind 03:33
4 Modern Times 03:56
5 Is He Better Than Me 03:20 (Richie Zito, David Sigerson)
6 Blue Collar 03:15
7 Wired Prism 03:50
8 State Of The Heart 03:12
9 I Don't Wanna Want You Anymore 04:17
Tracks By Henry Small, Richie Zito, David Sigerson, Except 5
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Prism:
Henry Small - lead vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Paul Warren - guitars
Additional personnel:
Richie Zito - guitars, backing vocals
Mike Baird - drums, percussion
Dennis Bellfield - bass guitar
Alan Pasqua - keyboards
Jimmy Phillips - keyboards
Michael Tempo - percussion
Timothy B. Schmit - backing vocals
Bill Champlin - backing vocals
Bobby Kimball - backing vocals
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ABOUT THE ALBUM
WIKIPEDIA
Beat Street is the seventh studio album by the Canadian pop rock band Prism. It was originally released in 1983 on the record label, Capitol, two years after Prism's successful album, Small Change. It was the last of two Prism studio albums featuring the lead vocalist Henry Small, who had replaced Ron Tabak after his forced departure in 1981. It features high-profile guest backing vocalists, including the Eagles' co-lead vocalist Timothy B. Schmit, Toto's lead vocalist Bobby Kimball and Chicago's lead vocalist Bill Champlin. The album is notably the band's first album not to feature their guitarist and founding member Lindsay Mitchell. The album was their last recording of original material until they officially reformed in 1987-88. In that incarnation of the band, Small was replaced by Darcy Deutsch.
Beat Street is more of a solo album by Henry Small than a Prism album as it features no other members of the band apart from guitarist Paul Warren, and it relies heavily on session musicians. The album was the last recording of original material under Prism's name until they officially reformed in 1987-88. They reformed without Small who was working on Who bassist John Entwistle's solo album "The Rock" which featured Small singing the lead vocals on all of its eleven tracks.
"Beat Street" was received negatively by the majority of music critics, and it was also a commercial disappointment, failing chart anywhere. However, Prism found some success with the single "I Don't Want to Want You Anymore." This single received quite a lot of radio airplay and peaked at number 37 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, Prism's last single (to date) to do so.
The album was re-released in the United States in January 2009 on Renaissance, featuring rare bonus content. The reissue was a CD which comprises 18-tracks. It includes the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; alongside five outtakes, and four alternate versions of the songs featured on the album.
Background
The original members of Prism had already left by the time the album was being recorded. The band's manager Bruce Allen owned the name and a new band was built around Small. However, Allen had a falling out with the president of EMI at the time over the management of Tom Cochrane. Suddenly the album, which at that point had been charting all over the east coast of the US, was basically pulled by Capitol. Small had put a touring band together, but Allen called and said the tour was cancelled. Soon afterward Prism was dropped from the label, and the band broke up.
Musical style
While much of the album follows the same formula as Prism's previous album, Small Change (1981), there was also a move towards more polished studio production as the band chose to utilise drum machines heavily instead of live drums. Hence, although Mike Baird is credited as drummer on the album's liner notes, he actually contributed very little drumming. The band also prominently used more synthesizers but fewer keyboards and electric piano.
********************
REVIEW/AMG
Mike DeGagne
Upon 1981's Small Change album, Prism fell apart. After the band brought in singer Henry Small to replace Ron Tabak, there were constant disagreements as to which route the group should take: a harder rock & roll one or one that was geared more toward radio pop. This led to a wholesale change within the lineup, and only Small was left when Beat Street was recorded in 1983. Even with Timothy B. Schmit helping out on vocals, Beat Street contains none of Prism's past arena rock charm or instrumental stamina. The tracks are watered-down attempts at playing pop/rock with lyrics that sound as if they've been written overnight. Without John Hall behind the keyboards or Tabak's singing, Prism just wasn't Prism anymore. Lackluster efforts like "Nightmare," "Wired," or "Dirty Mind" are muddled and stale; "Is He Better Than Me" tried to imitate the band's only Top 40 Billboard appearance of "Don't Let Him Know," but contains none of the hooks or the passion; and "Blue Collar" is a wannabe Bachman-Turner Overdrive track. Beat Street was blatant evidence that Prism was on their last legs, and their breakup finally occurred after this album was released. Capitol released an Over 60 Minutes with Prism collection in 1988, but none of Beat Street's tracks made the cut.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
John Bush
See Forever Eyes
The Canadian soft rock group Prism were formed in 1976 by vocalist Ron Tabak, guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, bassist Allan Harlow, drummer Rocket Norton, and keyboard player John Hall. Originally known as Stanley Screamer, the Vancouver group signed to GRT Records and released a self-titled debut album in 1977, See Forever Eyes the following year, and Armageddon in 1979. After Hall and Tabak left (Tabak was replaced by Henry Small), Prism signed with Capitol, releasing Young and Restless in 1980, Small Change in 1981, and -- after the band split up in 1982 -- Beat Street (1983). The greatest-hits album Over 60 Minutes with...Prism was released in 1988.
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''BEAT STREET''
1983
34:17
********************
1 Nightmare 04:29
2 Beat Street 04:19
3 Dirty Mind 03:33
4 Modern Times 03:56
5 Is He Better Than Me 03:20 (Richie Zito, David Sigerson)
6 Blue Collar 03:15
7 Wired Prism 03:50
8 State Of The Heart 03:12
9 I Don't Wanna Want You Anymore 04:17
Tracks By Henry Small, Richie Zito, David Sigerson, Except 5
********************
Prism:
Henry Small - lead vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Paul Warren - guitars
Additional personnel:
Richie Zito - guitars, backing vocals
Mike Baird - drums, percussion
Dennis Bellfield - bass guitar
Alan Pasqua - keyboards
Jimmy Phillips - keyboards
Michael Tempo - percussion
Timothy B. Schmit - backing vocals
Bill Champlin - backing vocals
Bobby Kimball - backing vocals
********************
ABOUT THE ALBUM
WIKIPEDIA
Beat Street is the seventh studio album by the Canadian pop rock band Prism. It was originally released in 1983 on the record label, Capitol, two years after Prism's successful album, Small Change. It was the last of two Prism studio albums featuring the lead vocalist Henry Small, who had replaced Ron Tabak after his forced departure in 1981. It features high-profile guest backing vocalists, including the Eagles' co-lead vocalist Timothy B. Schmit, Toto's lead vocalist Bobby Kimball and Chicago's lead vocalist Bill Champlin. The album is notably the band's first album not to feature their guitarist and founding member Lindsay Mitchell. The album was their last recording of original material until they officially reformed in 1987-88. In that incarnation of the band, Small was replaced by Darcy Deutsch.
Beat Street is more of a solo album by Henry Small than a Prism album as it features no other members of the band apart from guitarist Paul Warren, and it relies heavily on session musicians. The album was the last recording of original material under Prism's name until they officially reformed in 1987-88. They reformed without Small who was working on Who bassist John Entwistle's solo album "The Rock" which featured Small singing the lead vocals on all of its eleven tracks.
"Beat Street" was received negatively by the majority of music critics, and it was also a commercial disappointment, failing chart anywhere. However, Prism found some success with the single "I Don't Want to Want You Anymore." This single received quite a lot of radio airplay and peaked at number 37 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, Prism's last single (to date) to do so.
The album was re-released in the United States in January 2009 on Renaissance, featuring rare bonus content. The reissue was a CD which comprises 18-tracks. It includes the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; alongside five outtakes, and four alternate versions of the songs featured on the album.
Background
The original members of Prism had already left by the time the album was being recorded. The band's manager Bruce Allen owned the name and a new band was built around Small. However, Allen had a falling out with the president of EMI at the time over the management of Tom Cochrane. Suddenly the album, which at that point had been charting all over the east coast of the US, was basically pulled by Capitol. Small had put a touring band together, but Allen called and said the tour was cancelled. Soon afterward Prism was dropped from the label, and the band broke up.
Musical style
While much of the album follows the same formula as Prism's previous album, Small Change (1981), there was also a move towards more polished studio production as the band chose to utilise drum machines heavily instead of live drums. Hence, although Mike Baird is credited as drummer on the album's liner notes, he actually contributed very little drumming. The band also prominently used more synthesizers but fewer keyboards and electric piano.
********************
REVIEW/AMG
Mike DeGagne
Upon 1981's Small Change album, Prism fell apart. After the band brought in singer Henry Small to replace Ron Tabak, there were constant disagreements as to which route the group should take: a harder rock & roll one or one that was geared more toward radio pop. This led to a wholesale change within the lineup, and only Small was left when Beat Street was recorded in 1983. Even with Timothy B. Schmit helping out on vocals, Beat Street contains none of Prism's past arena rock charm or instrumental stamina. The tracks are watered-down attempts at playing pop/rock with lyrics that sound as if they've been written overnight. Without John Hall behind the keyboards or Tabak's singing, Prism just wasn't Prism anymore. Lackluster efforts like "Nightmare," "Wired," or "Dirty Mind" are muddled and stale; "Is He Better Than Me" tried to imitate the band's only Top 40 Billboard appearance of "Don't Let Him Know," but contains none of the hooks or the passion; and "Blue Collar" is a wannabe Bachman-Turner Overdrive track. Beat Street was blatant evidence that Prism was on their last legs, and their breakup finally occurred after this album was released. Capitol released an Over 60 Minutes with Prism collection in 1988, but none of Beat Street's tracks made the cut.
********************
BIOGRAPHY/AMG
John Bush
See Forever Eyes
The Canadian soft rock group Prism were formed in 1976 by vocalist Ron Tabak, guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, bassist Allan Harlow, drummer Rocket Norton, and keyboard player John Hall. Originally known as Stanley Screamer, the Vancouver group signed to GRT Records and released a self-titled debut album in 1977, See Forever Eyes the following year, and Armageddon in 1979. After Hall and Tabak left (Tabak was replaced by Henry Small), Prism signed with Capitol, releasing Young and Restless in 1980, Small Change in 1981, and -- after the band split up in 1982 -- Beat Street (1983). The greatest-hits album Over 60 Minutes with...Prism was released in 1988.
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