New Mike + The Mechanics Album

[Dan Roth]

All this talk about the new Steve Hackett album and the Phil Collins tour - time for some new Mike Rutherford...



Mike and The Mechanics are returning with their eighth studio album this Spring entitled 'Let Me Fly', which comes following a 32-date tour across the UK beginning this weekend. The album features songs the likes of 'Are You Ready' and 'The Living Years'.

A hobby band? A side project? Hardly. In fact, it’s been 32 years and, with the release of Let Me Fly on April 7th, eight albums since Mike Rutherford formed Mike + The Mechanics, to complement rather than replace Genesis.

"In 1985 we were having the best time in Genesis," he remembers. "But after 28 years, myself Phil and Tony wanted variety, so we ran our band and our solo careers side by side happily for many years. To be honest, it saved Genesis. The fact I’m still doing it with the Mechanics just makes me smile."

Mike Rutherford has much to smile about right now and Let Me Fly distils everything that’s right about Mike + The Mechanics: the songwriting, the life-affirming uplift and the undercurrent of quirk.

Let Me Fly began to take off as the band toured 2011’s The Road, the first album featuring the current line-up: Rutherford himself (guitar/bass), Luke Juby (keyboards), Gary Wallis (drums), Anthony Drennan (guitar), plus vocalists Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar.

"The Mechanics hadn’t played live much, so we started to do what I’d done 40 years ago and build a name. We did Euro festivals, UK tours and small places and, yes, I really did wonder at my age if it was OK to be at Portsmouth Guildhall, but we got to be a great live band. The chemistry works because we’re all very different people, who’re fun and quirky - if there were any personality problems I couldn’t deal with that, I really couldn’t. We needed new songs though."

Mike’s friend Brian Rawling, producer of David Bowie, Tina Turner, Cher’s Believe and the Mike + The Mechanics’ hit Now That You’ve Gone played the role of Let Me Fly’s sounding board. Rawling introduced Mike to former Johnny Hates Jazz singer Clark Datchler and, in December 2015 a new songwriting partnership was born.

"We sat down together and from day one it worked. Clark’s a proper writer and he brought something new. I’d send him lines and he’d bring them to life. We never had a slow day."

Along the way, Mike also collaborated with old friend Fraser T. Smith (Kano, Kaiser Chiefs, Adele, Sam Smith) and Ed Drewett (One Direction, Professor Green), while both Mechanics singers collaborated too. Big studios were out. Instead, Mike and one of the singers would make a demo which would be passed around for the others to embellish and layer by layer, the songs evolved into something special. "You don’t go into studios any more: doing it this way feels like you’re working on the good bits all the time, but the songs really have to deliver."

The results pleased even the chief Mechanic himself. "The Road didn’t move anyone’s world as we made it just after we’d met. We’ve learned to play together now. For me, it’s about proving I can write a good song, but the older you get, the less you let yourself off with ’it’s not bad’, the less you pretend and the tougher you are on yourself. The hardest part of the whole process is staying relevant, but anyone who says success doesn’t matter is a liar: what you really want is people to like it. Then you feel it’s all been worth it. It’s as simple as that. Oh and my wife loves it, more than she’s loved an album of mine for a while! Trust me, that’s a really good sign."

The title track, Let Me Fly, performed by Andrew Roachford provided the album’s title and its emotional centre. "For the sleeve, we used a base jumper leaping around on a trampoline. He had to shave his head for the shoot. The phrase has a lovely, aspirational feel, but the song isn’t just about love, it’s about life. It’s got a great Roach vocal, a choir and it sounds fantastic. I imagine a guy on a hill just letting go and seeing what happens. If you don't try things, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

What next?

"I’ve never had a long-term plan, even with Genesis. I’ll put Let My Fly out and I’ll see where it goes. What happens this year will tell me what to do next. I like that!"

Track Listing

Let Me Fly
Are You Ready
Wonder
The Best Is Yet To Come
Save The World
High Life
Don’t Know What Came Over Me
The Letter
Not Out Of Love
Love Left Over
I’ll Be There For You
Save My Soul

[Flightwave]

Pre-ordered the vinyl. "The Road" took awhile to grow on me, but it did over time and next to M6 it's my favorite Mechanics album.

[wilcox660]

This band is truly a great live act! See them if you can!

[progfan915]

I'm a bit miffed that Mike is perfectly ok starting over from scratch with the mechanics mark 2, playing small shows and building up a fan base, but he was unwilling to do that with Ray and Tony. I know you can't really compare the two bands, but still...

[arturs]

^^^ I've thought about that too. Probably the record label and promoter pressure given the "genesis" name was too great. What? You can't play theaters! You need to play arenas, then xxx fans will buy the album! (back when fans still did buy the albums, that is...). And we're putting a big marketing effort behind the album. Etc.

Does Mike ever address this issue in his bio?

[Dan Roth]

^^^ I've thought about that too. Probably the record label and promoter pressure given the "genesis" name was too great. What? You can't play theaters! You need to play arenas, then xxx fans will buy the album! (back when fans still did buy the albums, that is...). And we're putting a big marketing effort behind the album. Etc.

Does Mike ever address this issue in his bio?

Mike's bio was 239 pages and this is the entirety of what he wrote about the CAS era:

"Do I regret Calling All Stations? No: professionally I don't really regret anything. We did it because Tony and I had written some songs together that we liked. We had replaced a singer before, although I was very aware that the hill to climb was pretty big this time around.

Ray Wilson did a good job as a vocalist but he wasn't a writer. Without a third writer, there was no one to glue Tony and me together; we didn't have anyone to pull us back into the middle ground, the center of the Venn diagram. I'd never been aware before of how far apart Tony and I were musically until this album. It only hit me then that Phil was the one who reined us both in, took what we did best and found a setting for it. Calling All Stations was released in 1997 and sold two million copies - not bad - but when the record was released, I also sensed that the mood had changed in terms of radio play. We were becoming a catalogue act. Tony and Ray were keen to carry on but I knew we'd have to bring in another writer. To me it felt right to just stop there - no real harm done."

[bondegezou]

Along the way, Mike also collaborated with old friend Fraser T. Smith (Kano, Kaiser Chiefs, Adele, Sam Smith)

Or, in prog circles, better known for his work with Rick and then Adam Wakeman.

Henry

[saucyjackstl]

"What came over me" really didn't do anything for me. I was hoping for something that didn't sound so dated.

[Drake]

The Tears for Fears thread was moved to off-topic ...

[Rufus]

Paul Carrack?

Used to be a fan of the Paul Carrack & Paul Young line up albums but everything since then is just too MOR and bland.
Agree they're still a good live act though!

[PotatoSolution]

"Ray Wilson did a good job as a vocalist but he wasn't a writer."

I guess the songs on Ray's solo albums were written by magic song fairies?

[Wah3]

I saw Mike and the Mechanics at Pier 84 in Manhattan in the summer of '86. Good show but I was disappointed that he didn't play some of the more progressive tracks off the then current Living Years album. Or any off Smallcreeps. He did play the Genedis outtake A Call To Arms.

The 2004 Shepherd's Bush DVD concert is a good one

[JJ88]

I guess the songs on Ray's solo albums were written by magic song fairies?

Rutherford has made similar comments about Hackett- all that 'I always thought Steve was a stronger player than writer' stuff. It's a little disappointing. The weaker parts of CAS have Rutherford's stamp, IMHO- the bland ballads akin to M&TMs album fillers. Much like this new song, in fact.

Used to be a fan of the Paul Carrack & Paul Young line up albums but everything since then is just too MOR and bland.
Agree they're still a good live act though!

Can't work out why you'd like these and hate 80s Genesis so much. M&TMs are far more middle-of-the-road in my view.

I think there are some really good songs from M&TMs, though, and having singers of the calibre of Paul's Carrack and Young undoubtedly didn't hurt. Without those two (and sadly Young has long since passed) I have less interest, personally. Fair play to him for keeping at it though, they seem to tour fairly regularly these days.

[Rufus]

Rutherford has made similar comments about Hackett- all that 'I always thought Steve was a stronger player than writer' stuff. It's a little disappointing. The weaker parts of CAS have Rutherford's stamp, IMHO- the bland ballads akin to M&TMs album fillers. Much like this new song, in fact.



Can't work out why you'd like these and hate 80s Genesis so much. M&TMs are far more middle-of-the-road in my view.

I think there are some really good songs from M&TMs, though, and having singers of the calibre of Paul's Carrack and Young undoubtedly didn't hurt. Without those two (and sadly Young has long since passed) I have less interest, personally. Fair play to him for keeping at it though, they seem to tour fairly regularly these days.

I thought the debut and Living Years had some crackings songs, Silent Running, Hanging by a Thread, A Call to Arms, Nobody's Perfect, Poor Boy Down and Don't had a bit more punch than 80's Genesis, M&tM just rocked out a bit more for me!

[Scott Bails]

I guess the songs on Ray's solo albums were written by magic song fairies?

I didn't realize that Ray Wilson collaborated with Jon Anderson?

[yamishogun]

I thought the debut and Living Years had some crackings songs, Silent Running, Hanging by a Thread, A Call to Arms, Nobody's Perfect etc had a bit more punch than 80's Genesis, M&tM just rocked out a bit more for me!

Interesting.

I can't find much I like on the debut album apart from Silent Running but maybe I didn't listen enough. I'll check it out again and report back The Living Years, Word of Mouth and Beggar on a Beach of Gold are all excellent. Then the drop off starts.... still liked half of Rewired.

[Library Jon]

I have actually seen Mike + The Mechanics twice over the years. I saw them at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia on the Living Years tour with the original lineup. I also saw them down in Atlantic City a few summers ago with the current lineup. Both were a little different from the other but I still enjoyed each of them a lot.


Library Jon

[Big Ears]

One of the things that I liked about Mike and the Mechanics was Paul Young's handling of the songs. Roachford's voice is quite different, so perhaps this should be Mike and the something else. No Paul Young and Paul Carrack = No Mechanics. I hasten to add I am not saying Roachford is a bad singer, but he is not my cup of char.

[Rufus]

I have actually seen Mike + The Mechanics twice over the years. I saw them at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia on the Living Years tour with the original lineup. I also saw them down in Atlantic City a few summers ago with the current lineup. Both were a little different from the other but I still enjoyed each of them a lot.


Library Jon

Ditto, saw the Living Years tour and the recent line up at a smallish club!
Paul Carrack has a very strong and loyal UK fan base and tours annually. He gets quite a bit of air time on Radio 2. His solo music is miles away from what he did with M&tM, Ace and Squeeze, still got a great voice but his music isn't my cup of char !

[Tangram]

Mike's bio was 239 pages and this is the entirety of what he wrote about the CAS era:

"Do I regret Calling All Stations? No: professionally I don't really regret anything. We did it because Tony and I had written some songs together that we liked. We had replaced a singer before, although I was very aware that the hill to climb was pretty big this time around.

Ray Wilson did a good job as a vocalist but he wasn't a writer. Without a third writer, there was no one to glue Tony and me together; we didn't have anyone to pull us back into the middle ground, the center of the Venn diagram. I'd never been aware before of how far apart Tony and I were musically until this album. It only hit me then that Phil was the one who reined us both in, took what we did best and found a setting for it. Calling All Stations was released in 1997 and sold two million copies - not bad - but when the record was released, I also sensed that the mood had changed in terms of radio play. We were becoming a catalogue act. Tony and Ray were keen to carry on but I knew we'd have to bring in another writer. To me it felt right to just stop there - no real harm done."

Ray Wilson writes. He was not there early when Mike and Tony started working on the album. A bit of revisionist history on Mikes part.

That said, I have a bunch of their albums but I didn't check out the last album. Not progressive but Carrack and Young where excellent on those albums.

[Gruno]

I will check this disc out. I have most of the Mike+The Mechanics releases. I quite enjoy the first 2 and the others have some decent tracks scattered throughout.

[everyday]

Rutherford has made similar comments about Hackett- all that 'I always thought Steve was a stronger player than writer' stuff.

I always thought MR was a better 12 string player than either bassist or guitarist or writer!

[aith01]

I always thought MR was a better 12 string player than either bassist or guitarist or writer!

Oh boy, here we go...

*sigh*

Whatever.

Anyway, I like Mike's songwriting. I think Smallcreep's Day is the best example of Mike's capabilities, but I even like some Mike+The Mechanics stuff too.

[Jefferson James]

I'm surprised people are still writing and releasing music like this, as if there's a market or a need to fill. Maybe commercials?

[everyday]

Oh boy, here we go...

*sigh*

Whatever.

Anyway, I like Mike's songwriting. I think Smallcreep's Day is the best example of Mike's capabilities, but I even like some Mike+The Mechanics stuff too.

Sorry - Smallcreep's Day is great as are the first 2 M+TM albums (but then I was a massive Sad Cafe fan too). Can't abide Acting Very Strange or Rewired. The other M+TM albums are OK. I just don't like some of the comments he seems to have made about other members of Genesis.