STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 33108-VTI1201 LABEL: Word WRD3013 FORMAT: 12 inch vinyl Album RRP: £4.99
Reviewed by Mike Rimmer
It's amazing to think that Sheila Walsh, the Scottish lass who went to the USA and settled down to record Celtic-tinged inspirational music, ever sounded like this. Back in 1981, she was one of the original artists signed to the Chapel Lane record label and she was a new wave singer caught somewhere between Hazel O'Connor on the doomy synth pop "Here With Me" and Sheena Easton on the ballad "Back Into The Old Routine". At the time, Chapel Lane with their own studios were putting out pop music of quality and this was one such album. For me I always loved it when Walsh edged more towards the new wave of the era with songs like "Love In My Life" with some great guitar work form Norman Barratt, but really it's the synths that rule this album. The jerky rhythms of "You're So Important To Me" and the synth technology displayed on "Fear Of Silence" are very much of their era. Walsh moved from working for YFC to launching her career with this album and soon like the rest of pop music she moved away from new wave to more straight forward pop and then a career on TV. For me, I still remember her at the Albert Hall launch of the label in her bright shining silver suit, every inch a modern pop singer. And back in the day, this was a suitably modern record!
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Posted by Peter Anderson in Levittown, Pennsylvania USA @ 01:39 on Dec 4 2021
I was listening to Hazel O'Connor's music from "Breaking
Glass" when all of a sudden I thought of early Sheila Walsh.
I figured other people must have also seen some parallels
and Googled "Hazel O'Connor Sheila Walsh" and came to this
web page!
Sheila's new wave music was undeniably exciting and
energizing. I saw her in concert several times during those
days. I did feel sad when she veered towards mainstream pop!
I was listening to Hazel O'Connor's music from "Breaking Glass" when all of a sudden I thought of early Sheila Walsh. I figured other people must have also seen some parallels and Googled "Hazel O'Connor Sheila Walsh" and came to this web page!
Sheila's new wave music was undeniably exciting and energizing. I saw her in concert several times during those days. I did feel sad when she veered towards mainstream pop!