Gone Digital: Phil Lynott, Craig Mirijanian, Ullanda McCullough, Poco, and Plasticland
If it’s Tuesday, then it must be time for Gone Digital, our weekly look at five albums in Rhino’s digital catalog that you may not even realize were out there for your listening enjoyment. As ever, the types of music we’ll be covering will be all over the place, but that’s Rhino for you: we’re all about variety!
• Phil Lynott, SOLO IN SOHO (1980): After years of fronting Thin Lizzy, Lynott ventured out on his own – without actually leaving his full-time gig, mind you – and released this solo album, endeavor. In addition to past and current members of his band popping up to play on the LP, other guests include Mark Knopfler, whose guitar solo on the single, “King’s Call,” is instantly recognizable, and Huey Lewis, who plays harmonica on two songs, “Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love)” and “Ode to a Black Man.” (Lewis covered the former track on 1982’s PICTURE THIS, by Huey Lewis and The News.)
• Craig Mirijanian, A PERFECT FIT (1980): If you’re a fan of the West Coast AOR sound of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, then you’ll want to check out this album immediately. Signed to Warner Brothers by Gary Katz and Lenny Waronker, Mirijanian was already a well-known singer-songwriter on the east coast when he secured his deal, and while the resulting album failed to increase his profile significantly, it’s a star-packed album for those who know their musicians, with appearances by Tony Kaye (Yes), Rusty Young (Poco), Leland Sklar, Bob Glaub, Mark Goldenberg, Steve Forman, Leon Gaer, Scott Chambers, and David Kember.
• Ullanda McCullough, ULLANDA MCCULLOUGH (1981): Though arguably better known for her work as a backing vocalist than a leading one, this LP by McCullough – her second overall, but her first of two LPs for Atlantic – showed that she had the stuff to make it on her own...or, rather, she would have if enough listeners had found it at the time. Thankfully, it’s never too late to discover a great R&B album, so give it a spin now and enjoy this underrated album.
• Poco, INAMORATA (1984): The last of Poco’s albums for Atlantic, not to mention the last album they’d release anywhere for half a decade, this LP offered guest appearances from a number of former band members, including Richie Furay, George Grantham, and Timothy B. Schmidt. Listening to it now, there is no question that it was recorded in 1984, as it sounds every bit of that particular year, but there are still a number of incredibly catchy tunes in the mix, making it worth a listen for anyone who appreciates Poco.
• Plasticland, WONDER WONDERFUL WONDERLAND (1985): These guys hailed from Milwaukee, but if you’d thought they were part of the Paisley Underground after listening to them, it’s easy to understand why. This album is full of the sort of psychedelia-tinged garage rock that filled the Nuggets compilations, so if you dig those, then you’ll dig this, too.
