The Glitter Band's fourth U.K. album was also the first to be marketed under the band's new name --
the G Band, a bid for artistic credibility that unfortunately overlooked one crucial point. It was the missing "litter" that most people liked. But still, ten songs find the band manfully attempting to pursue the likes of
Smokie (and
the Sweet) into full-on adult rock territory and, if you overlook the group's heritage, much of it works. True, there is a horribly misjudged cover of
the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" to contend with, but the two-year-old hit "Goodbye My Love" proved they were capable of writing this kind of material, and "Lay Your Love on Me" and "Look What You've Been Missing" bookend a surprisingly enjoyable collection of songs. But the timing was all wrong, of course -- punk was looming, and the public appetite for "grown-up" music was at an all-time low. And neither a new name nor a new record label could change that. ~ Dave Thompson