Liar’s “lost” third album from 1978 finally gets a release. And it’s a cracker!
Liar formed in the mid-1970s by ex-Edison Lighthouse man Dave Taylor. This slightly pre-dated NWOBHM, however the band did have Steve Mann in there who of course went on to stints with the excellent Tytan and Lionheart.
Back to Liar. A debut album (Straight from the Hip) and a high-profile tour as support to Slade (who were massive at the time) looked to have put the band on the road to success.
That looked even more likely after the second album (Set the World on Fire) built the momentum. It was one of the first albums issued on picture disc vinyl – very trendy back then. I often think back to seeing it on display in an old music/record shop in Sheffield (Wilson Peck or perhaps the one on Chapel Walk whose name I can’t recall) and never having enough pocket money to buy it.
Set the World on Fire went down a storm in the States and Liar was set to go out as support to Styx in ’78 until the record company took the unfathomable decision to pull it deciding as the album was doing so well then Liar could headline on their own tour. Ooops. Did not work.
A third album was called for with the band settled in to Stevie Wonder’s studio to record it and living in a house on Sunset Plaza Drive – hence the title of the album.
However – more bad luck for Liar. Record company/legal wranglings took the wind out of the sails one last time which not even anther big support slot (this time to UFO in 1979) could salvage.
Liar no more, Sunset Plaza Drive not released………….until now in March 2020. Some 42 years after it should have been out.
And those 42 years have not aged it at all. It’s a fresh sounding album of rock songs in the more melodic range not dissimilar to a bit of Journey/Boston/Angel/Foreigner mixture with a UK “twist” giving the harder edge.
Check out the opener – Judy Teens. Excellently crafted rocker kicking in after the gently intro. Chunky, beefy riff, clever bass lines, crystal clear vocals and fine solo work.
The rest of the album flies by such is the listening pleasure. Eleven superb songs and a tight band which surely should have been up there with the likes of Boston et al given an even break.
Two words now about Sunset Plaza Drive – they are simply: buy it!
>> SUNSET PLAZA DRIVE BY LIAR ON AMAZON HERE <<
I hope the four decade old “lost” album might bring about the re-issue of Straight from the Hip and Set the World on Fire perhaps. Now that would be something to look forward to.
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