Radiator - Isn't It Strange (1977) [Japanese Edition] (2007)

The only album from this well-crafted British group of the 70s – a sextet that features a fair bit of vocal work from Alan Hull of Lindisfarne, but in a way that's very different than his material for that earlier group! As with an artist like Al Stewart, these guys clearly started out in folk, but really electrify things and work in a different style overall – using some of the best new Brit studio techniques to layer in some subtle energy to the tunes, but in ways that are different from the tighter American styles used in AOR. The results are pretty nice overall, and a great reminder that in 1977, British record companies still had a lot more on their minds than punk rock – as you'll hear on titles that include "Spittin In The Wind", "Isn't It Strange", "Lay Back & Dream", "Love Is The Alibi", "A Walk In The Sea", "Corporation Rock", and "Madmen & Loonies".