Blackfoot Vertical Smiles CD

Although they'd managed to become bona fide second-division stars in England, where their incomparably heavy brand of Southern rock and devastating live performances had thrilled nostalgic Skynyrd disciples and open-minded metalheads alike, Blackfoot had made dispiritingly little commercial headway in their own backyard: the American market. So as pressure mounted to deliver a hit for their label, Atco, Rickey Medlocke decided to invite former Uriah Heep keyboard player Ken Hensley to join the band -- a calculated move intended to modernize the group's sound for the synth-happy 1980s. But 1983's Siogo, though seemingly a passable compromise, still failed to yield any hits, so Blackfoot were literally put on notice prior to getting to work on their next effort, which was rejected upon initial delivery under the working title of Cry of the Banshee. The band was ordered back into the studio to try again, only without founding second guitarist Charlie Hargrett, who had quit under duress after being fingered as the scapegoat for all of the band's problems (including looking old playing "old-fashioned"-like...OK?). The resulting Vertical Smiles was finally released in the summer of 1984 and represented not only Blackfoot's creative fall from grace, but also delivered one of the most misogynistic title/cover tandems (the latter featuring a bunch of up-skirt Polaroids) since Montrose's equally tasteless and musically inadequate Jump on It eight years earlier. For starters, the first two songs on Vertical Smiles were covers (never a good sign), and although the perennial folk-rock favorite "Morning Dew" was remade into a pretty classy power ballad, the ensuing "Living in the Limelight" was doomed from the get-go for being composed by Chicago schmaltz king Peter Cetera (!!!), of all people -- need we say more? Of the seven originals that followed, few fared any better, being that most had what little lingering guitar grit they could muster summarily buried beneath a wash of unnecessary, glossy '80s synth lines -- particularly offensive on such titles as "Ride with You," the electronic-drum horror of "Heartbeat and Heels," and the intolerably insipid "Summer Days." Die-hard Blackfoot fans may be able to tolerate partially convincing hard rockers like "Get It On" and "Young Girl," but the surrounding embarrassments are simply too painful to warrant anyone else being exposed to the torment and disappointment that is Vertical Smiles. At least Charlie Hargrett might have had a laugh in retrospect. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Originally issued in 1984 and reached # 176 on the Billboard charts. Fans have been screaming for these albums to be issued on CD. At the time of it's album release it had a controversial cover, which has duplicated for the CD re-issue. Wounded Bird.

Blackfoot: Rick Medlocke (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars); Ken Hensley (keyboards, background vocals); Greg T. Walker (bass, background vocals); Jakson Spires (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Personnel: Rick Medlocke (vocals, guitar, guitar synthesizer, background vocals); Ken Hensley (keyboards, background vocals); Greg T. Walker (bass guitar, background vocals); Jakson "Thunderfoot" Spires (drums, percussion, background vocals).