`INTO THE FIRE` WAS A BIT OF A MISFIRE

After the rip roaring trailblazing phenominal success of his 1984
album RECKLESS, Bryan Adams like many overnight rock stars was
faced with the challenge of backing up and recording the follow-
up to such a career defining album. The album which he come up
with, INTO THE FIRE, from 1987, was markedly introspective and
downbeat in comparison to the raw and rollicking stripped down
rhythm and blues of RECKLESS. The album was largely met with a
thumbs down by music critics, most of the criticism was direct-
ed at the more serious songwriting on offer rather than Adams`
attempt to make a seriously good fist of playing some good mu-
sic against some muddled and contrived lyrics. You`d have to
say for the most part INTO THE FIRE is a misfire which is re-
deemed by a few decent rockers. The only singles success off
the album was the mediocre but pleasant big chorused HEAT OF
THE NIGHT, the dynamics of BA`s backing band, notably Mickey
Currey on drums, was INTO THE FIRE`s saving grace, and this
opening minor hit is one of three or maybe four songs which
deserve to be unearthed. The heaviest song in the set is the
brooding VICTIM OF LOVE, kind of like when 80`s pop meets
`Never Say Die` era of late 70`s Sabbath. Like most of Black
Sabbath from the late 70`s, it is rather unconvincing heavy
metal but it still has some teeth about it. The title track is
less structured and more in the mould of something you`d
expect from Don Henley, moody, atmospheric but to me a
bit too muddled. The two epics on the album, NATIVE SON, a
song inspired by the plight of canadian native Indians, and a
sobering view on the aftermath of war, REMEMBRANCE DAY,
are wonderful from a lyrical perspective but BA just doesn`t
seem to be totally comfortable with his re-incarnation as a
serious minded artist singing such strong themed introspec-
tive songs. The closest you get to RECKLESS on INTO THE
FIRE is the ballsy rocker HEARTS ON FIRE, which is most
probaly my favourite song on here, while the final song
HOME AGAIN sees BA once again exploring the Don Henley
style in a more subdued but convincing manner than the
more celebrated title track. The songs ANOTHER DAY and
REBEL are way too forced in lyrical terms and not even
BA could save them from falling into the second genera-
tion RECKLESS category with some enthusiastic playing.
The album signalled the end of the very fruitful asso-
ciation between Bryan Adams and his long time musical
producer Jim Vallance, the man who co-wrote the album
as well as RECKLESS, BA would then go on to use the
services of legendary tweaker Mutt Lange for his big
commercial comeback WAKING UP THE NEIGHBOURS
in 1991. A bit of a lemon but not a total doozer.