THE POWER STATION - LIVING IN FEAR

 

 

THE POWER STATION, a band which comprised half of DURAN DURAN as well as debonair crooner ROBERT PALMER and one time CHIC drummer TONY THOMPSON, is best known for the 1986 self titled album which produced the US and UK Top 40 singles SOME LIKE IT HOT and a cover of T-REX's GET IT ON. 

Although the album was a moderate trans-Atlantic commercial success, sales of it failed to live up to expectations. 

Following the album's release, a dispute between guitarist ANDY TAYLOR, bass guitarist JOHN TAYLOR, both from DURAN DURAN, and Palmer took place after Palmer inexplicably decided to bail out of a headlining US tour with THE POWER STATION to concentrate on recording his own solo album. 

Considering both the Taylors and Thompson backed Palmer to record his watershed RIPTIDE album, which included the smash hit ADDICTED TO LOVE, around the exact time when the THE POWER STATION first started life, it was pretty rude of Palmer to hang the other members of the band out to dry like he did. 

For a time it seems he was suffering a good bout of lead singers disease. It didn't take long for Palmer to take a bolt for good, and for a time he was replaced by actor/singer MICHAEL DES BARRES, but by years end (1985), the band disintegrated. 

Minus John Taylor, but with Palmer back in the fold following the 80`s falling out, THE POWER STATION recorded a completely forgotten about and obscure album in 1996 called LIVING IN FEAR, which besides the so-so half decent heavy rock guitar title track is really a very flat and lacklustre affair.

Former CHIC bass guitarist BERNARD EDWARDS had replaced Taylor for the recording of the album, but died of pneumonia while on tour in Japan. 

The rest of the band soldiered on to complete the tour with fill-ins, but THE POWER STATION died in the buttocks not long after. LIVING IN FEAR the song is the only song 'I dont mind' off the LIVING IN FEAR album. 

It really needed a couple of songs like ADDICTED TO LOVE or BAD CASE OF LOVING YOU instead of half a dozen forgettable fillers.