I’m a little bit late with this review as my team (Morecambe) did the impossible and reached Wembley for a play-off final. Not only this but they actually went out and won the bloody thing! It’s been mayhem ever since. Ok, so I couldn’t resist the indulgence. 87 years of (non-league) history then bang all the excitement comes at once. The point is in the meanwhile Roadstar have split up. So the delay has actually saved me looking a bigger arse than usual.  

Yes, incredibly the group have split from manager Laurie Mansworth, just as ‘Glass Mountain’ hits the high street. At the time of writing (May 2007) the band say they are moving on from Roadstar. Whether this will be under a new name or just going their separate ways I know not. So clearly the relevance of this CD has changed somewhat.  

It’s all a bit of a pity really as ‘Glass Mountain’ (daft title) isn’t the worst thing I’ve heard this year. If blues rock is your thing this ticks most of the right boxes. However it’s still a bit ‘music by numbers’ and it is no secret that Mansworth pens a few songs for the band and maybe this is the reason behind the split. Roadstar wear their influences on their sleeve on ‘Glass mountain’. If only they’d worn their hearts instead. Some of this stuff is so obviously ripped off it does make you cringe a little.

Yet for all that there are still plenty of satisfying moments. Opener ‘Feel Me Come Alive’ has the trademark Roadstar chorus. ‘Around Again’ and ‘Bring On the Good Times’ are catchy little things and last track ‘If You Say’ actually has a semblance of originality. The latter is a gem and is the sort of country rock that goes down a bundle in the states right now.

This band (did) have potential. But perhaps they feel that in order to achieve it they needed to split from the management. If only they’d been more like themselves and not so contrived it might have been a different story for Roadstar. Maybe they’ll eventually resurface under a new guise when they have freed themselves from the usual record company/management stuff. I wish them well as ‘Glass Mountain’ isn’t the worst swan song I’ve ever heard.

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Track Listing

Feel Me Come Alive
Around Again
Bite The Bullet
Last Survivor
Hold My Love
Rays
Steam
Whatever Makes You Feel Good
Glory
Bring On The Good Times
If You Say