Streets – Crimes in Mind
Rock Candy Records

http://www.rockcandyrecords.com/

Rating: B+

Crimes in Mind is the follow up to Streets 1, which was highly sought after by fans of AOR.

Streets was founded by vocalist/keyboardist/songwriter Steve Walsh when he left Kansas and featured a more melodic/pop style of songwriting.  The first album made a splash but failed to sell in the numbers the band and record company had hoped for.  This album, the band’s sophomore effort, came and went quickly, despite the fact that it is the best album they released.  The music is still melodic, but has much more of a Kansas style progressive element.  Walsh sounds amazing and guitarist Mike Slamer’s songwriting collaborations with Walsh are very strong.

The album was produced by Beau Hill, who was riding high in the industry with his successful album Out of the Cellar by Ratt.  Together, band and producer created a fine effort that brought out the best in all the performers.  Walsh sounds amazing on the album’s best song, “The Nightmare Begins.”  “Broken Glass” is an emotional tune and “Don’t Look Back” features some snappy vocals and rocking music.

The next best track is the title track, “Crimes in Mind.” Here the band gels, and the song grows on the listener with each play.  In fact, there is little wrong with this album other than the fact that it failed to get the promotion needed from the record company to push them over the top. 

Commercial failure doomed the band, as Kansas once again came-a-calling. Walsh said, “There’s no place like home,” and took bass player Billy Greer with him to join the reformed band.

The album has been fully re-mastered, and features a great CD booklet which features in-depth interviews with Greer and Hill, along with enhanced artwork and photos.  Both Streets albums are worthy of being in any rock fan’s collection.  Crimes in Mind, despite being the more obscure of the obscure releases, and without having a hit single like “If Love Should Go” off the first album, is, beginning to end, the true gem here.

That said…we recommend purchasing both of them.  It’s good stuff from a day gone by which, it should be mentioned, is so much better than what we have today.

TRACK LISTING:
01. DON’T LOOK BACK
02. THE NIGHTMARE BEGINS
03. BROKEN GLASS
04. HIT ‘N RUN
05. CRIMES IN MIND
06. I CAN’T WAIT
07. GUN RUNNER
08. DESIREE
09. RAT RACE
10. TURN MY HEAD

By Jeb Wright