Mike Rutherford (of Genesis) and Mike & The Mechanics

I'm doing one of my "listen through an artist's output in chronological order- albums, singles, B-sides, everything" days - and this time the recipient is Mr Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford.

Smallcreep's Day, Acting Very Strange and onto the Mike and the Mechanics albums.

Anyone a fan?

Received wisdom says the best albums are Smallcreep and the first M&M album, and I think received wisdom is probably right. I enjoyed 'Acting Very Strange' a lot though, once I stopped listening for Smallcreep part 2 and just listened to what it was - a kind of new wave rock/pop album with some catchy tunes.

After that, Living Years has its moments, as does Beggar on a Beach of Gold, but my goodness there are a lot of bland ballads and generic "rockers" to negotiate as you progress onto the latter years.

I've just finished M6, I'm not convinced I can take Rewired just now, and I don't think I've ever made it all the way through The Road so today probably isn't the day!

 

I'm a fan definitely.

I really like Acting Very Strange - his voice isn't good but some of the songs are really strong - Halfway There or Who Is Fooling Who for example could have been big hits in the right hands - love Copeland's drumming as well.

All of the Mechanics albums have their moments, I actually really like M6 and prefer it to Beggar but they're both way too long. Rewired has at least 2 good songs on it...the Road is one of the dullest albums I've ever heard though...

Word of Mouth even Rutherford doesn't like but again some great songs, Get Up is a corker, never understood why they withdrew the single, Let's Pretend it Didn't Happen is also a favourite.

Hello from a fellow Surbitonite by the way (pretty much anyway!)

 

I thought The Road was really good. I listened to it quite a bit in the summer of 2011. Way more than Rewired in 2004. I only heard M6 maybe once or twice.

 

I like Mike and the Mechanics. Big fan of the group. Really like Begger on a Beach of Gold. M6 is good also as far as the later material. Went crazy and started trying to buy all the CD singles from The Mechanics. Some great stuff that was left off the albums. Now most of it is on the 2 CD set that they released.

Pat

 

I may need to relisten, The Road bored me stupid on first few listens. Will give it another go.

 

I love Smallcreep's Day but don't care for the rest of his solo output.

In Genesis, Mike is their secret weapon imo, brilliant musician who wrote so many great riffs and songs thruout their storied career.

 

I agree and that's why I like Acting Very Strange because it shows how capable he is of writing fabulous pop, even if he doesn't have the voice to deliver it. People think Collins turned them into a pop band but Follow You, Follow Me was, as i recall primarily a Rutherford tune.

 

Mike came up with the riff, but the song was group written. Mike also with the lyrics so you could say the love song aspect was his.

 

Love Smallcreap's Day, the first Mike & The Mechanics album is nice as well, but the rest of his music outside of Genesis leaves me cold.

 

Huge fan of the "Smallcreep's Day" sidelong suite. The best thing ever released by a Genesis member.

 

Like the Mike + the Mechanics AF gold. Never delved deeper than having "The Living Years" on a Paul Carrack comp. Lot of commercial success during the mid to late '80's.

 

I was always amazed by the transition Rutherford underwent.

From stoner...



...to hipster...



...to finally aristocrat.

 

Smallcreep's Day, I had that once on CD. Good album, interesting songs. I haven't heard Acting Very Strange, but I still believe it was a wise choice - as Banks and Hackett also did to a degree - to have different people sing lead. I like Noel McCalla, I recognized that voice straight out of Manfred Mann. Working in Line could have been a single, maybe. Rutherford always had super pop credentials. Much respect for the man from here. And as a bass player - brilliant.

 

Smallcreep's Day is certainly a highlight. Acting Very Strange is hit and miss, I'd say.
The Mike + Mechanics stuff I generally like overall. The first two albums are quite good, and Rewired has also been a favorite...decent songs and a fresher sound. I have not heard The Road, but hope to pick it up sometime.

 

Found a white label promo of Smallcreep's day last week, bought Acting very strange some time in the last year too, plus the first two Mechanics albums. Not spent a lot of time with them yet, but the Mike and the Mechanics albums are pretty good I think.

Probably spent about $5 on it all.

 

Put me down as a fan of Smallcreep's and Acting Very Strange. None of the M&M stuff grabbed me much.

Mike is one of my favorite, and very underrated, bass players. His basslines I felt always had a very melodic feel to them.

 

Smallcreep's Day is classic. Time And Time Again is one of the finest ballads any member of the Genesis family has ever written, along with The End Of The Day. Album opener Moonshine is top-flight prog, with original Genesis member Anthony Philips' keyboards emulating Tony Banks' style.

That's right--Ant Phillips, the original Genesis guitarist, played keyboards on the entire album!

 

Smallcreep's Day passes muster and has some pretty interesting material. After that things slipped rapidly and dramatically. M & M stuff is nothing more than 'clever', nicey-nice, bland, unchallenging AOR, verging on easy listening. I just can't stomach it I'm afraid, despite Carrack being a fellow Sheffielder!

 

Always enjoyed BOTBOG as a basic pop album. Saw them perform it back in the 90s and was very good.

 

Smallcreep's Day is one of my very favorite records, and I enjoyed the first 2 M+tM albums...

 

I have Smallcreep's Day on CD but have never listened to it. Might have to rectify that this week.

Pat

 

Was Simon Phillips the drummer on that album? Anyone know what hes been up to lately?

 

Yes he was. But no, I don't know.

 

Doooooo it! If you like "And Then There Were Three" and/or "Duke" I'd be shocked if you didn't find something you liked.

 

I have the S/T Mike + the Mechanics album, along with Beggar On A Beach Of Gold.

I need to get Smallcreep's Day, though; heard good things. What's the preferred CD version?