FM - Tough It Out [Rock Candy remaster] (2012)

Genre - Hard Rock / Melodic Rock / AOR Label - Rock Candy

Track listing -

01 - Tough It Out

02 - Don't Stop
03 - Bad Luck
04 - Someday (You'll Come Running)
05 - Everytime I Think Of You
06 - Burning My Heart Down
07 - The Dream That Died
08 - Obsession
09 - Can You Hear Me Calling?
10 - Does It Feel Like Love?
11 - Feels So Good
12 - Hurt Is Where The Heart Is (bonus track)
13 - This Could Be The Last Time (bonus track)
14 - Someday (You'll Come Running) [Extended Version] (bonus track)
15 - Alibi (bonus track)
16 - Everytime We Touch (bonus track)

FM's debut album, ‘Indiscreet’, set the scene perfectly for the bands follow up.

This was a British band with their eyes set firmly on the American market, playing music equal to, if not superior, than masters of the craft such as Foreigner, Journey and Survivor.
That they had not earned a significant sales foothold was shocking but it only fuelled their resolve to come back out swinging with their sophomore album, the stoically titled "Tough It Out".
This time around they were taking no chances. Arming themselves with new management (REO Speedwagon's representative) a top notch producer in Neil Kernon and topping off their determination by collaborating with some of the best songwriters (including Desmond Child) of the day they constructed an album of serious potential.

Originally issued in 1989, "Tough It Out" takes all the excitement of their first album and infuses it with top class production and an energy that suggested they weren't going to take any prisoners.
Mixed by Nigel Green (Def Leppard), the album contains eleven stunning slices of melodic AOR, including such crowd pleasers as "Don't Stop", "Bad Luck", "Burning My Heart Down" and "Someday (You'll Come Running)".
As always, Steve Overland must be credited for his superlative performance - outstanding vocals that turn quality songs into exploding supernovas of melody and sophistication.
The end result is truly, one of the greatest AOR albums of all time.

This Rock Candy 24-bit remastering from the original source tapes sounds excellent as usual, plus 5 bonus tracks originally appeared as b-sides, including the rare and really hard to find "Everytime We Touch", making this the definitive edition of this classic album.
The rematering is excellent, really giving these AOR classics a new lease of life.

this is a must have for any FM fan, and an essential release for fans of the AOR / Melodic Rock genre's in general.

Rating 9/10