LITTLE RIVER BAND – Cuts Like a Diamond – CD review

LITTLE RIVER BAND
Cuts Like a Diamond
Frontiers Records

“Have you heard about the lonesome loser, beaten by the queen of hearts every time, have you heard about the lonesome loser, he’s a loser, but he still keeps on tryin”. I’m not unconvinced that ‘Lonesome Loser’ by the Little River Band isn’t the greatest soft rock track of all time. It’s certainly up there, and their “Greatest Hits” is a constant on my iPod.

And here they are, a gazillion years on, without any original members, still plugging away on the US State Fair circuit, whipping up 50 somethings into a mild frenzy. In fact, it’s not long till they play Pig Trail’s HD Saloon Concert in Rogers, Arizona. Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t even think there’s any Australians left in this Australian band. I do recall that three founder members, Beeb Birtles, Glenn Shorrock, and Graham Goble tried to do some reunion shows about ten years back, but because former guitarist Stephen Housden (who joined the band in 1981) was the trademark owner of the name Little River Band, they had to perform as Birtles Shorrock Goble, without any reference to LRB.

But does it matter? Well, yes, it does. Is this a piece of shite. No, it’s not. But it’s not the Little River Band either. What it does is mix up their soft rock / smooth country, seventies sound with their eighties John Farnham fronted sound to good effect. The opening number, ‘The Lost and the Lonely’ is the most AOR track, which would have slotted nicely onto any one of the Farnham albums, whereas ‘Way Too Good’ and ‘What if You’re Wrong’ are the standout seventies soundalikes.

It’s a record that has a lot in common with modern, mainstream country, and is chock full of well crafted, melodic tunes. But it’s still not the LRB.

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