The Bears - The Bears (1987)

The debut album from the Bears is a solid slice of great guitar-driven pop tunes. Although Adrian Belew was seen nominally as the frontman, this was truly a band; four friends who had known each other for years, playing for pure joy. Songwriting duties were shared, with each member contributing at least one track, and they also wrote several together as a team. The tunes are tight, smart pop gems, distinguished from so many other bands by the wild antics of Belew's guitar. Although he doesn't have the immediately identifiable tone of Belew, Rob Fetters is no slouch on guitar himself, and their playing styles complement each other nicely. Belew and Fetters share the lead vocal duties, and their vocal harmonizing is up to the standards set by Lennon and McCartney. The rich upright electric bass of Bob Nyswonger and the crisp drumming of Chris Arduser anchor the band perfectly, as Belew and Fetters sing and play their hearts out. You can tell that this was a band that really enjoyed playing together (especially in a live setting), and that comes across loud and clear, even on a recording.~© Sean Westergaard /TiVo