Balance - Balance (1981) [2010 Rock Candy Remastered]

AMERICAN EAST Coasters, Balance were a mini super-group of sorts. Pride of place was taken by vocalist Peppy Castro a man whose CV boasted commercially successful stints with late sixties psych legends the Blues Magoos, pop rockers Barnaby Bye and an obscure but influential hard rock band called Wiggy Bits. Guitarist Bob Kulick had built a solid reputation as a super-session player contributing to diametrically opposed talent as Diana Ross and Kiss. Third man on board was yet another session wunderkind; that’s keyboard wizard Doug Katsaros.
Enlisting the help of NYC powerhouse managers Leber/Krebs and signing to the impressive Portrait label, a division of Columbia Records, Balance looked set to bulldoze their way into the hearts and minds of music fans coast to coast. Indeed, for a few exciting weeks the project looked set to explode when the track ‘Breaking Away’ caught fire at radio, reaching the dizzy heights of #22 on the US chart. Sadly, however, the momentum quickly dissolved leaving the band unable to capitalize on their good fortune.
Compared, at the time, to similar sounding acts such as Journey, Foreigner and Toto this album, originally released in 1981, contained a stunning array of top notch AOR with vocals and arrangements to die for. A finer combination of melody and muscle you will not find.”

Tracks:

1 (Looking For The) Magic
2 I'm Through Loving You
3 Breaking Away
4 No Getting Around My Love
5 Fly Through The Night
6 American Dream
7 Haunting
8 Falling In Love
9 Hot Summer Nights
10 It's So Strange

Personnel:

Peppy Castro: Lead and Backing Vocals
Bob Kulick: Guitars
Doug Katsaros: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Additional Musician
Bass – John Siegler (2, 3, 5 to 7, 9), Willie Weeks (1, 4, 8, 10)
Drums, Percussion – Andy Newmark
Strings – The Max Ellen Strings