Stealer - Stealer

Eric · September 2020

ARTIST: Stealer
ALBUM: Stealer
LABEL: MCA
SERIAL: MCA-5292
YEAR: 1982

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

LINEUP: Robin Miller - lead vocals, guitars * Randy Koontz - bass, vocals * Tony Russo - keyboards, vocals * Lee Kix - drums

TRACK LISTING: 01 On My Own Again * 02 E.S.P * 03 If You Want Me * 04 Ready Or Not * 05 Never Again * 06 I've Got To Fight * 07 Hold Tight * 08 Your Heart Will Burn * 09 Tell Me It's Love * 10 Johnny

Background

One of the many major label tax write-off AOR albums that wonderfully cluttered record bins in the early '80s, Stealer never stood a chance but was and still is a tasty morsel of Reagan-era radio rock.

Biographical information is almost non-existent and although I recognise bassist Randy Koontz from his work with glam songstress Cheryl Dilcher, the remaining Stealer line-up just doesn't ring a bell and I hope our knowledgeable staff and readership can fill in the blanks at some point.

The Songs

My first ear-bending introduction to Stealer was via the albums only single 'On My Own Again' which was played on a classic rock station in my area. A typical period piece of radio friendly pop rock, fans of All Sports Band, 4 Out Of 5 Doctors and Thrills will get a charge from this little jewel.

Traces of skinny tie power pop and the Greg Kihn Band can be found in the Stealer brew much to my delight especially on cuts like 'If You Want Me' and 'Ready Or Not', but the best tune is saved for side two with 'Hold Tight'. Like a loose version of Frankie & The Knockouts and Robert Berry's Hush, the song is everything that made early '80s AOR so much fun before it became hairy and over produced with cool keys and a hook that slowly draws this listener in.

'Your Heart Will Burn' is just as nifty and while overall nothing on the album broke new ground in terms of creativity, it still stands as a nice little artefact from a bygone era and worth a spin or two every once in awhile.

In Summary

Like so many AOR albums from the early days, its unlikely this will ever see reissue on CD, but then again stranger things have happened.

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