Runaway Dreams 1980-1992 Coffret Deluxe

Description

The new wave of British heavy metal from the late 70s and early 80s gave us many influential and enduring rockers; Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh in Northern Ireland gifted us Mama's Boys, featuring the McManus brothers: Pat on guitar, John on bass and vocals, and Tommy on drums. The young trio came from a family of musicians steeped in traditional Irish music, but the McManus brothers developed a more rock-oriented sound when their band Pulse discovered the Irish rockers Horslips. When a DJ jokingly referred to the young group as "Mama's Boys," the name stuck. An independent band in the true sense of the word, they released a number of now highly collectible 45s, as well as the self-financed "Official Bootleg" (CD1) in 1980 – essentially their demo, pressed on vinyl to be sold at concerts. Attracting attention across the water, they were invited to play a number of major slots, including Hawkwind in 1982, the farewell tour of Thin Lizzy in 1983, opening for Wishbone Ash, and ultimately a prestigious appearance at the 1983 Reading Rock Festival. In 1982, the band released their second self-financed recording, "Plug It In" (CD2), featuring the single "Needle in The Groove." The album and single earned them support from major and influential British magazines, such as Sounds and Kerrang!. Their third album, "Turn It Up" from 1983, was even more acclaimed, with Kerrang! praising it as "Another leap forward!" Mama's Boys were then signed by Jive Records, recording a number of commercially successful albums in the 1980s and gaining significant visibility in the U.S. through rotation on MTV, before releasing "Relativity" (CD4) in 1992. Unfortunately, this was Mama's Boys' last album. However, this collection is complemented by "B-Sides & Rarities (1980-1992)" (CD5), a compilation of early singles and non-album tracks, including "Rollin' On," "High Energy Weekend," "Belfast City Blues," and concluding with a live version from 1992 of Slade's classic, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now." The set includes liner notes based on new interviews with Pat McManus from the band.