Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

The pioneering UK rockers were signed to CBS in 1978 and immediately began work on this, their label debut. With three different producers, it's amazing that the sound of this record was so consistent. The majority of the album was produced by Muff Winwood and the majority of the album consisted of songs that had become live favourites. The band had worked hard to create a live following and in the summer of 1979, shortly before the album's release, they had played a triumphant headline gig at Greenbelt. To coincide with 'Laser Love''s appearance in record shops, the band played an extensive UK universities tour. At the time they were touted as a band with a new sound since Peter Banks' synth was the driving ingredient of this album. "One Rule For You" had been a top 30 hit and the title track had hovered around the outside of the charts. Neither effort won them a place on TOTP which might have done them some good. A single version of "Life In The City" included John Russell's crunchy guitar riff and a little remixing but again didn't make a chart showing. Upbeat live favourites like "Power Of A Jet" and "Check It Out" got their definitive versions here. The album also highlighted the band's knack for creating catchy instrumental with two included here with "Joy" a firm favourite and often used as a concert opener. This was a good opening gambit for launching the band but the band's momentum was subsequently stalled when drummer Iva Twydell left and the challenge of finding a suitable replacement meant their next album was delayed.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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