Approved by the Motors
| Approved by the Motors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 May 1978[1] | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 45:35 | |||
| Label | Virgin (V2101) | |||
| Producer | Andy McMaster, Nick Garvey, Peter Ker | |||
| The Motors chronology | ||||
| ||||
Approved by the Motors is the second studio album by English rock band the Motors.[2] It was released on 5 May 1978. The album only spent 1 week in the UK Albums Charts reaching number 60.[3][4] Four singles came from the album, "Airport", "Forget About You", "Today" and "Sensation". The former two were the only successful singles from the album.
Background and production[edit]
The Motors had just completed a 5-week tour of the US when they started recording the album on 1 February 1978. The album was produced by Peter Ker and the two main songwriters in the group, Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster. It was mostly recorded at Pathway Studios, London and engineered by Andy Miller at IBC Studios and Pathway Studios, Basing Street Studios, Olympic Studios. This album used some material that had been written by McMaster and Garvey before the band had formed the year before.[5] The album cover was designed by Cooke Key Associates.
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Globe and Mail | B[7] |
| The Village Voice | B+[8] |
In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone, Jim Farber praised Approved by the Motors as "a near-perfect LP of pure, pulverizing pop in the best Sweet, Slade, and Pilot tradition, cutting through the cuteness of that genre with Nick Garvey's and Andy McMaster's dynamic dual vocals… the band sings sweetly about S&M activities, disarming the entire subject in the same endearing manner as Cheap Trick joyously trivializes suicide."[9] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice found the album to be "an enormous improvement" over the band's debut.[8] The Globe and Mail noted that the album "has the band moving into power pop, proving even punks follow yellow brick roads."[7]
AllMusic critic Chris Woodstra retrospectively wrote that Approved by the Motors "shows a marked improvement over their debut, with a stronger melodic base and catchier songs".[6] It has since been published by Rolling Stone as one of "20 Rock Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s That You Never Heard".[10]
Record Collector magazine's Joe Geesin said of the album:
"The music was a contrast to the debut album, featuring McMaster on keyboards, mainly on tracks he’d largely written, with Garvey switching between bass and guitar. More polished, melodic, and in some cases poppier too, but it still has its powerpop rock’n’roll moments. The roots hadn’t been lost completely...the album came with an inner sleeve and initially with an ‘Approved By’ sticker. In many territories the band picture on the front was mirrored on the back, making it hard to tell which way round it should be. With confidence growing, McMaster and Garvey produced the set themselves, with the help of Peter Ker, who’d engineered the November 1976 demos.[5]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Airport" | Andy McMaster | 4:36 |
| 2. | "Mamma Rock 'n' Roller" | McMaster, Nick Garvey, Gordon Hann, Bram Tchaikovsky | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Forget About You" | McMaster | 2:51 |
| 4. | "Do You Mind" | McMaster | 3:22 |
| 5. | "You Beat the Hell Outta Me" | Garvey, McMaster | 3:24 |
| No. | Title | Writers | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Breathless" | Garvey, McMaster, Hann | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Soul Redeemer" | McMaster | 2:40 |
| 3. | "Dreaming Your Life Away" | McMaster, Garvey, Hann | 4:48 |
| 4. | "Sensation" | Garvey, McMaster, Hann, Tchaikovsky | 3:22 |
| 5. | "Today" | McMaster | 3:59 |
| Total length: | 45:35 | ||
Charts[edit]
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 74 |
| United Kingdom (Official Charts Company) | 60 |
Personnel[edit]
- The Motors
- Nick Garvey - vocals, guitar, bass
- Bram Tchaikovsky - vocals, guitar
- Andy McMaster - vocals, bass, keyboards
- Ricky Slaughter (Ricky Wernham) - drums
References[edit]
- ^ "Music Week" (PDF). Music Week. 6 May 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ Greene, Jo-Ann (18 August 2006). "A Broad Abroad". Goldmine. Vol. 32, no. 17. p. 59.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "The Motors". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
- ^ a b "The Motors - Sleevenotes - Approved by The Motors". Joe Geesin. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ a b Woodstra, Chris. "Approved by the Motors – The Motors". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ a b Niester, Alan (6 September 1978). "Is There Life After New Wave?". The Globe and Mail. p. F10.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (31 July 1978). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ Farber, Jim (21 September 1978). "The Motors: Approved by the Motors". Rolling Stone. No. 274.
- ^ Edwards, Gavin (11 June 2015). "20 Rock Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s That You Never Heard". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 209. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
