LASER LOVE

CBS 83795 (lp & cass)
UK release: 21/9/79

side one
Laser Love (3:28)
Joy (3:17)
Take Me Higher (4:31)
Life In The City (4:13)
Suspended Animation (4:52)

side two
Like The Power Of A jet (3:07)
One Rule For You (3:24)
Time To Think (3:28)
Timestar (4:36)
Check It Out (3:21)

All songs: Piercy/Banks, except 'Joy': Banks, Piercy, Russell, Twidell & 'Timestar': Banks

Peter Banks - Keyboards, Vocals.
Andy Piercy - Lead Vocals, Bass.
John Russell - Electric, Vocals.
Ivor Twidell - Drums.

Recorded : Various locations, including Air Studios, 1978 - 1979
Produced: Rupert Hine, Muff Winwood, Rhett Davious, John Leckie, ATF

Sleeve design: Roslav Szaybo

ATF's first album for CBS was in many ways their least cohesive. Recording sessions took place in different locations and with different producers making the final result almost a compilation rather than a considered work. Effectively a pop album, and marketed as such, with little thought to it's content. Thus, although it had a superb sleeve design, there was no lyric insert, for instance. On the cassette of the album, the tracks at the end of each side (Suspended Animation & Check It Out) were casually transposed, presumably to even out the playing length of each side.

Nevertheless, the sound of the album is probably their most exciting - in the sense of speed and power. Even though some of the tracks clock in at over four minutes, it doesn't seem so. The songs are generally fast and in your face, and the contrast with Signs of Change a total one. The band had been completely re-invented.

With a strong fan-base, and two modest hits in One Rule For You & Laser Love, the album charted soon after release.