Living Years is the second album by Mike + The Mechanics, released in 1988. The album reached number 13 on the US Billboard 200 and number 2 on the UK Albums Chart.Mike + the Mechanics UK charts history, The Official Charts. Retrieved 11 November 2011.

History Mike Rutherford began writing songs for the album in September 1987, shortly after the conclusion of Genesis's Invisible Touch Tour. However, he found himself immediately stricken with writer's block, a circumstance he attributes to stress over the complications with his wife's pregnancy, which endangered their child's life. The baby (Rutherford's third) was safely delivered in November, and Rutherford said that the relief made him feel "like a new man". In January he entered an extremely prolific songwriting period, and by the end of the month he had what he and producer/co-writer Christopher Neil felt was a good album's worth of material. In light of this, Neil wanted to move up the recording sessions, which had been scheduled for April. Rutherford vetoed the idea, however, and with his burst of inspiration still running, most of the songs that eventually appeared on the album were written over the next two months.Neer, Dan and DeWitt Nelson (1988). Mike on Mike II [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.

The first single taken off the album, "Nobody's Perfect", did not perform as expected, peaking at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 80 in the UK, despite being used in a major advertising campaign in the latter territory. However, things changed dramatically with the next single off the album, "The Living Years", which was a worldwide hit, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week ending 25 March 1989 and number two in the United Kingdom, held off the top for three weeks over January and February 1989 by Marc Almond and Gene Pitney's reworking of "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". The song also reached number one on the Australian ARIA singles chart the week ending 13 May 1989.

The title song was co-written by Rutherford and BA Robertson, both of whose fathers had recently died. However, the lyrics were written solely by Robertson, and dealt with Robertson's strained relationship with his father and the birth of his son three months after his father's death. Paul Carrack, who would sing lead on the recording, had himself lost his father when he was only eleven years old,Mike Rutherford Biography (Includes info on Mike and the Mechanics) Retrieved 6 December 2010. and he continues to feature the song regularly in his solo performances.

A third single off the album, "Seeing is Believing", reached number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Phil Collins and Tony Banks, Rutherford's Genesis bandmates, made a guest appearance playing the riff on "Black & Blue" (a sample by Banks of Collins and Rutherford playing a riff during the Invisible Touch sessions).

The Living Years Deluxe Edition was released on 20 January 2014, featuring extensive liner notes by journalist Mario Giammetti, a new recording of the hit song with Andrew Roachford on vocals and a bonus CD of live and rare tracks.

Reception

Reviewing the album for Music Week, Nick Robinson referred to the album a "dirge-laden collection" that had "little to offer apart from some mediocre soft rock numbers". AllMusic's retrospective review summarised 'Slickly produced with rich vocals from Paul Carrack and Paul Young, The Living Years moves smoothly between anthemic ballads such as the title track and more up-beat numbers such as "Seeing Is Believing."' They commented that the album was inconsistent, believing that at it occasionally ventured into genres that the group could not handle convincingly.

Track listing All songs written by Mike Rutherford. Additional writers where noted.

Personnel

Mike + The Mechanics Mike Rutherford – guitars, bass Paul Carrack – vocals (lead: 2, 4, 7, 10) Paul Young – vocals (lead: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9) Adrian Lee – keyboards Peter Van Hooke – drums

Additional personnel Sal Gallina – keyboards BA Robertson – keyboards Alan Murphy – guitars Martin Ditcham – percussion Luís Jardim – percussion Christopher Neil – backing vocals Alan Carvell – backing vocals King's House School Choir – choir on "The Living Years" Michael Stuckey – choir master

Production Christopher Neil – producer Mike Rutherford – producer Nick Davis – engineer Paul Gomersall – assistant engineer Terry Irwin – assistant engineer Halpin Grey Vermeir – cover design Geoff Halpin – photography John Swannell – photography

Charts Chart (1989–90) Peakposition Australian Albums (ARIA) 10 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 36 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 21 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) 11 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) 19

Chart (1996) Peakposition

Certifications

References