Mike And The Mechanics

With all of its members exercising their expertise, the debut album from Mike + the Mechanics posted two Top Ten singles in the span of three months. The songwriting comes out on top before anything else, with the somber stir of "Silent Running," the record's first release, peaking at number six. "All I Need Is a Miracle" followed at number five, with its Genesis-like tempo and polished chorus, and even "Taken In" cracked the Top 40, a simple ballad that's bettered by Paul Young's genuine emotional charm. Carrack sounds just as sharp as he did with Ace or Squeeze throughout the album's nine tracks, while Rutherford's overseeing of the entire project is apparent. While Mike Rutherford's guitar work isn't overwhelming, both his six-string and bass guitar contributions complete a sound foundation for the vocals…

Mike + The Mechanics was formed in the mid-80's by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford while Phil Collins was pursuing his (very) successful solo career. Joined by ex-Squeeze member Paul Carrack, Paul Young, Adrian Lee, and Peter Van Hooke, the band released 5 albums over the course of a ten-year span from 1985-1995. Filmed September 7, 2004 at Shepherd's Bush in London, Mike + The Mechanics take the stage with a mix of new recordings from their 2004 effort "Rewired" along with many of their classics from their original 1985-95 run, including the chart topper "The Living Years" and the top 10 hits "Silent Running" and "All I Need Is A Miracle". The lineup for this incarnation of the Mechanics is: Mike Rutherford, Paul Carrack, Peter Van Hooke, Gary Wallis, Jamie Moses, Rupert Cobb, Abbie Osmon, and Paul McGee.

Following the death of Paul Young and the departure of Paul Carrack, Mike + the Mechanics' only original member, Mike Rutherford, returns with a brand-new lineup for The Road, their first studio album since 2004's Rewired. Perhaps indicative of the talents of their two former vocalists, the former Genesis guitarist has brought in three different frontmen to fill their shoes: Canadian performer Tim Howar, who played Rod Stewart in the musical Tonight's the Night; South African singer/songwriter Arno Carstens, who left during its recording to pursue his solo career; and, most famously, Andrew Roachford, who scored several hits in the late '80s/early '90s with his funk-rock band namesake…

With The Living Years, Mike + the Mechanics firmly established themselves in the adult contemporary genre after the mid-'80s pop of their debut. 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."…

Atlantic Records had reason to think they had a sure thing on their hands in the 1991 release of Mike + the Mechanics' third album, Word of Mouth. Here was a band with solid Top 40 pedigree, led by a guitarist/bassist with Genesis credentials (Mike Rutherford) and featuring not one but two vocalists with dozens of successful songs under their belts (Paul Carrack and Paul Young). The band had already recorded two hit albums and even scored a number one hit in "The Living Years."…