Year : 1977 (Bad Reputation Records Edition 2026)
Style : Melodic Rock , Pop Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 106 mb
Bio:
Piper was a New York City based pop rock/power pop band from 1975-1978. They released two albums for A&M Records: a self-titled debut in 1976 that was followed by 'Can't Wait' in 1977. After touring with Kiss during the Love Gun tour, but receiving little airplay, the group then dissolved. Lead singer/guitarist Billy Squier went on to become a successful solo artist in the early 80s. Drummer Richie Fontana went on to play drums on Paul Stanley's 1978 platinum solo album and later with Laura Branigan. Today, they have an underground following among fans of obscure oldies rock.
Billy Squier (William Haislip Squier) (/ˈskwaɪ.ər/, born May 12, 1950) is an American rock musician, singer, and songwriter who had a string of hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include "The Stroke", "Lonely Is the Night", "My Kinda Lover", "In the Dark", "Rock Me Tonite", "Everybody Wants You", "Emotions in Motion", "Love Is the Hero", and "Don't Say You Love Me". Squier's best-selling album, 1981's Don't Say No, is considered a landmark release of arena rock, bridging the gap between power pop and hard rock.Described as a personification of early 1980s rock music,Squier's most successful period was from 1981 to 1984, during which he had five Top 10 Mainstream Rock hits (two of which were number ones), two Top 20 singles, three consecutive platinum-selling albums, and videos in MTV rotation. Even after falling out from mainstream favor and chart success, which some say is because of the 1984 video for "Rock Me Tonite", Squier has maintained his presence on rock radio and his music used in many films and video games. Squier largely stopped recording music after the commercial failure of the 1993 album Tell the Truth, but has continued to perform smaller tours, one-off concerts, and occasional collaborations.His 1980 song "The Big Beat" contains one of the most-sampled drum breaks, used by artists such as Run-DMC, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, UTFO, and Dizzee Rascal. "The Stroke" is sampled in Eminem's 2013 hit "Berzerk".
Album:
With “The Tale Of The Tape” (1980) Billy Squier launched his solo career. Four years earlier, he laid the foundations for his future success with PIPER, accompanied by two other talented guitarists: Alan Nolan and Tommy Gunn. Richie Fontana (Paul Stanley, Laura Branigan…) was also on drums.Piper released two albums in 1976 (Piper) and 1977 (Can’t Wait), both of which followed the guiding principles of Billy Squier’s talent: to transform the best elements of pop music into authentic heavy rock, or in other words, to turn gold into lead!And it works wonders on this first album “Piper”, where the sound is raw and the enthusiasm of the three guitarists is at its peak. The little rock wizard miraculously transformed the sounds of Cheap Trick, the Rolling Stones, and Humble Pie, sprinkled with doses of early Queen and Slade, into melodic and brilliant compositions. All under the supervision of the fairies Eddie Kramer on mixing and John Anthony on production. The comparison with a band like The Babys is obvious in terms of richness. However, the overall interpretation is sharper and more impetuous.“Piper” is true gem of 70s rock n’ roll / hard rock, devilishly melodic and haunting, now available on CD by Bad Reputation Records, fully remastered and with bonus tracks.Signed to A&M records by KISS manager Bill Aucoin the band released the self-titled ”Piper” (mixed by Eddie Kramer) in 1976. With its mix of catchy rock n’ roll and power-pop melodies, “Piper” was praised by critics and sold very well, opening for KISS during their 1977 tour including two nights of a sold-out run at New York’s Madison Square Garden.”Piper” and ”Can’t Wait” are two wonderful slices of late Seventies American rock, plenty of hooks and melody courtesy of Squier skills as songwriter. The band rocks a bit harder on other songs, like on “The Last Time” (a Stones cover) or “Out of Control”.The great thing about Piper is that Billy Squier emerged with authority as a solid frontman, guitarist, and singer/songwriter. The elements that make this disc so good are the urgency, the short but effective songs, and the catchiness.”Piper’ are two essential albums for Squier fans and Seventies rock n’ roll.
Line Up:
Billy Squier - lead vocals, guitars, percussion
Alan Nolan - guitars, backing vocals
Tommy Gunn - guitars, backing vocals
Danny McGary - bass, backing vocals
Richie Fontana - drums, percussion, backing vocals
Production:
Engineer – Ken Friesen
Engineer [Assistant] – Dana Marks
Producer – Chris Kimsey (tracks: 10, 11), John Anthony (tracks: 1 to 9), Sean Delaney (tracks: 10, 11)
Tracklist:
01. Out Of Control
02. Whatcha Gonna Do
03. The Road
04. Sail Away
05. Who’s Your Boyfriend? (I Got A Feelin’)
06. Telephone Relation
07. The Last Time
08. 42nd Street
09. Can’t Live With Ya / Can’t Live Without Ya
10. Can’t Wait (Bonus Track)
11. Blues For The Common Man (Bonus Track)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
