Only Child

 Origin: Los Angeles (USA)

ONLY CHILD

Murril Maglio - Tommy Rude - Paul Sabu - Charles Esposito

Discography:

st - 1988 (with lyrics)

Notes:

- Is a headline that should only be associated with the mighty Paul Sabu. Coming from an album that has been lauded by many, it's almost become his anthem. When the Only Child album was originally released by Capitol Records in 1988 it became an instant classic, an album that was afforded one of the highest marks ever given by Kerrang! Magazine - a review that came from the pen of Dave Reynolds.

Having already cut an impressive array of albums in the early eighties such as 'Kidd Glove' and 'Heartbreak' the melodic die was cast and Sabu had raised the bar to such an extent that even he was going to find it hard to surpass. But surpass it he did and with some style. With Heavy Metal records, the label that had released 'Heartbreak', having gone into liquidation, it was time for a new strategy and from here the AOR legend of Only Child was born. Putting a full band together, that included Tommy Amato, Tommy Rude and Murrill Maglio, Sabu gathered a collection of songs that were built to last a lifetime.

From the keyboard drenched opening of 'Just Ask' through to the resounding thump of 'Shot Heard Around The World' here was an album that justified its place in the Kerrang! top twenty albums of 1988 and Derek Oliver's all-time top AOR albums. It would seem that being part of a band was pushing Sabu's songwriting to a whole new level. Tracks such as 'I Wanna Touch' and 'I Remember The Night' were the kind of radio friendly fare that should have lit up the charts, vying for attention alongside the likes of Whitesnake and Poison with ease. But it would be the hard rock approach of 'Rebel Eyes' and the aforementioned 'Scream Until You Like It' that pushed this album into the hard rock spotlights the most.

Whilst Sabu's latter day albums have all had their moments, none have matched Only Child for its sheer AOR brilliance. If ever an album deserved more, it was this one. From a man that has worked alongside such luminaries as David Bowie, Heart, Alice Cooper and John Waite and who also discovered Shania Twain, its ultimate accolade is that it's the most revered musical contribution of his illustrious career to date.

With the recent release of 'Bangkok Rules' (available on Z Records) it would seem that Sabu has come full circle, releasing his most melodic record since his eighties heyday and a logical successor to the legacy of Only Child. Scream for me Sabu fans, scream for me! - 

(Notes by Rob Evans - Classic Rock AOR - June 2012)