Stray - Hearts Of Fire (Reissue) (1976/2007)

English rockers Stray had managed to regain some of their lost mojo with a gutsy seventh album called Houdini, and with new singer Pete Dyer now more firmly and confidently ensconced within their lineup, fans had every reason to expect similarly high dividends would be paid by their eighth studio platter, Hearts of Fire, when it was released at the tail-end of 1976. Alas, while the record certainly offered more of the same, groovy hard rock with occasional detours into questionable semi- disco-ey funk as its predecessor, it was in no way capable of revitalizing Stray's career. Especially at a time when even the biggest names in classic '70s hard rock were struggling to fend off the assaults of Johnny Rotten and co., leaving one feeling like album opener "Buying Time," with its lopsided strut reminiscent of Mark III Deep Purple, was truly acting out its title. In this regard, it certainly got no help from "Knocking at Your Door," featuring the aforementioned disco elements, nor the wistful folk-rock of "You Went Away," or the white man robo-funk of "I Wanna Be Free" (prescient of the Alan Parsons Project's "Games People Play"). "Mister Wind" closed out side one on a heavier, gloomier note, and "Live Wire" kicked off side two with a muscular display of unrestrained power that carried on into surprisingly heavy follow-up "Take a Life." Next, "Lonely Road" slowed down the pace, but heightened the still boiling intensity, and the more approachable "Lady" offered a final accessible reprieve before the growling grooves of "One Night in Texas" concluded the Hearts of Fire album with a high-decibel melding of Status Quo power boogie and Thin Lizzy twin guitar harmonies. Unfortunately, Pye Records' promotional negligence wasn't about to help Stray weather the musical revolution instigated by punk rock, and regardless of this album's predominantly strong material and a helpful U.K. tour in support of Rush, Stray would be playing their farewell show by December of 1977.