Wednesday, September 6, 2017

"Lonely School" by Tommy Shaw

Song#:  2154
Date:  12/15/1984
Debut:  89
Peak:  60
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Rock



Pop Bits:  Shaw's first solo album, Girls with Guns, started off positively when the title track got to #6 Rock and #33 Pop. Hoping for another good performing single, this power ballad was selected as the follow up. Although the video got a decent push at MTV, the song didn't fully catch on at Pop and it stalled in the bottom half of the chart. It was unable to chart at Rock.

ReduxReview:  This is a nice track from the album, but it just didn't have a strong enough hook to draw in and retain listeners. It would have been nice to have it pop inside the Top 40, but it just wasn't gonna do it. The album had a couple of other possible candidates for single contention, but those were rock tunes and the label probably wanted to featured Shaw in a different way and figured this song would do the trick. It didn't, but the track still sounds nice.

ReduxRating:  6/10

Trivia:  As a kid growing up in Alabama, Shaw would often listen to the Grand Ole Opry shows on the radio. That country influence would follow him through to his rock 'n' roll days with Styx and beyond. His love of country music finally caught up with him in 2011 when he issued his first bluegrass album. Titled The Great Divide, Shaw would write or co-write all of the songs in addition to playing guitar and mandolin. A couple of big name guest stars, Alison Krauss and Dwight Yoakam, stop by to lend a hand. The album would get some good notices and would reach #2 on the Bluegrass chart.

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