Tuesday, December 6, 2022

"Lay Down Your Arms" by The Graces

Song#:  3994
Date:  08/12/1989
Debut:  95
Peak:  56
Weeks:  9
Genre:  Pop, Rock


Pop Bits:  After the break up of The Go-Go's, guitarist Charlotte Caffey kept busy working with former bandmate Belinda Carlisle on her solo albums. Caffey would write or co-write nine songs that would appear on Carlisle's first two LPs, one of which went gold, the other platinum. Caffey would also perform on each album. It was a nice side gig, but Caffey had ambitions to do her own thing and she formed The Graces with Meredith Brooks and Gia Ciambotti. The trio would get signed to A&M and record a debut album titled Perfect View. This first single would be issued out and it would garner a little attention peaking just outside of the Pop Top 50. Unfortunately, further singles failed to chart and that left the album stopping at #147. The trio would end up getting dropped by A&M and eventually split in 1992.

ReduxReview:  It's funny this song popped up on the chart. Just a couple weeks ago I revisited this album. I bought the CD back in the day and finally loaded it up. Being a huge Go-Go's fan, I was buying most anything the former members pushed out. Perfect View wasn't exactly perfect, but it was a nicely done album that had some solid tracks including this first single. The dark, driving tune should have at least cracked the Top 40. It may not have been Top 10 material, but it could have done better. If it had, then the title track second single might have had a chance. I think the trio had something and might have been able to break through with a second album, but they never got that opportunity. The LP is definitely worth seeking out.

ReduxRating:  7/10

Trivia:  After The Graces ended, Meredith Brooks took a break from music, but then chose to restart her solo career (she had previously recorded an indie self-titled debut album in 1986 for Ariola Records that seemed to get a limited release in Mexico). Brooks would secure a deal with Capitol Records and record her second solo effort, 1997's Blurring the Edges. Its first single, "Bitch," would become a big hit reaching #2 Pop and going gold. The album would become a #22 platinum seller. "Bitch" would end up earning Brooks two Grammy nominations. Unfortunately, besides one other mid-chart single, Brooks would be unable to capitalize on her breakthrough hit. Her follow-up album failed to chart and that left Brooks off of the Capitol roster. Because of her lone Top 10, Brooks would get tagged as a one-hit wonder.

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