Rat Bat Blue – Squeak (1990)

The album was released in 1990, the group is called Rat Bat Blue and the title is Squeak. The combo is of Scandinavian origin especially in Sweden. Members are not all unknown since found guitarist Chris Lind and Freddie Von Gerber drummer who officiated in the side of Easy Action Tommy Nilsson and Kee Marcello. The album’s style is between rock, pop and AOR. To give you a more accurate one is from John Parr, Jack Wagner and Stage Dolls.

If this is the case you will have 100 times as reasons this album is excellent even though we can see one side a bit antiquated in production and in synth sounds. Besides Angelina final ballad that is not famous, everything else is to advise at the highest point with a side of the great AOR Hi Tek as a bit of Jack Is Back, Back In The Back Seat or Talk To Me and the other titles a bit more rock like Stage Dolls Long Gone or White Line. Are special arrangements made guitars but also quite abundant in many synths which gives a stamp to Rat Bat Blue. It is not in the Scandinavian AOR pure juice because the keyboards are more pop than rock, even when they sound like New Wave on the verse of I Need Love. It is this side of the original combo that gives the flavor to this album more melodic quality which, not surprisingly with a Nordic group.

Guitarist Mats Hedström is ex-Magnum Bonum and Major Tom. Jernberg is Guardian Angel. Lind is an erstwhile members of Easy Action. Von Gerber’s pedigree includes Easy Action, VoodooX, Bam Bam Boys and Noice. Rat Bat Blue evolved into the band now known as Red Fun through the course of numerous line up changes including Jernberg being superseded by ex Alien vocalist Thomas Persson. Lind was replaced by ex OZ guitarist Tobbe Moen. Finally ex Europe and Easy Action guitarist Kee Marcello joined the ranks as the band changed its name to Red Fun.

1. Jack Is Back
2. Tuned On You
3. Saints And Sinners
4. Back In The Backseat
5. Long Gone
6. White Line
7. Talk To Me
8. I Need Love
9. Gypsy Heart
10. Angelina

Fredrik Jernberg — lead vocals
Chris Lind — guitars, bass, keyboards
Mats Hedstrom — guitars, bass, keyboards
Fredrik Von Gerber — drums, percussion, acoustic guitars
Greg Elmquist — rhythm guitars
Hasse Olsson — hammond
Thomas Wickstrom — background vocals

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