No static at all (3cd) : a journey into AOR

During the second half of the 1970s, before music streaming and playlists, there was the FM dial. Enabled by crystal-clear signals and an increasingly affluent audience, radio programmers created their own universe by digging deeper than three-minute singles. Overflowing with precise musicianship, carefully crafted, melody-infused songs of love and heartache and increasingly sophisticated, digitally-assisted recordings, an idea that came to be known as "Album Orientated Rock" began to emerge. Not a scene or a movement, this was a mindset. A lifestyle choice, even. Soaring choruses, multi-layered vocals, rich synthesiser pads, gated reverb and soaring guitar solos combined to produce the perfect soundtrack for the increasingly aspirational times as the decade of gritty heavy rock and smoky prog mutated into something shinier, more controlled and inescapably more commercially-minded.

'No Static At All' takes a deep dive into that world, as absorbed through car stereos and on polished chrome hi-fi systems by young and old alike. Curated from a North American perspective, this is the sound of late nights, of freeways and arenas and of the change in economic outlook that characterised that place and time across the States and Western Europe. Many of these songs became big hits. Others were overlooked gems limited to collectors and late-night FM listeners. All of them endure today. From power ballads to the new hard pop-rock sound, 'No Static At All' is a must-hear for fans, collectors and anybody with a road trip into the sunset planned. 60 tracks. 10 years. One soundtrack.

Disc: 1
1 Boston - Something About You
2 Angel - Don't Leave Me Lonely
3 Styx - Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
4 Aviary - Feel the Heart
5 New England - Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya (7" Edit)
6 707 - I Could Be Good for You
7 Toto - Hold the Line (7" Version)
8 Eddie Money - Shakin'
9 Donnie Iris - Ah! Leah!
10 Straight Lines - I'm Talking to You
11 Terence Boylan - Where Are You Hiding?
12 The Gregg Allman Band - Come and Go Blues
13 Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe
14 Aldo Nova - Fantasy (7" Version)
15 Gamma - I'm Alive
16 Barry Goudreau - Dreams
17 Rainbow - Since You Been Gone (7" Version)
18 Zon - Put on the Show
19 Nils Lofgren - Shine Silently
20 Starz - Cherry Baby

Disc: 2
1 Journey - Stone in Love
2 .38 Special - Caught Up in You
3 Blue Oyster Cult - Burnin' for You (7" Version)
4 Pat Benatar - Shadows of the Night (7" Edit)
5 Atlanta Rhythm Section - Alien
6 Little River Band - the Night Owls (7" Version)
7 Reo Speedwagon - Keep on Loving You
8 The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky (7" Version)
9 Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart (7" Version)
10 Asia - Only Time Will Tell (7" Version)
11 Loverboy - Gangs in the Street
12 Leroux - Turning Point
13 Balance - in for the Count
14 Quarterflash - Find Another Fool
15 Pages - Sesatia
16 Chicago - Chains
17 Rick Springfield - Don't Talk to Strangers (7" Version)
18 Peter Cetera - Livin' in the Limelight
19 Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry - Don't Fight It

Disc: 3
1 Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me (7" Edit)
2 FM - That Girl
3 Kansas - Fight Fire with Fire
4 The Outfield - All the Love in the World (7" Version)
5 Joe Lynn Turner - Endlessly (7" Version)
6 Foreigner - That Was Yesterday
7 Giuffria - Call to the Heart
8 Dakota - Runaway (Promo Single Edit)
9 Billy Satellite - Satisfy Me
10 Russ Ballard - Voices (7" Version)
11 Mr Mister - Black/White
12 Robert Palmer - I Didn't Mean to Turn You on
13 Streets - Crimes in Mind
14 Billy Idol - Eyes Without a Face (7" Version)
15 Icon - Shot at My Heart
16 Eric Martin Band - Sucker for a Pretty Face
17 I-Ten - I Don't Want to Lose You
18 Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out
19 John Parr - St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) (7" Version)
20 Boston - Can'tcha Say (You Believe in Me) / Still in Love