Both releases are certainly worth having on CD in your collection.

Cherry Red label imprint Hear No Evil Recordings has already established itself as a fantastic concept having recently reissued three McAuley Schenker Group albums ('Perfect Timing', 'MSG' and 'Unplugged') as well as Paul Raymond Project's recent opus 'Terms & Conditions Apply' and Pig Irön's 'Pig Irön IV'. Now they have given us these two Waysted albums. Oh, they really are spoiling us! While Pete Way's old band may never have risen to prominence in a similar vein as the mighty UFO, they nevertheless made some truly awesome heavy metal beginning with their cult classic 1983 debut, 'Vices'.

Produced by Mick Glossop and with a line-up of singer Fin Muir, guitarist Ronnie Kayfield, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Paul Raymond, bassist and rock 'n' roll loony Pete Way and drummer Frank Noon 'Vices' is a terrific release. The production sounds a little dated and shallow, but it's lovingly steeped in '80s HM nostalgia. Fin sounds terrific and there are some truly awesome guitars notably on the head banging rocker 'Toy With The Passion' while 'All Belongs To You' is a mid-paced track with a sprinkling of keys from the über-talented Mr. Raymond. The nine track album doesn't cease to be a hell of a lot of fun. Best of all, as it's labelled a '30th Anniversary Expanded Edition', there are a further six tracks dubbed the 'Maison Rouge Mixes' (after the famous recording studio), which have never before been released on CD. The best of the bonus tracks is probably the gritty 'Sleazy', which has a Judas Priest style opening riff.

'Save Your Prayers' followed on from 1985's 'The Good The Bad The Waysted', the last album to feature Scottish singer Fin. His replacement was the American Danny Vaughn who does a terrific job on vocals joining Pete Way, Paul Raymond and drummer John DiTeodoro. With production this time by Simon Hanhart, 'Save Your Prayers' has a lot of heart and soul. The opening track 'Walls Fall Down' is a terrifically catchy rocker and a good sign of things to come. 'Save Your Prayers' is certainly more commercial than their debut 'Vices', and there are a lot of good melodies onboard. There are also three bonus tracks: the groovy guitar-laden 'Fire Under The Wheels' (B-side), the AOR stomper 'Black & Blue' (7" edit) and the catchy 'Heaven Tonight' (7" edit). A top 200 hit in the States, it would be Waysted's last studio album until 2000's 'Wilderness Of Mirrors'.

Two different studio releases from a vastly underrated and all-but-forgotten band from one of Britain's greatest rock 'n' roll heroes, Pete Way. Both releases come with informative sleeve notes by Malcolm Dome who accurately points out that Waysted were both "confusing and contradictory". Both releases are certainly worth having on CD in your collection.

Neil Daniels