Word of Mouth

Mike & The Mechanics: Paul Young (vocals); Paul Carrack (vocals, keyboards); Mike Rutherford (guitar, bass); Adrian Lee (keyboards); Peter Van Hooke (drums).
Additional personnel: Tim Renwick (guitar); Phil Todd (saxophone); Steve Piggot, Ian Wherry (keyboards); Pino Paladino (bass); Martin Ditcham (percussion); London Community Gospel Choir (background vocals).
Producers: Christopher Neil, Mike Rutherford, Russ Titelman.
Recorded at The Farm, Surrey, England and Olympic Studios, London, England.
Although it was less commercially successful than 1985's MIKE AND THE MECHANICS or 1989's THE LIVING YEARS, 1991's WORD OF MOUTH is nonetheless a fine pop-rock album. Mike Rutherford and his Mechanics--singers Paul Young and Paul Carrack, bassist Adrian Lee, and drummer Peter Van Hooke--have maintained a stable lineup from the beginning, which makes a notable difference in their sound in comparison to similar bands. Unlike albums where crews of session players back a singer-songwriter, there's a genuine "band" sound to WORD OF MOUTH.
The shared songwriting credits give the album a varied sound, and the interplay of Carrack and Young's soulful vocals with Rutherford's guitar and Carrack's keyboards gives the album a much more immediate and human quality than you find on the average MIDIed-to-death pop-rock album. Carrack's showcase "A Time and Place" is a particular standout.