Description
Thunder Beach is the third album by the American synthpop band Crumbächer, released on Frontline Records in June 1987, distributed by The Benson Company. Also licensed and distributed in Europe by Kingsway Publications. The album was produced and engineered by Bill Baumgart at Asylomar Studios in Los Angeles, California; with band member Stephen Crumbächer co-producing. All songs written by Stephen Crumbächer.
The third release from this Southern California pop/wave quartet, ‘Thunder Beach’, is their strongest collection of songs to date, which may not be saying much. ‘Incarnation‘, the band’s debut recorded on a shoestring, had some promising material, and ‘Escape from the Fallen Planet‘ was an attempt to build on that foundation. ‘Thunder Beach’, with fine openers like «Backyard Changes», «Once in a Heart Break», and the title track go a long way toward taking the band to the next level, but still they often sound emotionless and staid. «Here Am I» may be the kind of song A/C Christian radio tends to swallow whole, but the delivery is flat and lifeless.
A quick rerun of ‘Fallen Planet’ and it’s clear the life that Bill Baumgart, who produced Idle Cure’s debut, brings to this outing. The often inspiring sax soloing and smooth, crisp production touches add substance to what would amount to less without him.
Crumbacher has strengths that have yet to be tapped, but ‘Thunder Beach’ seems like a worthy investment in their growth. [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, August 1987]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/thunder-beach/385380224)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Backyard Changes” – 4:22
A2. “Once In A Heartbreak” – 4:25
A3. “Here Am I” – 4:20
A4. “Great Little Dancer” – 3:50
A5. “Way With Words” – 3:38
Side Two
B1. “Thunder Beach” – 3:45
B2. “Tough Act To Follow” – 4:10
B3. “Middle Of A Miracle” – 3:14
B4. “Terra Firma” (Instrumental) – 2:30
B5. “Only Time” – 4:22
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Frontline Records. Thunder Beach and Tame the Volcano were later re-issued on one CD as a part of KMG’s Classic Archives Music Value Pak series.
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