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Opus X is probably my favorite Chilliwack album. "Whatcha Gonna Do" was the first song I heard from the band, and the song that caused me to buy every Chilliwack album I could get my hands on.
The album opens with "Whatcha Gonna Do", a catchy song that continued with the fine blend of guitars, keyboards, and vocal harmonies that made Wanna Be a Star (its predecessor), in my humble opinion, such a success. "Secret Information" follows with its driving drum and bass rhythms, leading into the excellent "She Don't Know". "She Don't Know" again highlights the band's vocal harmonies under Bill Henderson's lead. Brian MacLeod's drumming and guitar solo is nothing short of perfect. "Night Time" is a more pop driven song, highlighted again by Bill's vocal range. "Lean on Me" is another gem off the album, starting off slow and mellow then building to a powerful crescendo; an excellent song that Bill still plays live.
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Side two opens with another of the album's stand out tracks, "Don't
it Make You Feel Good". Great driving guitar and bass harmonics at
intervals. If there ever was a song that deserved airplay - this is it:
full force, nasty guitar, throbbing bass, perfect vocals. "really Don't
Mind", "You're Gonna Last" and "Midnight" round
out the album.
In an interview with Canadian Musician from 1982, Bill described the the album as side one being Chilliwack influence, while side two was definately Headpins influenced. With Ab and Brian splitting time between both bands and legal troubles with a former lable, this classic Chilliwack line-up split amicably to work on their individual projects. |
Ab Bryant: Background Vocals, B.C.
Rich Bass (four and eight string), Fender Precision Bass, Ampeg Amp SVT,
Eventide Harmonizer
Brian MacLeod: Background Vocals, 1964 Fender Stratocater,
1963 Fender Stratocaster, Fender Rhodes Piano, Prophet 5 Synthesizer, Musicman
Amp, Milestone Drums, Pearl Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Ludwig Super 400 Snare
Drum
Bill Henderson: Lead and Background Vocals, Fender
Mustang, 1952 Les Paul Gold Top, Gibson SG Standard, Mosrite, Gibson J-45
Acoustic, Roland Jazz Chorus Amp, Fender Twin Reverb Amp, Marshal Amp<
Produced by Bill Henderson and Brian MacLeod, assisted by Ab Bryant
Recorded and mixed at The Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver,
Canada in the spring and summer of 1982 on Studer tape machines and Neve
"Spitfire" console.