| Acting Very Strange | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Mike Rutherford | ||||
| Released | September 7, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 38:43 | |||
| Label | Atlantic (US & Canada)/ WEA (Rest Of World) |
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| Producer | Mike Rutherford | |||
| Mike Rutherford chronology | ||||
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Acting Very Strange is an album by Genesis bassist Mike Rutherford. It was released in September 1982 and is the only album that features him on lead vocals. Unlike the previous album Smallcreep's Day, Acting Very Strange uses a very raw and underproduced sound. None of the album's singles charted in the US or UK top 100, but the lead single "Maxine" did make US Billboard charts's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart at #37.[1] The song was also a top 40 pop hit in Canada, peaking at #39.[2] The album itself was much more successful, reaching number 23 in the UK.[3]
Contents |
Rutherford opted to do the lead vocals on the album himself, simply because, in his words, "It does feel odd when someone does... a solo album and they don't sing, because the voice is so much the character of a song. So I thought, 'What the hell? I'm gonna give it a shot.'"[4] This proved more easily said then done; he recounted that recording the backing tracks for the album was very easy and enjoyable, but that the vocals were "hard work".[4]
Stewart Copeland became involved in the recording because he and Rutherford were on the same polo team. Copeland did session work very rarely during the time he was in The Police. Recording his drums at The Farm gives them a sound they do not have on any other recordings.
Looking back on Acting Very Strange in later years, Rutherford was not proud of the album, saying he felt that the songs were very good but poorly executed. He singled out "Hideaway" as the only track which he felt worked.[4] Dissatisfaction with his solo work in general, and particularly with his vocals, prompted Rutherford to form Mike + The Mechanics.[4]
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [5] |
In their retrospective review, Allmusic said that most of the songs were weak, and that even the few good ones would have been better had Rutherford not done the lead vocals himself: "There's no denying his sincerity, but he should let his fingers do the talking."[5]
All songs written and composed by Mike Rutherford, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Acting Very Strange" | 4:58 |
| 2. | "A Day to Remember" | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Maxine" (Rutherford, Pete Bellotte) | 5:24 |
| 4. | "Halfway There" (Palmer, Rutherford) | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Who's Fooling Who" (Palmer, Rutherford) | 4:47 |
| 6. | "Couldn't Get Arrested" (Rutherford, Bellotte) | 3:50 |
| 7. | "I Don't Wanna Know" | 4:36 |
| 8. | "Hideaway" | 5:58 |
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Total length:
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38:43 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Calypso" | 4:05 |
| 2. | "Acting Very Strange (remix)" | |
| 3. | "Couldn't Get Arrested (remix)" (Rutherford, Bellotte) |
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | UK Albums Chart | 23[3] |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 32 | |
| US Billboard 200 | 145 |
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