Heroes and Survivors: The Aura Records Anthology 1978 - 1981 (Allan Clarke)

Heroes and Survivors: The Aura Records Anthology 1978 - 1981 collects two of Allan Clarke's solo albums nearer the end of his heyday and includes a few non-album tracks from his stint at Aura as well. Included here are his hit singles "(I Will Be Your) Shadow in the Street" and "Slipstream." If you are at all hesitant about buying a solo collection from this ex-Hollie, don't be! While not every track is top-notch, there's enough great music here to justify the purchase and then some. The liner notes are also pretty cool, giving a nice overview of Clarke's career interspersed with some period shots of album write-ups from the music rags. Besides the aforementioned singles, highlights include "I Wasn't Born Yesterday," a version of Badfinger's "Baby Blue," "Light of My Smiles," "The Survivor," and "Brandenburg Plaza." Actually, there are many other great songs here that I could highlight, but I'll cut myself off. Also of interest here is a 1981 version of "Born to Run." Clarke's original version was released around the same time as Bruce Springsteen's, but that was not on Aura. This version was released with another 1981 re-recording of a Springsteen track, "If I Were the Priest." The original "Born to Run" single, its flip, and Clarke's original "If I Were the Priest," however, were included on Headroom/Allan Clarke/I've Got Time, a compilation which, after hearing this CD, I am slightly more eager to add to my collection. Anyhow, in summary, this period of Allan Clarke's career may not have been as commercially successful as his Hollies days, but artistically, it ranks high.

Tracks:
1. Born to Run (1981 version)
2. If I Were the Priest (1981 version)
3. I Wasn't Born Yesterday
4. Hope
5. New Blood
6. I'm Betting My Life on You
7. The Man Who Manufactures Daydreams
8. No Prisoner Taken (Light Brigade)
9. (I Will Be Your) Shadow in the Street
10. Light of My Smiles
11. Who's Goin' Out the Back Door?
12. Off the Record

Disc Two
13. Slipstream
14. The Only Ones
15. Walls
16. Brandenburg Plaza
17. The Survivor
18. Driving the Doomsday Cars
19. Baby Blue
20. Sanctuary
21. Imagination's Child
22. Legendary Heroes
23. If You Walked Away