Acting Very Strange
Acting Very Strange is the second and final solo album by Genesis guitarist/bassist Mike Rutherford and the only album to feature him on lead vocals. It was released on 7 September 1982. Unlike the previous album Smallcreep's Day, Acting Very Strange uses a very raw and unpolished 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' Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart at No. 37.[1] The song was also a top 40 pop hit in Canada, peaking at No. 39.[2] The album itself was much more successful, reaching number 23 in the UK.[3]
| Acting Very Strange | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 September 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 38:43 | |||
| Label | Atlantic, WEA | |||
| Producer | Mike Rutherford | |||
| Mike Rutherford chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Acting Very Strange | ||||
| ||||
History
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] However, this proved to be easier said than 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 his time in The Police. Recording at The Farm gave them a sound unique to Genesis and Genesis members' solo projects that were recorded therein.
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 on the actual recordings. He singled out "Hideaway" as the only track which he felt worked.[4] Dissatisfied with his solo work (and with his vocals in particular), Rutherford curtailed his solo career to form Mike + The Mechanics.[4]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
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]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Acting Very Strange" | Mike Rutherford | 4:58 |
| 2. | "A Day to Remember" | Rutherford | 4:59 |
| 3. | "Maxine" | Rutherford, Pete Bellotte | 5:24 |
| 4. | "Halfway There" | Rutherford, Florrie Palmer | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Who's Fooling Who" | Rutherford, Palmer | 4:47 |
| 6. | "Couldn't Get Arrested" | Rutherford, Bellotte | 3:50 |
| 7. | "I Don't Wanna Know" | Rutherford | 4:36 |
| 8. | "Hideaway" | Rutherford | 5:58 |
| Total length: | 38:43 | ||
Non-album tracks
Another song recorded during the album sessions, "Calypso", was released as the B-side to the single "Hideaway". Remixes of "Acting Very Strange" and "Couldn't Get Arrested" were featured on a 12" single and also used as B-sides for "Acting Very Strange".
Personnel
- Mike Rutherford – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards
- John Alexander – guitar
- Daryl Stuermer – guitar
- Paul Fishman – keyboards
- J. Peter Robinson – keyboards
- Stewart Copeland – drums
- Pete Phipps – drums
- Gary Barnacle – saxophone
- Luke Tunney – trumpet
- Steve Gould – backing vocals
- Noel McCalla – backing vocals
- Dale Newman – backing vocals
- Martyn Ford – string arrangements and conductor
Production
- Producer – Mike Rutherford
- Assistant Producer and Engineer – Nick Launay
- Assistant Engineer – Geoff Callingham
- Recorded at The Farm, Surrey.
- Equipment – Dale Newman, Geoff Callingham, Steve Jones and Geoff Banks.
- Tape Operator – Howard Gray
- Cover Coordinator – Bill Smith
- Photography – Gered Mankowitz
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | UK Albums Chart | 23[3] |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 32 | |
| US Billboard 200 | 145 |
References
- Jason Ankeny (2 October 1950). "Mike Rutherford | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
- Mike Rutherford in the UK Charts, The Official Charts. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- Neer, Dan (1985). Mike on Mike [interview LP], Atlantic Recording Corporation.
- Steve McMullen. "Acting Very Strange – Mike Rutherford | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2014.