Rocktrospectiva: Giant's Underrated Debut Album "Last Of The Runaways" Turns 35

 

Released on 29 August 1989, "Last Of The Runaways" was the debut studio album by American rock band Giant, the album spawned two singles "I'm A Believer" and their biggest hit to date "I'll See You In My Dreams" this propelled the album into mainstream top 40 success. Definitely a band out of time, they probably might have sold millions of albums during the heyday of rock oriented albums early in the 1980s alongisde bands such as Styx or Foreigner, unfortunately their bright melodies and clean production were unfashionable by 1989 standards. 

 

An AOR classic, the album opened with "I'm A Believer" was a strong and uptempo rocker thant opens with a smoking guitar intro and doesn't betray the band's Christian beliefes and paved their way into solid arena rock market, "Innocent Days" changed their sound and almost a filler, now here it comes two tracks "I Can't Get Close Enough" & "No Way Out" that sounds too close as Loverboy, like I said before, a little bit out of time appealing back then to this sound, "I'll See You In My Dreams" was the album gem, the song had a nice hook accompanying the chorus that set the key of the song, the crack the top 20 and put them briefly on mainstream audiences. 

 

The album had another ballads too, "It Takes Two" and "Love Welcome Home" but not as the same height as "I'll See You In My Dreams", they tried to increased the sound to make the songs seemed bigger, then "No Way Out" and "Shake Me Up" were rock bangers, "Hold Back The Night" and "The Big Pitch" the first one a sort of spritual song, remember that Dann Huff and his brother David started off in Christian rock band, this really worked for the song the music and lyrics joined together to make an stronger stuff and finally the closer "The Big Pitch" a decent killer rock track. 

 

In brief, the album was a mixed sound of Foreigner or Signal, but a little bit harder, a truly must-have for hard rock fans, you can noticed the great composition in vocals and sound that paved the sound of what would be their next album "Time To Burn". 

 

Unfortunately, Giant would only managed to released one more album before gone, despite the album has become a truly underrated gem through the years and is a far better record than I tought back then.  

 

Last Of The Runaways Track List: 

 

1. I'm A Believer

2. Innocent Days 

3. I Can't Get Close Enough

4. I'll See You In My Dreams 

5. No Way Out

6. Shake Me Up

7. It Takes Two

8. Stranger To Me 

9. Hold Back The Night

10. Love Welcome Home 

11. The Big Pitch