Having quickly made a name for themselves on the Canadian club circuit, Coney Hatch signed with fledgling Anthem Records in early 1981 and proceeded to record their freshman effort, with no other than legendary singer/songwriter (and label boss) Kim Mitchell acting as producer. Not too shabby. In an era when rock radio thrived on a steady diet of Boston, Journey, and Foreigner (vocalist Carl Dixon drew comparisons to a less strident Lou Gramm, fused with a certain Joe Lynn Turner vibe), the foursome's commercial brand of hard rock seemed like perfect fodder for the airwaves. But forceful rockers like "Devil's Deck," "You Ain't Got Me," and "Victim of Rock" never connected with programmers outside their homeland, perhaps because they fit in so well with the then-current musical climate that it was impossible to distinguish them from the pack. To wit, "Where I Draw the Line" was an effective but rather formulaic power ballad, and their highest-charting domestic single, "Hey Operator," didn't even dent the charts south of the border. Still, nothing here really stinks except for bassist Andy Curran's turns at the mic, when he leads the group through plodding throwaways like "Stand Up" and "Monkey Bars." Ultimately their most successful album, Coney Hatch would eventually earn a gold sales award in Canada. [This version of the album contains bonus material.] ~ Eduardo Rivadavia