A whole album of sunny day vibes | Steve Hiett - Down on the Road by the Beach

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Plouffe listen to Plouffe's next pick, Steve Hiett's Down on the Road by the Beach. Steve Hiett started off as a concert photographer for such greats as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Beach Boys, and then graduated to being a fashion photographer for publications such as Vogue. Along the way, it was requested that he write and perform an album of music to go with an exhibition of his art. The resulting album and exhibition was titled Down on the Road by the Beach, and was released in 1983. Recorded in Japan, it is an album with an a light, airy, almost dreamlike feel to it. The album is mostly instrumental, with covers of two popular hits from the 50s. Critically well received at the time and upon its re-release in 2019, the album has somewhat of a cult following and was the only album of music released by Steve Hiett in his lifetime. Will this conjure up beach day vibes for the boys, or will they send it on down the road? Come along and find out!