Day 438 - In 3D - Livin' in the Real World

438. In 3D - Livin' in the Real World
from the Album No Glasses Needed
(Refuge, 1985)

"A little heavier and less 'reggae/world music' than their sophomore release [Barrage], No Glasses Needed is a great rock album with various influences impacting the overall sound. Relatively strong production (for Refuge records) and great songwriting combined with stellar musicianship and killer vocals to [create] a band that should have done much better and had a much longer career.

There are two guests worthy of noting. the first, Glenn Kaiser of Resurrection Band, adds some guitar work while Jeff Pollard provided backing vocals. The Pollard inclusion is very interesting and I would love to know the story about how he became involved. … He appeared on Kerry Livgren’s Seeds of Change album as well as being the lead vocalist for the unfortunately unheralded Louisiana band, LeRoux. I saw LeRoux once opening up for Kansas and later learned of Pollard’s influence on Livgren’s conversion. Pollard had renounced rock music after his conversion and entering a Baptist Seminary. His inclusion here is intriguing.

There are so many great rock songs here. Memories of a Man, Can’t Stop and Livin’ In the Real World all would have been hits on Christian rock radio if something like that existed at the time. The latter would hint at the more Police style that would follow on the second album, but with a much more harsh, rock sound and great guitar work.
…
I have always considered the uniqueness and lack of a real 'consistently commercial' sound hurt the band’s chances at success. It is not a sound that immediately grabs the casual listener and walks such an interesting creative thread, that I could see where many 'metal fans and rockers' didn’t think they were hard enough while the straight ahead pop or rock fan found the album too disjointed. But it’s the disjointedness of the album that makes it such a gem.

I do not believe it ever made its way on to CD, and that is a real shame given the high production values and longevity musically." (Source: CCM's Greatest Albums)

Here is original album version of the song: