★★★★★
Based on the quality of Donnie Iris' infectious power pop, he deserved to be a star, but things didn't quite work out that way. The Pennsylvania native (born Dominic Ierace) first hit it big with the Jaggerz's "The Rapper" in 1970 and another decade passed before Iris and his band the Cruisers signed with MCA Records and shot up the charts with the memorably catchy singles "Ah! Leah!" in 1980 and "Love Is Like a Rock" in 1981...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Donnie Iris maintains his high level of quality rock and power-pop with 1982's The High and the Mighty, although it is the lesser of his four MCA albums. Iris receives solo credit, but his muscular band the Cruisers -- guitarist Marty Lee, keyboardist/producer Mark Avsec, bass guitarist Albritton McClain and drummer Kevin Valentine -- again provides the musical backing. The Cruisers also provide background vocals in addition to Iris' own multitracked harmonies...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
Donnie Iris and his band the Cruisers released four outstanding yet shamefully underappreciated albums for MCA between 1980 and 1983. "Ah! Leah!" and a few other songs were hits, but the public really needed to embrace those albums by the Pittsburgh-area rockers. It didn't happen, and the stardom that Iris and company richly deserved passed them by. But Iris kept fighting. In the aftermath of mainstream indifference and legal tangles with MCA, Iris released No Muss.....
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
★★★★★
The 1981 follow-up to Donnie Iris' debut, King Cool proved to be the commercial and critical peak for Iris and his band the Cruisers. The same cast returned from the first record with Mark Avsec again playing a pivotal role.
King Cool toned down some of the New Wave leanings of Back on the Streets and concentrated more on a classic rock sound yielded rewarding results. Three singles charted from King Cool including the melodic "Sweet Merilee," which featured some lovely harmonies...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-28
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