Album Review

Jose Fernando Vasco [allmusic.com]

John Miles' second album - ''Stranger In The City'' (1977) - was a considerable turning point in view of his debut. If 'Rebel' is a classic English rock album with the finger of Alan Parsons, his successor has some American funk touch and is clearly a more diversified record, but whose impact was less, probably because of 'Music', Miles' identity mark. However, it is a better and more evolved record than 'Rebel'. Opening, the extraordinary homonymous song on the disc, soon followed by the most American of Miles' compositions: 'Slow Down'. The wind instruments, unlike what happened on the first album, now serve the rhythm and give the funk tone that Miles was looking for. 'Stranger In The City' is also, although occasionally, a ballad record, of which 'Time' stands out: the expressive voice of John Miles accompanies the piano and strings that accentuate the melodic line of one of the best compositions of the English musician. 'Manhattan Skyline', 'Glamor Boy' or 'Music Man' present another Miles from the beginning of the album and this fact demonstrates its versatility, it also reveals a musician at the beginning of his career and still looking for his record, a fact proven with 'Zaragon' that would represent another turning point. Away from the initial success, ''Stranger In The City'' reveals a more versatile John Miles and some of his best songs.