Gary Klebe - Out Loud (Vinyl LP)

Gary Klebe's (Shoes) Debut Solo Album Out Loud on LP.

Out Loud is the debut solo album from Gary Klebe, guitarist/vocalist of the power-pop band Shoes. Formed in Zion, Illinois in 1974, Shoes was influenced by British Invasion groups of the 1960s and artists like Big Star, Bowie, the Move, Todd Rundgren, Nils Lofgren. The band first gained attention by self-releasing records on their own Black Vinyl Records label before signing to Elektra Records. Albums like Black Vinyl Shoes, Present Tense, and Tongue Twister earned them critical acclaim and cult-favorite status, with songs such as “Too Late,” “Tomorrow Night,” and “Your Imagination” becoming genre touchstones. Shoes’ melodic craftsmanship and independent spirit have made them hugely influential, inspiring generations of power-pop and indie rock bands.

While making music without his longtime collaborators wandered into unfamiliar territory for Klebe, the finished product is expertly crafted power pop akin to the songs that made Shoes such a well-regarded, influential and ahead-of-its-time band. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Out Loud's vocal harmonies, which find Klebe multi-tracking his own voice into stacked layers of sound - a technique he learned in working with iconic British producer Mike Stone (Queen, Journey, Foreigner) during his time in Shoes.

Stone is just one of many iconic producers who Klebe has crossed paths with over the years. After doing some production work for him, Klebe became somewhat of a mentor to Butch Vig, GRAMMY-winning producer behind zeitgeist-defining albums like Nirvana's Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream, as well as an original member of Garbage. When Klebe sent Vig his solo project, he was one of the main proponents who convinced him that this music needed to be released.

Vig shares: "I'm a sucker for pop songs. I always have been. I like hooks, whether it's a drumbeat or a bass line or a buzzy guitar or a melody. I love great harmonies. You can trace that all the way back to the Beatles, the Hollies, or the Byrds - just the gorgeous sound of voices blending together. When I listen to Gary's new record, I hear all that in the DNA. It's in the production and the songwriting. It's timeless, in a way. He's not trying to invent a new sound. He's taking all the elements of production and songwriting that he loves, and he's coming up with a new album. It's so retro that it sounds fresh, because it's not like anything on Top 40 radio. It's such an anomaly. He's made a timeless power-pop album."