After the artistically unfruitful Brazilian holiday at Hackett in 1982, it was time to start stressing and arguing with Charisma again. The result is this album, released the following year, which went through a troubled gestation and would be the last published under Stratton-Smith's historic label (which at the time I believe was hardly managing much anymore...). "Highly Strung" I like; it's a nice album overall, better not only than "Cured" (thanks ar ca) but for me also better than "Defector," and I don't hesitate to say so. It still partially follows a very pop-oriented path, but much less and more rarely than its predecessor. The sounds, when they're not too cheesy or plastic, are brilliant, lively, and sharp, just like Hackett's guitar, which here shines more than ever. In short, just "Casino Royale" (which will become a classic in Stefano's live sets) overshadows "Cured," and if we want to talk about '80s pop, "Cell 151" with its very poppy and cheeky first part still triumphs over the pop-curedian style. All the more pop-oriented tracks are at the center of the album, and while "Weightless" and "Walkin Through the Walls" are a bit weak (the only ones on the albu… more
Track 01 - Camino Royale

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