Ostensibly the vehicle for veteran US all-rounder Mitch Easter, Let's Active issued three melodic albums during the mid-80s. Easter previously played alongside various members of the dB's in the Sneakers in the late 70s, and also worked with the H-Bombs and the Cosmopolitans. His first solo outing graced Shake To Date, a UK compilation of material from the US Shake label, in 1981. In-between "discovering" R.E.M. and then producing their early work, Easter eventually set up Let's Active. Cypress did not emerge until 1984, and featured Easter joined by Faye Hunter (bass) and Sam Romweber (drums). The songwriting skills were evident (and the debt to John Lennon and Paul McCartney was clear), but the album lacked bite, and despite the band supporting Echo And The Bunnymen on tour it did not sell. Almost two years later, Let's Active found that bite with Big Plans For Everybody, aided by drummers Eric Marshall and Rob Ladd, and Angie Carlson (guitar, keyboards, vocals). Promoted by "In Little Ways", the album seemed the perfect encapsulation of Easter's aims: superb production, an ingenious blend of instrumentation and, above all, strong songs. Easter's commitments elsewhere delayed the third Let's Active album for nearly three years, and as such, Every Dog Has His Day (with John Heames now in the ranks) was slightly disappointing.

Listen to Let's Active at Finetune.

• (2007)  Big Plans For Everybody
• (2007)  Every Dog Has His Day

• Every Word Means No
• Every Dog Has His Day
• Bad Machinery
• In Little Ways
• Writing The Book Of Last Pages

• R.E.M.
• The B-52's
• Bangles
• The Posies
• The Smiths
• 10,000 Maniacs
• Shoes
• Talking Heads
• The Replacements
• Echo And The Bunnymen
• Blondie
• XTC
• New Order
• The Cure
• The Plimsouls
• U2
• The Go-Go's
• Depeche Mode
• David Bowie
• Ben Folds

• royerling
• BlueJulie
• Shawnuel
• mkjones2
• oberland