Rail

'80s hard rock outfit Rail belonged to that vast crowd of hard rock groups who briefly enjoyed visibility before fading from prominence. Terry Young handled vocals and bass, Andrew Aldwin covered guitar and synth, Rick Knotts played guitar, and Kelly Noble sat behind the drums; the four first crossed paths as high-school classmates in Washington. Regular touring had begun by 1980, with opening slots for Van Halen and Heart coinciding with initial work on a debut album. Self-released in 1981 under the title Arrival, the record drew significant notice throughout the Northwest. A video for the song "Hello" was produced and sent to MTV in hopes of airplay. The network instead placed the clip in its Basement Tapes contest, where it claimed top honors. EMI Records signed the band through the competition and issued a 1983 re-release of Arrival. Solid sales followed, yet the quartet remained overshadowed by pop-metal acts boasting flashier images, such as Mötley Crüe, and by fellow Northwest bands like Queenrÿche. A second album titled Three and continued road work failed to reverse waning interest, leading to an eventual breakup. Mid-'90s reunions produced the Big World album, and toward the close of the decade the group reissued its earlier catalog with remastered audio and upgraded artwork.