FogBlueInSanFran
Well-Known Member
The reviews here are a little sour -- a bit too sour in my view. This record borrows awfully heavily from some others you lot have given plenty of plaudits. Of course, a lot of those plaudits came from @OB1 himself, but anyway. There’s no doubt this record loots a lot of bands over a lot of decades, but whilst I was expecting another 100% Queen knock-off like their first hit, what I heard is a bunch of mid-70s and mid-80s guitar pop (not just Queen) coursing through it.
Early on, off the top of my head, the first name I thought of was Bryan Adams. Now I know it’s easy to view him as one of Canada’s most dislikeable exports, but I’ve always had a soft spot for his simple hooks and simpleton lyrics. The first four especially fit this bill and I was surprised to find myself enjoying them all, especially the opener though I would have dispensed with the horns and maybe the whoo-hoo-hoos, albeit that party-tune production was obviously what the band was going for.
But the Queen effect cannot be denied and worms its way in later (and basically takes over) starting with “Hands On Me” and then particularly “Do What You Want” and “Rockstar”. I do have a thing against songs that pause two-thirds in when it’s obvious the intent is to shine the lights on the crowd while the lead singer encourages them to clap along and sing without music -- especially on two songs in a row. So the homespun fancy-pants production that I found pleasant earlier evolves (devolves?) into, what, the Bay City Rollers with Paul Stanley guesting on guitar?
Even so, there’s a place in the world for a band so focused on on-stage success that they’d simply lay it all out there in as loud and brash and obvious a fashion as these. Hell, didn’t we just talk about a record you all loved with a couple of brothers who did that? Do they get a pass cuz they're from Manchester but these guys don’t cuz they’re from Derby? Before you go off, I’m kidding (alMOST entirely).
Anyway, next comes another slow one, aptly named “Bad Decisions”, since it should have been left off the record (and channels Boston at their worst). Then comes “Better Love”, which is unexpected as it veers toward mid-80s new-wavery -- Xerox Freddie Mercury turns into (gasp) Xerox Martin Fry (at least until the chorus, when he then turns into Xerox Jon Bon Jovi). Anyhow, this stylistic careening about has now made my head hurt as I try to pigeonhole this motherfucker. With "Somebody Someday" we end back at Queen again -- as I could have predicted -- and while the music is as expected, the lyrics are a little sweeter and more poignant -- after all the cheesy, glammy bombast, singing about a long lost love of youth was a bit of alright. Then I found out Ian Hunter wrote this. Ah. That explains it.
Despite my schizophrenic commentary, I’m tempted to score this higher than some of you. I didn’t find it generic; I found it transparently aspirational, and though that’s not my cup of tea, I’ve heard worse efforts. Counting against it is the fact that @OB1 already has a bundle of records with high scores :) but counting for it is that he listens to this with his kids -- and I’ve already put up a similar listen-with-kids record (Fountains of Wayne) along with one that reminds me of my wife (Roxy Music), and such things matter.
It’s not good enough for a 7, but I liked it somewhat more than a 6, particularly the first four. Since I don’t do halfs, I have to go with my tried-and-true -- there are some good songs which I’d gladly hear again, but not enough, so indeed it is a 6.
Early on, off the top of my head, the first name I thought of was Bryan Adams. Now I know it’s easy to view him as one of Canada’s most dislikeable exports, but I’ve always had a soft spot for his simple hooks and simpleton lyrics. The first four especially fit this bill and I was surprised to find myself enjoying them all, especially the opener though I would have dispensed with the horns and maybe the whoo-hoo-hoos, albeit that party-tune production was obviously what the band was going for.
But the Queen effect cannot be denied and worms its way in later (and basically takes over) starting with “Hands On Me” and then particularly “Do What You Want” and “Rockstar”. I do have a thing against songs that pause two-thirds in when it’s obvious the intent is to shine the lights on the crowd while the lead singer encourages them to clap along and sing without music -- especially on two songs in a row. So the homespun fancy-pants production that I found pleasant earlier evolves (devolves?) into, what, the Bay City Rollers with Paul Stanley guesting on guitar?
Even so, there’s a place in the world for a band so focused on on-stage success that they’d simply lay it all out there in as loud and brash and obvious a fashion as these. Hell, didn’t we just talk about a record you all loved with a couple of brothers who did that? Do they get a pass cuz they're from Manchester but these guys don’t cuz they’re from Derby? Before you go off, I’m kidding (alMOST entirely).
Anyway, next comes another slow one, aptly named “Bad Decisions”, since it should have been left off the record (and channels Boston at their worst). Then comes “Better Love”, which is unexpected as it veers toward mid-80s new-wavery -- Xerox Freddie Mercury turns into (gasp) Xerox Martin Fry (at least until the chorus, when he then turns into Xerox Jon Bon Jovi). Anyhow, this stylistic careening about has now made my head hurt as I try to pigeonhole this motherfucker. With "Somebody Someday" we end back at Queen again -- as I could have predicted -- and while the music is as expected, the lyrics are a little sweeter and more poignant -- after all the cheesy, glammy bombast, singing about a long lost love of youth was a bit of alright. Then I found out Ian Hunter wrote this. Ah. That explains it.
Despite my schizophrenic commentary, I’m tempted to score this higher than some of you. I didn’t find it generic; I found it transparently aspirational, and though that’s not my cup of tea, I’ve heard worse efforts. Counting against it is the fact that @OB1 already has a bundle of records with high scores :) but counting for it is that he listens to this with his kids -- and I’ve already put up a similar listen-with-kids record (Fountains of Wayne) along with one that reminds me of my wife (Roxy Music), and such things matter.
It’s not good enough for a 7, but I liked it somewhat more than a 6, particularly the first four. Since I don’t do halfs, I have to go with my tried-and-true -- there are some good songs which I’d gladly hear again, but not enough, so indeed it is a 6.
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