When: Released November 5, 1984
Why? This album was featured in Warren Huart’s YouTube series on “Albums That Changed Music.” Prior to this listen, I’d only heard the radio singles.
What? This 10-song album is considered a timeless rock classic by some. It has sold over 12 million copies.
First Impressions: In a nutshell: I didn’t like this. Even at a mere 38 minutes, this album feels padded to me, with three or four (at least) forgettable or throw-away songs. Also, I’ve learned that I’m not a fan of Adams’s voice; it has a constant Springsteen/Seger huskiness that makes my skin crawl. (And in case that sentence didn’t make it clear, I’m not a Springsteen or Seger fan.)
Lyrically, there just isn’t much here: love songs that rarely put things in a fresh light, lots of clichés, and an over-reliance on “Yeah!,” “Whoa!,” and “Hey!” to fill out the lines. Some lyrical phrasing is just downright clumsy: In “Somebody,” is the couplet “I need somebody / Hey, what about you?” meant to be asking: A) Are you the somebody I need? or B) Do you need somebody too? Hit “Heaven” includes similarly constructed lines that made me stop and ask, Does he mean this or does he mean this? (And, no, there doesn’t seem to be any intentionality behind this.)
Musically, rather than feeling timeless, it sounds very much of its time, with possibly every song driven by slightly distorted, chorused, electric guitars. In some songs, sections come together without any natural musical connection to make them feel either inevitable or pleasingly surprising; instead, they come off awkward and forced. There was too much repetition and too many missed opportunities for further developing the ideas—both lyrically and musically. Few songs feature distinctive melodies.
The highlight and the exception was “Summer of ‘69.” Other songs I enjoyed were “One Night Love Affair,” “Run to You,” and “It’s Only Love” (a duet with Tina Turner).
So? The performances are energetic, the production is polished, and Adams clearly gives it all he’s got vocally. But ultimately he’s let down by bland songwriting and more-of-the-same arrangements. I can’t see myself listening to this again.