ELO - "Face the Music" (1975)

ELO is one of those 1970s bands that divides critics thanks to their heavy reliance on orchestration and progressive pop sensibilities. Much like with similarly divisive Steely Dan, I am firmly in the pro-ELO camp, proving that I am a lover of pop schlock once and for all (okay, my positive review of Paul McCartney's Tug of War already gave that one away). But really, I don't get it. Sure, ELO is following in the footsteps of the Beatles, particularly the Sgt. Pepper's era, albeit updated for a mid-70s classic rock sound. But they write captivating hooks, use their strings in a creative way (check out those runs on "Evil Woman"!), and if it is all overblown, so be it. The one potential misfire for me is the all-instrumental opening track "Fire on High," which reminds me way too much of the Moody Blues' similar failed efforts to open each album with a string instrumental (though the Moodies made it even worse by adding a spoken-word poem). But after that, this is all impeccable pop music that makes me yearn and swoon. Thumbs up!

Jim Croce - "Photographs and Memories: His Greatest Hits" (1974)

It's always easy to look back at musicians who died young and wonder what could have been. Jim Croce may not have been an artist with the stature of a Hendrix or Joplin, but I think he was at least better than James Taylor. So there. Photographs and Memories, his posthumous greatest hits collection, gathers all the key tracks from his short discography, almost half of them coming from his most famous record, You Don't Mess Around with Jim (which I also own). Probably having both of these records is somewhat redundant, but I will refrain from discarding one and keeping the other, at least for the time being. Croce basically has two personas: funny man ("Bad Bad Leroy Brown" and "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" as the prime examples) and sensitive balladeer ("Time in a Bottle"). He was a good enough songwriter to do well at both, and I commend him for that. These are not great songs, but they are by and large good songs, and I can always make room in my collection for solid, well-performed music. Keeper.

Linda Ronstadt - "Mad Love" (1980)

Once again, Linda Ronstadt defies my expectations. The opening line odds of this one making the blue bin at -191/+181 but I have to say, this is a keeper. It's hard for me to exactly explain why. These are all covers of new wave songs (three by Elvis Costello!), a genre in which Ronstadt didn't exactly make her name. She is a pleasant, but not outstanding singer, so I'm rarely riveted by her vocal performances. Her backing band is professional, but they never tear the listener a new asshole (bad analogy?). But what she does have is an unerring sense of tastefulness, both in choice of songs to cover, and then in performing them. The songs aren't flashy, but they aren't generic either. It would be easy to fall back upon commercial tropes, but even if her band doesn't rip it up, they still play with spirit. So I found the first side enjoyable all the way through, and if the second side drops off a bit, so be it.

Jeff Lorber - "Step by Step" (1984)

For whatever reason, I own three records by Jeff Lorber, pioneer in the 'contemporary' jazz scene of the 1980s. Although he has faded into obscurity today, I do find Lorber to be at least an interesting figure. To my surprise, Step by Step is no doubt a 'black' music record, with the song "Pacific Coast Highway" even winning a Grammy for best R&B instrumental. It's a mixture of mid-80s R&B and jazz, with lots of synthesizers and drum machines. I don't think that this particular mixture was ever a good idea, so it would probably take a lot for this record to escape the blue bin. And indeed it won't. 

There are a few interesting tracks here, although they are mostly when he goes completely instrumental. "On the Wild Side" is the only song where the synthesizers and drum machines are used in a unique way, generating intense rhythmic drive, and for that reason, it is the clear highlight. But even the better songs are marred by the robotic sound, and I don't find that these 'smooth' jazz instrumentals sit well with the more R&B-tinged vocal numbers, most of which are fairly generic and dated. There's even a song written by the infamous Diane Warren  and true to her oeuvre, it is trite and well, awful ("Every Woman Needs It"). Really, I don't even like "Pacific Coast Highway" that much, so this isn't that close to being a keeper for me. But it's an interesting blue bin record. If you have any interest in Lorber's brand of jazz, try the Jeff Lorber Fusion. I own Water Sign and that one I can actually recommend.

Squeeze - "Squeeze" (1978)

Despite the awful album art (the back cover showcases the band all wearing nothing but black briefs in some sort of dated effort to raise shock value, but much like similar Prince covers, it just seems ridiculous today), I call this a successful debut for new wave/power-pop band Squeeze. I own a handful of Squeeze records, and rather enjoy their third album Argybargy. Although they fail to reach the pop bliss of singles like "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" here, they show their potential and signs of what was to come later. Squeeze has a nervous energy unique to early new wave and combine a gift for pop hooks with almost-punk sensibilities. One odd thing about this album was that it was produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, who at least according to allmusic.com, pushed the band in an uncomfortable direction, resulting in an inauspicious debut. But while I wouldn't argue that they got better (and more diverse), I find that their debut is still a worthy chapter in the Squeeze story. 

The Choice Four - "The Finger Pointers" (1974)

This is apparently one of the more obscure records that I own, with only 3 ratings on rateyourmusic.com and only a tracklisting on allmusic.com. The Choice Four were a short-lived soul/funk quartet who failed to find any great commercial success with this record and thus faded into obscurity. Although this is hardly a bad record, with good singing and tasteful production, I can see why it didn't make any impact as well. Simply put, the songs are generic and largely lacking in hooks. So although I don't have any ill will towards this album, I also don't see myself wanting to listen to it again in the future. And that means blue bin.

Sade - "Diamond Life" (1984)

After hearing Sade's Promise first, there are no surprises in hearing Diamond Life. But as advertised, this is definitely the superior record. The style is the same but the songs are much more consistently hooky. This is adult contemporary at its most classy, and maybe the only time it was classy. In the end, I can't get enough of Sade's voice. The closest comparison I can think of is Nico from the Velvet Underground, with her harsh Germanic tones. Sade is smoother (of course) but has the same regal delivery that conveys no emotion but nonetheless inspires it. Just try getting "Smooth Operator" or "Hang On To Your Love" out of your head!