If there was any album that defined a genre
then it was Christopher Cross's chart topping, quintuple platinum debut album.
Rarely has a soft rock album sounded so good as it does here… what can I say, I
am biased because to me it really is one of the best made and most entertaining
albums of its kind. Move over Fleetwood Mac, stand aside Kenny Loggins and 'hit
the road' Doobie Brothers, this album is the culmination of many sleepless
nights spent at the production desk in the recording studio. If Steely Dan had
set the rules for the soft rock genre during the mid 70s then Cross (and a
powerhouse team of session musicians) had refined and improved them creating
the peak of the genre.
The Album cover does not set the album to a
promising start. With what must be one of the worst, yet sterotypical album
covers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Cross (like Toto) had sought to
create a symbol for his act by which he could be easily identified in the
future. The flamingo (why?) would be used subsequently on his sadly mediocre
follow up Another Page (1983) but here it seems fitting - I don't know why.
However the naff design is secondary to the fantastic music that this album
possesses.
Many critics looking back like to be sniffy
about music from the soft rock/AOR genres which I think is remarkably unfair,
for this work definitely deserves a place amongst the other fantastic albums
that came out in 1979 (A very good year for pop and rock music). The fact is
that it didn't sell millions of copies or win the Grammy for record of the year
(1980) for no reason, but I guess it was this commercial 'FM' quality coupled
with the clean, flawless production from Michael Omartian that made many
critics dislike it all the more (similar to the reception that Toto's IV or Phil Collin's No Jacket Required would
also receive in comparison to their success).
Looking at the tracks there are plenty of
fantastic pop numbers and plenty of fodder for the charts. The first tune that
really stands out is the bass driven 'I really don't know any more' with
backing-vocals from the king of AOR Michael McDonald (of the Doobie Bros.).
This is followed by the subdued 'Spinning', a soft duet with Valerie Carter
(Who she?), yes it's a little saccharine but it is saved by fantastic vocal
performances from the lead singers and a well placed trumpet solo. The two big
hits on the album are the real highlights, 'Ride LIke the Wind' is a rollocking
and catchy anthem with a killer guitar solo which you can just imagine
listening to whilst speeding to the border of Mexico (a ref to the song for any
of those not familiar with this cut). The other is the anthemic 'Sailing' a
wistful ballad which just begs to be listened to outdoor whilst waving a
lighter above your head.
I know I must sound incredibly gushing
about this album but it really is one that, for me at least, has not one dud
cut on it - very rare for a soft rock album. It also has one of the most
impressive groups of musicians who Cross called upon to help create it: Don
Henley, Jay Graydon, J D Souther, Larry Carlton, Victor Feldman, Nicolette
Larson and the aforementioned Michael McDonald. But let us not forget Cross,
who has a unique and very engaging vocal talent as well and an incredibly good
hand when it came to writing pop music and gauging the popular mood at the turn
of the 1970s. If I am right this was one of the last albums to be released in
1979 and serves as an exceptional and truly awesome end to the decade.
Therefore, I sincerely urge you to add this
album to your purchase list. It is definitely in my top 10 records of all time
and as such gets a solid full marks from me (10/10). It is such a shame that
Christopher Cross never reached the artistic heights of this album again, but
like most of the best albums, they stand solo as an island of brilliance in a
sea of mediocrity.
