Note: this release was originally purchased as an LP, later replaced by a CD. For you audiophiles, my copy is a Target CD.
I often listened to this album when it came out. At age 19, my life was great in 1985, so when you hear Things Can Only Get Better, you think "Wow! How can that be?!? I can't wait!" Plus, I'm a big fan of the Euro synth-pop, so this release is right in my wheelhouse. I'm not a fan that the CD release doesn't replicate the track sequence of my old LP. Am I being too picky?
Press of the time:
- Rolling Stone: "Jones seems stuck in a rut, not a groove."
- Smash Hits (7 out of 10): "Howard seems in such a hurry here to cover all his options that he never really shines."
- Stereo Review: "sports a half-dozen hummable tunes"
- Robert Christgau (D): "Smarter than Cat Stevens. Sexier than Norman Vincent Peale. But not vice versa. And less soulful than either."
Chart Peaks:
- US Billboard Top 200 chart: #10
- Billboard Pop CD chart: #13
- Billboard R&B albums chart: #65
- CashBox album chart: #11
- CashBox CD chart: #20
- Rolling Stone: #10
Tracks: Of the hits, my fav is No One is to Blame. Other tracks that I like are Look Mama, Assault and Battery (admittedly not the cheeriest HoJo song) and Like to Get to Know You Well. Not a fan of Automaton or the horrid Bounce Right Back. Is There a Difference? is just cheesy '80s pop filler, but I'll sing right along with it.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: This takes me back to my dorm room in Berry Hall. My sophomore year in college, I somehow got my parents to agree to paying the extra money to get me a private room. I also remember the song Assault and Battery on one of my favorite TV shows of that time: Miami Vice.
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