Nick Heyward - Postcards From Home (1986)

Note: this CD is the 2002 reissue containing 6 bonus tracks.

Heyward is a UK singer/songwriter, '80s teen idol, and former leader of the one-hit wonder Haircut 100. This slick bubblegum pop album is far from being his best, but it's not his worse, either. Let me be upfront and honest: Heyward's 1983 album North of a Miracle is not only my favorite Heyward release, it is one of my all-time top ten CD's. (It will appear on this blog a little later). Postcards from Home is the follow-up release to that classic and, unfortunately, it doesn't quite measure up. That said, there are some pretty good songs here among some filler, just ignore all the lyrics.

Smash Hits

Tracks: The better tracks here are Over The Weekend, Goodbye Yesterday, Teach Til You Reach, and Cry Just A Little Bit. Weaker stuff is Again In My Heart and Come On Baby Run. Two of the bonus tracks are 12" versions of Heyward's 1984 singles, Love All Day and Warning Sign, which were both minor Top 40 hits in the UK. Love All Day isn't too bad, but I don't care for Warning Sign. The next bonus track is a very different take on Over The Weekend, followed by the 12" version of Goodbye Yesterday, included for the completists among us (that wouldn't be me, would it?). The final two tracks are high energy live versions of Fantastic Day and Take That Situation that are alright for live recordings.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I didn't know this album existed until the mid-'90s and the advent of the Internet. I discovered a rudimentary (most websites were rudimentary back then) Heyward fansite that included his entire discography and I learned about it there. The album had been out of print for a long time, but I was able to locate and purchase an LP (probably from GEMM) and transferred that to a CD. Then I found a copy of the CD on eBay for around $30 - impulse buy. Then they released this version in 2002 and I was able to sell my earlier CD copy to recoup some of my losses. I think this will be the last version I get. At least that's the plan right now.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Stars In Her Eyes (1998)
Today (1997)
A Hard Days Nick (1996)