The Outfield reminds me a lot of Boston because the close vocal harmonies use similar voicing to Boston's songs and, because of that sound, all the songs sound alike and that's a good thing. Also, much like Boston's Brad Delp, the Outfield has a high-flying vocalist in Tony Lewis. Those airborne vocals are fantastic. That's not to deny the talents of the rest of this British power trio, especially the guitar work of John Spinks which perfectly straddles the line between new wave and rock - this debut album could only be from 1985. The songwriting is solid and there are pop hooks galore; it's tough to find filler on this album. This one isn't well-suited for listening while sitting and writing, so I'm taking this one out for a drive - check ya on the flipside...
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #9
- Billboard Pop CD: #11
- Rolling Stone: #11
Tracks: The hits are what get ya to the show, but since the all the tracks are so similar, you don't mind sticking around for the other tunes.The only track that's a little different is the haunting closer, Nervous Alibi, but it's a great way to finish off the album.
| U.S. charted singles: | Hot 100 | Rock |
| Say It Isn't So | 18 | |
| Your Love | 6 | 7 |
| All The Love | 19 | 14 |
| Everytime You Cry | 66 | 20 |
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None. I didn't buy this album in 1985 and I don't have any rational explanation as to why.
Not my cup of tea but that's alright we can argue the merits another time. My roommate in college played the album a lot, so much so that "Your Love" made my 100 Songs Of Summer - 2014 Edition.
ReplyDelete