Think Out Loud - Shelf Life (1997)

German import

Think Out Loud was a collaboration between Peter Beckett and Steve Kipner, singer/songwriters with connections to Airplay, Player, Olivia Newton-John, Chicago, and Little River Band as well as being members of a band I'm unfamiliar with: Skyband (see below). With that pedigree, I was hoping for something along the lines of early '80s westcoast/AOR and instead I got what could have been filler on the St. Elmo's Fire Soundtrack. Disappointed. It's not so much the writing, it's the arrangements and production. Ah well.

Skyband, ca. 1975

I can find no mention of this album being released in the US, if that tells you anything. And I'm deducting points for not having any liner notes other than songwriting and production credits. Who played on this thing? Maybe I shoulda bought that Skyband vinyl instead. Or not.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks and who really shoulda recorded them:

1. Castles On Quicksand - Heart
2. Way Beyond My Reach - Cutting Crew
3. Don't Throw It Away - Foreigner
4. From Where I Stand - Chicago
5. Answer To The Why - Soundgarden
6. Moonlight On Water - Olivia Newton-John
7. Just Like That - Richard Marx
8. Let's Talk About Love - Wilson Phillips
9. I'll Find My Way Again - Don Henley
10. Calm Before The Storm - Glass Tiger
11. Dancing On A High Wire - Robbie Nevil
12. Invisible Man - Backstreet Boys
13. Invisible Man (Special Remix) - The Deele

Maybe these would grow on me over time. It's a shame they won't get that chance.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When you buy albums on spec, you win some and you lose some.