My Amazon Reviews: Blondie "AutoAmerican"

And it's finger popping.
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Coming off the rocking success of "Eat To The Beat," Blondie hit 1980 ready to do whatever struck their fancy. The result, "AutoAmerican,' was a hodgepodge of styles, everything from disco, rap, rock, cabaret, a surprisingly well done showtune from "Camelot," even reggae. The album starts of eclectically enough, with the mostly instrumental drone of "Europa," which ends with Debbie Harry robotically speaking about phase gridlock and being left on your rims. Getting that out of their systems quickly enough, "AutoAmerican" breaks into a disco groove with "Live It Up," which seemed, in comparison the such monsters as "Heart Of Glass" and "Call Me," a bit tepid.

Which sets the tone for much of "AutoAmerican." Blondie was so all over the map that many of the songs kind of pale in comparison to other songs from earlier albums. The hits off the album itself show those flaws in sharp relief. The number one "The Tide Is High" (a cover of a Jamaican band called The Paragons) took reggae and used Harry's breathless vocal to make a striking pop song that stuck to the roof of your brain like the best of their singles. Then there was the truly unique "Rapture," in which a mostly underground and novelty form of music suddenly found itself at number one. It could easily be the first rap/rock crossover single. and still holds up remarkably well after over three decades.

One of the things missing from "AutoAmerican" was the rock. There's nothing here to compare to the explosive "Dreaming" or the muscle of "The Hardest Part" from just one album back. There are a couple tries, like the wild abandon in "Walk Like Me" and the horn driven "Go Through It." It also shows up on the bonus tracks, where the extended version of the number one "Call Me" blows away many of "AutoAmerican's" weaker moments. Harry was at Force 10 against Giorgio Morodor's Eurodisco pumping pulse. Which means that the best of the album are the singles, one of which is a bonus track. It didn't much matter at this point as the band was beginning to splinter (Frank Infante had to sue to be on the album) and the limp "The Hunter" would quietly close this chapter on Blondie. (They've made a couple of very strong reunion albums, including "No Exit" and "Panic Of Girls" in the new century, however.)

     

My Amazon Reviews: Train "Bulletproof Picasso"

This Train Keeps A'Rollin'
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Picking up where "Highway 37" left off, Train keep up their winning streak with "Bulletproof Picasso." Pleasing pop rock, a variety of styles and Pat Monahan's easy on the ears voice. From a far back place, he cries out "hey baby" on the opening "Cadillac Cadillac," like he's vying for your attention, and he keeps it for the album's 12 songs. They also keep the harmonies intact, especially the opening to "Angel In Blue Jeans," which is downright soulful.

There's even some toying with country western, as the typical country topic "I'm Drinking Tonight" finds him pining for a lost love. What's the way out? "The only thing stronger than you is whiskey...poison's the cure." Reminded me a little of Chris Isaak's high lonesome, just without the falsetto. Speaking of falsettos, Pat gives his some running room on "Give It All," which veers in the direction of Maroon 5. There's plenty of romance and life lessons to go around, especially on the make up song "Baby, Happy Birthday," where a chastened Pat sings his heart out for forgiveness. Or the sweet acoustic "Don't Grow Up So Fast," this time sung as a reminder of parenthood to keep the growing years precious in your hearts.

Still, there's lots of playful and catchy material here. The bubbly duet with Marsha Ambrosius, Wonder What You're Doing For The Rest Of Your Life" even has the band in giggles at the start. While I think "Highway 37" has the edge as the better album, "Bulletproof Picasso" mines the veins from party to pathos and keeps the Train comeback ride alive.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Train "Save Me San Fransisco"

Back On Track
4 Out Of 5 Stars

"Save Me San Fransisco" was a somewhat prophetic title for Train. For many, the band had been written off, even the members themselves were in the throes of doubt. What's a band in trouble to do? Get back to their roots. The reward was one of the biggest singles of 2010, a million selling album, and a band that suddenly were everyone's golden boys.

"Save Me San Fransisco" is a journeyman's effort, filled with breezy melodies and a free spirited sound. They even lift a few lines of another San Fransisco band, The Doobie Brothers' "Black Water" to reference their home city one more time (on "I Got You"). In fact, pop cultrure references are all over the album: Winger, Madonna, Mr.Mister, the Fillmore, Sonny and Cher (yeah, check your cool-meter at the door, folks) that come off as catchy as they are corny. After all, if they can pull off the rhyme of "Hey Soul Sister, ain't that Mr Mister on the radio?" and get you to believe they mean it, then Train has got more going on than most bands who want you to take them ever so seriously.

Lead singer Pat Monahan delivers the goods vocally, too. He's just earnest enough to make "Marry Me" transcend its sappy wedding bells tale, yet can make the travelogue of the title track feel like both a confessional and a plea to Train's old fans to remember the band and the good times that the likes of "Drops Of Jupiter" did in the early 2000's. "Save Ne San Francisco" does that and more. It's not only a great return to form for Train, it's one of the better pop albums you're likely to hear from this decade.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Train "California 37"

When You Move Me, Everything Is Groovy
5 Out of 5 Stars

Proving that "Save Me San Francisco" was no fluke, Train roll on with their career's second act with "California 37." They've matured into a first class pop band, wielding hooks alongside an often bizarre sense of humor. Kind of like Maroon 5, but without the teen-idol thing going on. They're even smart enough to self-reference their surprising comeback on the opening song by giving lead singer Pat Monahan the opportunity to give both a history of his life and the evolution of Train in under four minutes, but to thank the band's fans and then do it all without the least bit of irony. "This'll Be My Year" alone would put the album at 4 stars just for compositional value alone.

However, "California 37" has plenty of other charms. There's the twisted "50 Ways to Say Goodbye," in which Monahan cuts down an ex-lover by singing "How could you leave me on Yom Kippur?" The mariachi inspired horns on "Drive By" (a great single, by the way), lift that song into a fun and unusual direction, and the title track again turns to Train's fans and thanks them for being there when the band wasn't in the spotlight.

Relationships are also put to the test, song-wise, including "You Can Finally Meet My Mom," sung as a plaintive love song with a straight face. Country singer Ashley Monroe sings along in a duet about old flames getting back together in "Bruises," made ironic by the fact that both parties are coming down from bad relationships. Train keeps making these very standard sounding pop songs that have crispy tops, so the temptation to call "Highway 37" perfect is awfully close. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. At the very least it's a 4.5 just on the unconventionality of the lyrics and the fact that I've been listening to it for over a year without getting tired of it.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Pink "The Truth About Love"

The Love of Truth
4 Out Of 5 Stars

The new Pink album "The Truth About Love" is a funhouse of pure pop with a streak of sourness to it, Think Katy Perry's potty-mouthed sister, or maybe Joan Jett with considerably less attitude. Every song is a hookfilled manifesto that ruins its chance for mass appeal airplay without some serious re-work. Even the first single ("Blow Me One Last Kiss") had to get some substantial rerecording before it was ready for the radio. If you're adult enough to handle it, fine, but Mommy and Daddy might be disappointing if the kiddies get this version.

For the discerning pop ears, however, Pink still can't kick those pop-diva thrills. "Try" is a song of getting back up when life has you down, and the defiant "The Great Escape." The guests line up, like Lily Allen on the sarcastic "True Love" or Eminem on "Here Comes The Weekend." Best is the intimate duet with Nate Ruess of .Fun on "Just Give Me a Reason." Pink can hold her own with all the friends that came on board, but she's just as excitable on party tracks as "Slut Like You" or the deceptively perky cautionary tale "Walk Of Shame."

"The Truth About Love" is state of the art modern pop. Machine ready songwriting (on which Pink shares most of the credits) and sweet/sour disposition that reflects on modern relationships without getting too serious about it. Don't think too hard about it and you'll be rewarded. Over-think it and you'll miss the point; this is candyfloss with a sourball tucked in the middle. Let the sugar give you a buzz.

     

My Amazon Reviews: Fastball "All The Pain Money Can Buy"

Can't buy me love
3 Out Of 5 Stars 

The second and best album from Texans Fastball was a clever mix of witty pop with shades of the Kinks and Elvis Costello. As exemplified by the hit, "The Way," they blended sunny melodies with somber themes (the suicide of a senior couple) to a terrific effect. I've always been a sucker for this kind of guitar based pop, and "All The Pain Money Can Buy" is no exception.

Guitarist/vocalist Miles Zuniga, bassist/vocalist Tony Scalzo share lead vocals throughout, helping sustain the variety of the album. (Plus there's the groovy "Which Way to The Top," featuring female singer Poe.) "Out Of My Head" has a cool organ to its credit (and was also a modest hit), while "Good Old Days" has a riffing horn section. But the band was good at throwing curveballs, like the darker "Charlie The Methadone Man," glamorizing the pimped out dealer who is on a loser's course. I loved the dichotomy of the band's work at the time, and still have a soft spot for "All The Pain Money Can Buy." Nothing groundbreaking, but good stuff.

     

My Amazon Reviews: A-Ha "East of The Sun, West of The Moon"

Omnidirectional
4 Out Of 5 Stars

A slight comeback from the uneven "Stay On These Roads," A-Ha's "East of The Sun West of The Moon" started with the clap of a thunderstorm and ends with a fading rainstorm and more thunder. That should be enough to warn us all that the disc is off to some pretty moody territories, and you'd be correct in that assumption. It also was A-ha's total fade out from the American market, failing to break onto the US charts, although the terrific cover of "Crying In The Rain" did get some adult contemporary airplay. It doesn't diminish the band's chemistry in the slightest, though. Core duo of Morten Harket's falsetto vocals and Pal Waaktaar's guitar with Magne Furuholmen keyboards maintain the trio's overall sound.

Yet that sound, while unmistakeably A-ha (due mainly to Harket's incredible voice) is reaching out the bounds of synth pop. There's the moody and extended "Sycamore Leaves" and the guitar driven "Cold River." The harmonies of "Crying in The Rain" are more subdued than soaring, and the title track is a great story of looking for lost love. "Rolling Thunder" always felt like the end of the album to me, but there's a melancholy coda to follow..."Seemingly Nonstop July" ends the disc on a barebones acoustic guitar and modest keyboard line as Harket croons a hopeful, if brief, paean to younger lovers while a voice in the background yells "You better wise up, endless pain!"

It makes "East of the Sun" a middling A-Ha album, on a par with "Scoundrel Days", maybe a little under the follow-up "Memorial Beach." They were still making decent albums, even if the US had stopped paying attention.