This may already be in my top 10 favorite albums in all of history.
If you're looking for the MASTER keyboard-playing album--go beyond Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Human League...THIS is the
ONE. 2 well-deserved big hits. And the rest of the album is SUPERIOR, enough said. This album is so tip-top great, his other albums should be worth checking into...Gary shall NOT be known as a 2-hit wonder!!! Of course, I remember those 2 songs SOLIDLY from AM radio back in the day, long before I knew they were sung by Gary. LOVED this album in college, and I taped the 2 big hits at my sister's friend's house back in 1987...was I TAKEN! I wished then I all of it, then years had passed. I finally got it on CD in 1998 and never looked back. Especially in the last 4 months, I have been playing the MOTHER out of it, especially "Made to love you", a ballad that should have top 40 as well.
Well, my track-by-track breakdown.
Love is alive-A great way to start the album, super moog bass and Arp synth. Great, disco feel.
Let it Out-a fine mellow selection, great clavinet flourishes.
Can't find the judge-fine synth Fender touches, well enunciated vocal. a little disco feel.
Made to love you-why stuff like this has gotten ignored, and have much mushier love songs and mercy-killing songs prevail is beyond me. This tune just gets better with every listen. Absolutely LOVE the Arp strings, Moog bass. If you like the title tune, you CAN'T dislike this. I think nearly every type of synth was mixed into this superior piece.
Power of love-a fine guesting by Ronnie Montrose on this. Way cool Moog intro! Another shining moment. Made you wonder why progressive rock stations stay away from this.
Dream weaver-the title smash--who's NOT heard it? The edited version was nothing short of a travesty--bravo to the PA systems playing the full version; the way the song's meant to be heard--no cut-in intro, no fade. Any modern keyboard appreciater can't say no to this. Mellow verses, suoer Arps in the refrains, and ONE KILLER ending!!! You didn't have to see Wayne's World to know this is top-notch.
Blind feeling-a great progressive keyboard piece. More Moogs, Arps, nice "percussive" synth flourishes. This could have been a hit as well.
Much higher-a little knock-off of "Love is alive", but a little less commercial sounding, great higher pitch bridges. Very muscular. Absolutely wonderful!
Feel for me-a song that features wife Tina Wright. The most seductive piece here, nothing over highly technical.
Of course, look for "Love is alive" and "Dream Weaver" in my CRAZY top 1000---sometime soon. This very album is the saving grace for my reason to live.
