I surmise that it's one of those "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" things. Ever since I started investigating Joan Armatrading's music last November I've found one of her CDs and two LPs at local thrift stores, not to mention the .99-cent CD I ordered online from amazon.com that just arrived last week. So here's her 1985 LP Secret Secrets, a true product of the 1980s with production by Mike Howlett, best known for producing all of A Flock of Seagulls' hits in addition to some of OMD's artier early work like "Enola Gay." This was probably a big deal back then, and as a result the arrangements sound like a collision between Spandau Ballet and Simple Minds with tons of reverb. Depending on how much of a purist you are will determine your appreciation of it, and being an '80s aficionado I love how the synths accentuate "Moves" and "One Night." The most beautiful track, however, is "Love By You," where Armatrading's only accompaniment is Joe Jackson's piano pinging out one of the most gorgeous melodies I have ever heard. The only single from it was "Temptation," which hit a lowly #65 in the UK. If she had released "Talking to the Wall," she probably could've hit on the then-just-emerging Sade smooth jazz/snooze jazz market, because that's what it sounds like, making it the worst track here. Otherwise, an album not deserving a status of secrecy. Grade: B+
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Walburgh's BlogMostly retro, mainly music, but generally whatever's on my mind. Archives
June 2017
Categories
All
|