#25 Ricky Lynn Gregg

Can You Feel It/Bring On The Neon- Ricky Lynn Gregg

“Can You Feel It”- Oh, no. More country, boo. It has those easy-to-guess lyrics, the fiddle, the piano, and all the other familiarities.

“Bring On The Neon”- “Let’s go downtown and get down”. That sums it up. He should have said, Let’s go to Whataburger and eat a burger… or, let’s go to Skate City in the city. How creative, huh? When I saw the title, I was vying for the tiniest chance that it was concerning Julian Copes song, Metranil Vavin. It has the lyric, “Metranil dreams of becoming a neon” and it would have been stupendous if that were true. No, sir. Oh, well.

#24 After 7

 Truly Something Special/G.S.T.- After 7

“Truly Something Special”- Smooth song. These two guys really make a strong case for staying with them. They talk and talk up the girl and promise her that sweet and innocent love that never comes to fruition. They remind and remind their interest that the past will not return and the anonymous/ambiguous lovers they had end with her. What kind of logic is that? It must have come up; otherwise, you keep your history quite and do not keep singing, “but I been bad for so long, I wanna be good, your one and only lover, and I want you to keep me strong”. It will not work. Then again, this was the 90’s.

“G.S.T.”- Wow! Now these are the prettiest voices used to acquire good sex tonight (G.S.T.). You have to be smooth to hide the words, “never a time you won’t be sexually pleased, know how to work it, give what you need, even though I know you've got insecurities”. Yeah, bring up her insecurities. Did that line work? I’m no Egyptian Lover, but you can’t tell me that a girl took all that and thought to herself, “Yeah, I am insecure about myself, but this guy sing pretty… so… I’ll jump his bones". Yay!

#23 Sting

All This Time/I Miss You Kate- Sting

“All This Time”- It is unfair that this song uses a ukulele for its opening. I cringed as it rapidly strummed, but I turned my ear down to it and things improved. Sting songs play with all encompassing familiarity. They vary in the instruments used, but his voice does not change pitch at all. I do not know if his accent is stronger than variances allow, no. It just does not falter ever. It sounds as though he takes a machine, places any tune or melody, any rhythm and chorus, any line, and runs it through the Police Machine and out spits the common warble we all know.

“I Miss You Kate”- This song did not run through the Police Machine. It sounds like a late night, piano bar tune that is somber with an inkling of hope. Very moving tune, Gordon.

#22 Great White

Love Is A Lie/Somebody To Love- Great White

“Love Is A Lie”- Out of 400, this is the only colored vinyl I received. It is white (of course). This song is a ballad right from the beginning. A piano and vocal accompany each other, and then the bass kicks in for slight effect. There are wisps of guitar throughout, but it is not until the second refrain that it rocks in a minuscule way. I am sure some babies developed, with jean jackets underneath (for comfort) to this song. It fades out as it tries to rock out. Again though, 10^th grade poetry is here. “Love is only a lie” repeated does not make a strong case, just a meager statement.

“Somebody To Love”- Eeew. This song starts with a greensleeves introduction and then The Great Society cover. I know the song is more famous under Jefferson Airplane, but The Great Society had the original version. Written by her brother-in-law, Darby, Grace took the song to Jefferson and made the flashier version with them. The history of this song is superior to the cover.

#21 Helen Reddy

Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)/The Old Fashioned Way- Helen Reddy

“Leave Me Alone (RRD)”- Cool. I know this song. It is a cute little pop tune with Helen asking, calm in her voice, for something that cannot happen with that serene tone. The orchestra of horns and strings adorn the voice wonderfully.

“The Old Fashioned Way”- I remember her from Pete’s Dragon. This is an old-timey song. It has classic pauses and subtle horn accents with a solid, yet simple bass line running unstopped from start to finish. The first instrumental takes off in volume, but diminishes with the vocal to the normal tone. The second instrumental is long and protracted to the finale where it simply fades to nothing. This was made in 1973 and has a early 30’s sound. What a fine tune.

#20 Lisa Stansfield

You Can’t Deny It/Lay Me Down- Lisa Stansfield

“You Can’t Deny It”- Finally, some R&B. This is a pretty song with a quick chorus. The chorus is discombobulated with overdubs and effects. In fact, there are effects everywhere on this song, and it takes away from the music. It has this soulful singer buried with artificial music. I hear the high backup singer using her nostrils to push the words into air. The flute on the chorus is feeble, to. It can be a pretty instrument, but not here.

“Lay Me Down”- There is too much echo on the voice. It sounds like a robot, not unique. “Do, down. Lay me down.” Those lyrics are not fun to sing. Again, her voice is great, but lost in the music and buried with the nostril flaring high notes.

#19 Rob Crosby

Sill Burnin’ For You/Solid Ground- Rob Crosby

“Still Burnin’ For You”- I’m dying for something else besides country music. Rob has the same song songs as Lee Rory and Dude. They are blending into the same song. The uniqueness fizzled long ago and this review will be brief. This is just a typical song.
“Solid Ground”- The ukulele lost its charm with this song.