The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Billy Squier - Don't Say No

Don't Say No is the first album from Billy Squier that I purchased. Specifically, for the track, The Stroke. It wasn't ever a song that I really dug. Instead, it fell under the category of, "Yeah, I know that song." However, this purchase would become instrumental, as in researching his music during this time, I discovered several more tracks I knew from him, and even a collaboration with Freddie Mercury. Before I knew it, my mild interest in one song led me to picking up four of his albums. Among today's Retro Spin, this included, Emotions In Motion (1982), Signs Of Life (1984), and Enough Is Enough (1986), the latter being the aforementioned collaboration with Mercury.

When Squier began working on his second solo album, he initially reached out to Queen guitarist Brian May to produce it. However, obligations had him tied up, and instead he recommended Reinhold Mack. Mack had previously worked on Queen's The Game, but prior to that had built up an illustrious career working with the likes of T. Rex, Deep Purple, Electric Light Orchestra, and The Rolling Stones, to name a few).

Upon its release, the album blasted up the Billboard 200, peaking at number five. To date, it remains Squier's most successful album of all time, going 3X platinum in the USA, and platinum in Cananda. Three singles would hit the Billboard Hot 100, The Stroke (peaking at 17), In The Dark (35), and My Kind Of Lover (45). The three tracks would also have music videos produced, which would see steady rotation on MTV.

The album also features Lonely Is The Night, which has become a fan favorite, and has been incorporated into Squier's live shows for decades. Despite receiving considerable airplay at the time, it was never released as a single.

In retrospect, and making sense now based on the above history, The Stroke sounds an awful lot like Queen's Dragon Attack. So much so, that the lyrics between the two songs could easily be interchangeable. While it may have been the song I purchased the album for, it's definitely not the best of the bunch.

Instead, I would consider In The Dark, and My Kind Of Lover, to be far superior. Depending on the day of the week, not necessarily in that order. Lonely Is The Night is also decent, but definitely at the bottom, in terms of favorability to me.

I went back and forth in my head with Nobody Knows. It starts out with a solid acoustic guitar intro, but then launches into a high pitched Squier, which sounds intriguing, while at the same time repelling the ears. The song does eventually break open, and his true voice comes through, and it's a unique journey getting there. It's simply both good and bad at the same time. This is followed by I Need You, which is a pretty solid tune.

Overall, it was a pretty good listening session, but I want to say I enjoyed his debut a little more. Perhaps it's because of how new to me everything was with said debut. Or perhaps it's because, like I said, the hits just overshadow everything else.

Based on the massive success, Mack and Billy would work on his next album, Emotions In Motions (1982), which would become another smash success for Squier. However, the two's working relation would dissolve shortly upon its release, and Billy's popularity and sales would drastically tank over the years which followed. The decline all starts tomorrow.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 294

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 294
Release Date: November 1987

Highlights

Death of Kraven The Hunter
Vermin remains trapped in a cage, reflecting on his mother running from Russia to America, only to then face poverty
Spider-Man infiltrates Kraven's mansion, and grabs him from behind, hitting him

Kraven puts up no fight, and instead boasts that he's finally won

Kraven tells Spider-Man to follow him, and though he suspects a trap, the hunter simply tells him that his spider senses sense no such harm

Kraven leads Spider-Man to Vermin, and explains that he alone was able to best the beast, when it took both Spider-Man and Captain America combined, and they barely were able to do so

This proves to Kraven he is superior to Spider-Man

Kraven frees Vermin, and though the beast recoils in fear of Spider-Man, the hunter rowels him up, sending him into a fighting frenzy against the hero
Vermin gets the advantage on Spider-Man, but is stopped by Kraven, who yells at him to go, causing him to flee
Kraven helps the wounded Spider-Man up, and tells him to go after Vermin

He tells Spider-Man that Kraven will hunt no more

Spider-Man departs, makes his way back to the city, and down into the sewers
Kraven stands over an empty coffin, picks up a rifle, puts the barrel in his mouth, and pulls the trigger, falling backwards into the wooden box

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Billy Squier - The Tale Of The Tape

Billy Squier was an artist I discovered relatively late. Though I knew of a handful of his songs, I daresay I wouldn't have been able to tell you who sung them until stumbling across them around 2022. This would lead me to grabbing four of his six eighties' albums, and then in late 2025 filling in the remaining two. Though I owned them all, candidly, I never got around to playing them. So, it's time to rectify that.

Music began early for him. At the age of eight, he was learning the piano, but after three years, grew bored of it. His grandfather would step in and actually pay the now eleven-year-old to stick with it. Sometime thereafter, a classmate would sell Billy a guitar, leading to him forming his first band, the Reltneys, at age fourteen.

His first public appearance would occur the same year he graduated high school, 1968, forming the band, Magic Terry & the Universe. However, by the early 70's he was playing Kicks. Though his initial plan was to go to college, and become a teacher, after just a short time in school, he left for New York, and joined the band, Sidewinders.

In the mid-seventies, he joined Piper, and this would lead to his first brush with the music industry. Piper released two albums in 1977, their self-titled debut, and Can't Wait. The band was met with great critical review, with their debut being called one of the best of all time. Being managed by the same management company as Kiss also granted them the opportunity to tour and open for them. Despite this initial success, the band opted to disband, and Squier went solo, signing with Capitol Records in 1979.

His 1980 debut, The Tale Of The Tape would spend three months on the Billboard 200, peaking at one hundred sixty-nine. Though only mildly successful, it would help to jumpstart his solo career. Ruther, his song, The Big Beat, would go on to be one of the most heavily sampled among the rap community. A music video would also be produced for the track, which would eventually make its way to MTV when the channel launched in 1981.

Noteworthy were some of the personnel contributing to the recording sessions. This included future Kiss guitarist, Bruce Kulick, and Bruce Springsteen E Street alum, David Sancious, and Ernest Carter.

The Tale Of The Tape delivers a solid rock experience. I really dig Squier's unique vocals, and frankly, he's not a bad writer either. The album delivers a slew of great tracks; The Big Beat, Rich Kid, Like I'm Lovin' You, Who's Your Boyfriend, and The Music's All Right.

If this is what Billy has to offer, then yes please. I'm only disappointed that I didn't catch on sooner. To think I would have never grabbed this album had I not come across it in a used CD shop, as it wasn't among the initial four that I purchased, nor did I have any plans to buy it. This excites me for what's to come.

To support the album, Squier headed out on tour with Alice Cooper, and upon its completion reached out to Brian May. His initial intensions were to have the Queen guitarist produce his next album. However, scheduling conflicts wouldn't allow for this to happen. Instead, May recommended Reinhold Mack, the producer who worked with Queen on their 1980 album, The Game. Mack has an impressive resume all his own and could easily have a post unto himself. Maybe we'll go a bit more into him tomorrow with 1981's Don't Say No.

As for this one, I'm highly recommending that you check out The Tale Of The Tape. If you're a fan of great rock and roll, this one could easily become your next favorite album.

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Comics Corner: Web Of Spider-Man 32

Title: Web Of Spider-Man
Issue Number: 32
Release Date: November 1987

Highlights

Peter's mind run's rampant as he subconsciously clings to life, buried alive for weeks
He finally breaks through the soil
Kraven has Vermin held captive in a cage
Peter Parker finally gets home to Mary Jane
Peter's vocal chords aren't working right, and he clearly needs time to rest, but instead he's back in his Spider-Man suit, preparing to go after Kraven
Peter catches up with Kraven

Low Points