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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