The Toy Box: 1988

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Retro Spins: Bonnie Tyler - Hide Your Heart (AKA Notes From America)

Today wraps up my listening sessions of Bonnie Tyler's 80's discography. What constitutes as an icon and / or legacy artist? The industry would have you believe that Tyler qualifies for these titles, yet when you stand back and look at her career as a whole, she only had one number one Billboard Hot 100 hit, Total Eclipse Of The Heart. Her remaining singles from the 80's peaked between thirty-three and seventy-seven. I don't know. I hate to be so mean, especially on the heels of her unfortunate passing, but that just doesn't scream iconic to me.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Ace Of Base popularized the song, Don't Turn Around in the 90's, but it was originally recorded as a B-side by Tina Turner for her single, Typical Male in 1986. Bonnie Tyler would then record her own version of the song in 1988 for her studio album, Hide Your Heart. That album would be retitled to Notes From America when released in the USA. It turns out that Tina would in turn borrow from Bonnie, as this album would include Tyler's original recording of The Best, which Turner would then use for her 1989 record, Foreign Affair.

In addition to this, Bonnie would also record the Paul Stanley / Holly Knight written, Hide Your Heart, which Kiss would later use on their Hot In The Shade album the following year. Lastly, she would also record a cover of the Bee-Gee's 1967 second single, To Love Somebody.

Things start off with the roar of a live audience, giving the impression that you've been bamboozled into listening to a concert album, versus studio. However, as the song picks up, the crowd fades out, and the crisp studio recording takes over. Opening track, Notes From America is decent, but definitely nothing worth jumping up and down for.

Her version of Hide Your Heart was decent, but in retrospect, I dig Kiss's version more. This isn't surprising since it's not only the version I heard first, but it would make sense that the artist who wrote it would be able to produce the better rendition. This is my same impression of her cover of the Bee-Gee's tune, To Love Somebody, which honestly just feels unnecessary. Bonnie adds her own flourish to it, but frankly, it's just not good. She's literally just yelling through it.

Having heard it first is also the problem I have with tracks Don't Turn Around, and The Best. I'm sorry to say that Ace Of Bass does the first better, and Tina Turner owns The Best at this point. One I've yet to mention yet is her cover of Big Brother And The Holding Company's Turtle Blues. Tyler can definitely match the vocals of Janis Joplin, but does she achieve a better song in the long run? No, not really. Janis nails the rhythm and blues sound of the original, and it just fist more, time period wise with its 1968 roots.

USA album cover and title

Michael Bolton and Desmond Child contribute the song, Take Another Look At Your Heart, and you can definitely tell in listening to it that it's a Bolton song. It has his signature style to the lyrics. The unfortunate part for Bonnie, is that it prompted me to look if he ever recorded his own version of it, and sadly, he did not. I'd much prefer to hear him sing it.

Okay, so let me try and say something positive. I suppose the opening track was decent, and Shy With You is a poppy treat. They're about the only two tracks that really stood out in a good way among the rest. But, overall, the album just feels like a series of throw away tracks.

Columbia Records ended up dropping Bonnie from their roster when her contract expired, and while she would go on to release eleven more albums through 2021, it would be for a series of varying labels. She would also experience an uptick in sales in the 90's, with her three albums released between 1991 and 1993 going platinum on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Specifically, the Norwegian branch. However, her days on the Billboard Hot 100, and charting in the USA in general, were long over by this point.

Still, Bonnie Tyler remained highly popular around the world, and anyone who tells you otherwise is flat out lying or trying to fool themselves. She remained incredibly active through 2026, performing her last live show on March 19, 2026, in London. Had it not been for a tear in her bowel, which put her in the hospital, she would have been back on the road in May. Unfortunately, her health took an unexpected turn, leading to her sadly passing away on July 8, 2026, just one month to the day after her birthday.

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Retro Spins: T'Pau - Rage

Man, I can't believe that it was all the way back in 2019 that I first, and last, talked about T'Pau. Granted, they only had two albums in the 80's, but seven years ago feels like a lifetime ago at this point.

After releasing their unique hit, Heart And Soul, T'Pau was a band that you would have thought the world would keep their eyes on. Sadly, this wasn't the case.

The group was formed in 1986 as Talking America before taking their name, T'Pau. It would come from a Vulcan leader of the same name who appeared in the season two opener episode, Amok Time from Star Trek's original series.

Heart And Soul would initially only chart in the USA. It had previously been a flop in the UK, but success would follow after the tune was featured in a Pepe Jeans commercial. The end result was a massively successful debut, Bridge Of Spies (1987), which peaked at number one in multiple countries, and in the top twenty in several others. The album would also go 4X platinum in the UK, and gold in both Canada and Germany.

Poised for greatness, they released their follow-up, Rage in 1988, and that's where it all ended. The record would fare best in the UK, landing at number four, and charting between fourteen and forty-four in four other countries. It would not chart at all in the USA and further produced no Billboard Hot 100 Hits. T'Pau had come and gone overnight.

Carol Decker's strong vocals kick things off a cappella followed by drums slapping, and the rest of the band coming in. Arms Of Love is a solid opener and sets a solid tone for what's to be expected.

Unfortunately, that's where things kind of end. While her voice stays formidable, the songwriting itself is lacking. It all feels like generic throw away material. Filler, at best. There are definitely no hits worth raving about. Though I will give a subtle nod to Between The Lines, and Road To Our Dreams.

Island feels like a lackluster attempt at recapturing what Heart And Soul delivered. It's a decent attempt, but simply can't hold a candle to its predacessor.

The CD version also contains an additional track, This Girl, but it's by no means anything that needed to be included. Rather, it feels like it's just there to extend the runtime and take advantage of the CD era. More is not necessarily better.

Side note: the above makes me laugh because it reminds me of the food reviews you'll see sometimes. "Food was terrible, and portions small." Why would you want more if it's terrible? Anyway...

As a whole, the album isn't terrible. It's just not as good as it could be, and the sad part is that Decker really does have a powerful and unique voice. With the right material, she could have become a powerhouse of the late 80's. I dare say that if they embraced it, T'Pau could have also transitioned formidably into the grunge scene, standing right next to the likes of Hole and Garbage.

The band kept things going through 1991, releasing their third album, The Promise. However, a continued lack of commercial success, and the relationship between Decker and guitarist Ronnie Rogers led to them disbanding.

Carol would reform the band in 1998, and release Red. However, she'd be the only original member from the band until Rogers returned. They'd release two more albums, 2015's Pleasure And Pain, and 2026's Be Wonderful. However, no albums since 1991 have charted, and the years of success appear to have been long left in the past.

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Retro Spins: Devo - Total Devo

Four years had passed since the previous Devo album, Shout (1984). Since then, the band had lost their recording deal, drummer Alan Myers had quit, and lead vocalist, Mark Mothersbaugh occupied his time recording music for the show, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, and the score to the 1987film, Revenge Of The Nerds II: Nerds In Paradise. The latter he brought in long time Devo collaborator, and friend, Gerald Casale.

This would also lead to a formal Devo collaboration for the song, Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, which would play at the beginning of the film. Sadly, no soundtrack would ever be released for the film, leading to a lot of great music seemingly being lost to time.

In 1987, Devo would also sign a two-record deal with Enigma Records, who would also revisit Mothersbaugh's 1985 solo album, Muzik for Insomniaks, expanding it for a two CD re-release. As for Devo, the Casale brothers, Gerald, and Bob, would pick up the pieces with the Mothersbaugh brothers, Mark, and Bob, bringing in form Sparks drummer, David Kendrick, to fill the role of Myers.

Their first project would be for the 1988 film, Slaughterhouse Rock, starring Toni Basil. Not unexpected, the film would bomb in theaters but become a cult classic horror film on VHS and DVD. Much like Nerds, there would be no formal soundtrack release.

Devo would then set their sights on a comeback album, 1988's Total Devo. This unfortunately would not pan out, with the album charting far worse than any of their others to date. Further, it would receive overall poor critical reviews. Despite this, the band headed out on a world tour, and released the live album, Now It Can Be Told: Devo At The Palace in 1989.

But let's pause there and actually play through today's Retro Spins.

Believe it or not, Total Devo starts out on a really solid note. I was really digging Baby Doll, Disco Dancer, Some Things Never Change, and Plain Truth. However, by song five, everything seemingly did a 180, and tanked. Probably the biggest offender to come was the horrible cover of Otis Blackwell's Don't Be Cruel, originally performed by Elvis Presley. It just doesn't hold a candle to the classic version.

This lull does unfortunately overshadow everything else, and I really only got into one more track, I'd Cry If You Died. That was definitely disappointing considering how well everything started off.

There are some specifics to note with this album. Those being that the original vinyl version didn't include the song, Sexi Luv, while the cassette version featured an extended version of Some Things Never Change. Both would be included on the CD version, with the latter being included as a bonus track at the end, while also featuring the shorter vinyl version in its normal slotted position.

Devo released their second, and final album on Enigma, Smooth Noodle Maps in 1990. The album would fail to chart and be considered another failure. In 1991, the label, who were already struggling financially, would fold, and all of its assets be sold off to EMI. As a result, the band would once again find themselves without a recording contract.

Undeterred, the guys would make an appearance in the film, The Spirit of '76, released in 1990, and release a series of demo compilations entitled, Hardcore Devo: Volume One (1990) and Hardcore Devo: Volume Two (1991) through Rykodisc. However, it would be on a bus while watching This Is Spinal Tap, that the band would confer in each other that what they were seeing on the screen had essentially become their lives. They'd agree that things needed to change, resulting in them agreeing to no longer tour. Their final show was in March of 1991, and upon completion they disbanded.

In 1996, Devo filled one of the "mystery guest" spots at Lollapalooza and made an appearance at the Sundance Film Festival. They'd also take part in the creation of the Inscape adventure game, Adventures of the Smart Patrol. While the game would perform poorly, Devo's popular comeback was not. The guys began headlining tours again, which eventually brought them full circle back to Warner Bros. for 2010's Something for Everybody, their final studio album to date.

While the album performed decently, it wasn't the successful comeback that everyone expected. At least not on the studio album side. Touring, Devo continued to make waves and grew even further with the creation of the annual convention, DEVOtional.

2005 brought them back to their hit, Whip It, which they re-recorded to fill a Swiffer ad. I mean, sometimes you just gotta get paid, even though they would later say they regretted the decision.

Disney would then make them an offer to create Devo 2.0, a series of re-recorded song, with vocals and performances provided by children. It would be released in 2026 on a two CD / DVD combo and become a bit of an irony for the band, who would state the required changes to lyrics was ultimately the complete opposite of what their songs were originally intended as.

Warner Bros. and Devo announced a re-release of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and Freedom of Choice in 2009 and continue to work with the label until 2012. This was driven by the creation of their own website, where to this day they sell their own merchandise, including Devo wearable gear and unreleased music. They also continue to actively tour and release periodic singles. They're currently performing a series of shows across the USA, which will wrap up in October.

With that, I've checked off Devo from my collection of albums which needed a listening session. Tomorrow, I'm off to something "new", but at this point, I haven't actually landed on what that will be. I guess we'll all find out tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: Judas Priest - Ram It Down

It's a sad day. Today's the day that I listen to my last Judas Priest album. I hear you, you tell me, it doesn't have to be. As of 1990 they have another eight albums, all the way through 2024's Invincible Shield. To that I say, "No." Though I did pick up their 1987 live album, Priest...Live!

1988's Ram It Down would come about from several tracks initially intended for the aborted double album Twin Turbos. For better or worse, it would finish off the decade for the band. While their legion of fans would help push it to gold certification, critics would rip the album up, calling it stale and routine. Being a lot of leftover tracks, that may be a fair assessment.

I suppose no further introduction is needed. Let's dive into my last Judas Priest listening session.

Speed metal is apparently the name of the game, at least that's the first impression I get from album opener, and title track, Ram It Down. Coming off of Turbo, it's a complete 180. It's not a bad tune at all. Unfortunately, this doesn't fair the same for the remainder of the album. The only other standouts for me were, I'm A Rocker, and Monsters Of Rock.

The biggest misstep for me is probably the Chuck Berry remake of Johnny B. Goode. I don't know if the boys had just heard the news of the forthcoming Back To The Future Part II, and felt nostalgic for the original film, or if they truly felt the need to pay tribute to Berry. Whatever the reason, it's not a good rendition.

Overall, it was kind of a dud, and I actually lost interest in the remainder of the album after the above noted cover. For me, it was a disappointing note for Judas Priest to end the decade on. After all the buildup that was leading to this point, I really expected better. Especially in light of me essentially becoming a fan over the course of the previous five albums.

Upon its release, drummer Dave Holland would leave the band, citing numerous reasons. Among these were his need to take care of his ailing mother and sister, but also that he never really felt appreciated for his contributions. Apparently, Holland was never made a full member when initially joining in 1979. Longtime producer, Tom Allom would also step away from the band, not returning until the 2009 live album, A Touch of Evil: Live, and the 2018 studio album, Firepower.

While the band would recruit drummer Scott Travis for 1990's Painkiller, litigation would commence that year against the band by the parents of 20-year-old James Vance and 18-year-old Raymond Belknap, who claimed the young adults shot themselves based on subliminal messages implanted in their 1978 album, Stained Class urging them to commit suicide. While Belknap would die instantly from a shotgun blast under his chin, Vance would only end up maiming himself, though die three years later from a drug overdose. The case would ultimately be dismissed.

Tensions purportedly with Rob Halford and his fellow bandmates led to the singer departing to form the band Fight. However, contractual obligations kept him officially part of Judas Priest until 1992, though he would collaborate with them for a twentieth anniversary compilation entitled, Metal Works '73–'93.

The band would spend several years looking for a new singer, eventually selecting Tim "Ripper" Owens. While Owens would provide vocals for 1997's Jugulator, and 2001's Demolition, both albums would flop. He'd amicably step down when after ever-growing demand brought Rob Halford back into the fold. The reunited Judas Priest would kick things off with the box set, Metalogy, and an appearance at Ozzyfest in 2004, where the media dubbed them the premier act.

Studio album, 2005's Angel Of Retribution, would fair much better than the previous two Owens fronted releases, but continue the trend of failing to acquire any sales certifications. This trend would continue for 2008's Nostradamus, and 2014's Redeemer Of Souls. The later would also be the first to not include K.K. Downing on guitars, who retired from the band after citing tensions with management and other members. He would be replaced by Richie Faulkner.

Since then, the lineup of Rob Halford, Glen Tipton, Ian Hill, Scott Travis, and Richie Faulkner have remained, releasing 2018's Firepower, and 2024's Invincible shield. However, Tipton would formally retire from touring in 2018 due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. Andy Sneap has toured in his place since then, and the band is actually set to kick off their Faithkeepers series, which will begin in July, and end in September 2026.

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Retro Spins: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

It's noted that the continued change in sound from Iron Maiden's previous album, Somewhere In Time remained prevalent in their final release of the decade, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. The problem with this is that I didn't hear said change in the previous album.

At this point, I think I've hammered home that my overall experience with the band has not really paid off. The music's been a bit lackluster, especially in the wake of Bruce Dickinson taking over vocal duties of Paul Di'Anno. They've not become a favorite of mine, and candidly, I haven't seen the appeal to this legacy act of thrash metal.

Regardless of my opinion, Iron Maiden has proved time and time again to be a powerhouse in the industry, producing top charting albums, and sales certifications ranging between gold and multi-platinum. The point being, as much as I consider myself an 80's music aficionado, I fully understand that tastes vary, and opinions are subjective.

The band approached their 1988 album as a concept, basing it on the 1987 novel Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card. It would be their first to include keyboards, played by both Steve Harris and Adrian Smith. Singer Bruce Dickinson would also get reinvigorated, with his ideas being embraced and included in the material. You may recall from yesterday's post that all the ideas he brought to the tale for 1986's Somewhere In Time were all rejected by the remaining members.

Following suit of previous releases, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son shot up the charts in multiple countries, becoming their next number one in the UK, and peaking at number twelve on the Billboard 200 in the USA. A support tour was inevitable, seeing the band perform one hundred three shows, including the West Germany, Netherland, Italy, Spain, and France portions of Monsters Of Rock. Michael Kenney would be brought in to perform the keyboard portions for the tour.

Having zero expectation, I fired up the album, prepared to spend the next forty-five minutes half listening, and half twiddling my thumbs. "Not so fast," said Iron Maiden. "Check this out!"

Moonchild starts with a strumming acoustic guitar before delivering a synthesizer intro, overlaid by guitars and drums. From there, the beat kicks in, and the song takes off. Wait, what was happening? I was into it, hook, line and sinker.

From there, the album just kept punching me in the face with solid track after solid track. So many, that while I initially began jotting down tunes of note, Infinite Dreams, Can I Play With Madness, it soon became apparent that I was actually enjoying the whole thing. Where the heck has this Iron Maiden been?

I'm sure many metal purists were rolling their eyes at the inclusion of synthesizers, but for me, I think it's the missing piece that previous albums didn't have. Thrash metal meets synthpop rock. Iron Jovi. That's what I'm talking about.

If you haven't reached the conclusion yet, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son was a great album. It's a definite high note to end it all on, and yet, at the same time, sad that I didn't get this from previous records. Frankly, it makes me want to go back and listen to them again and see what I may have missed out of prejudice. Unfortunately, time won't all for that any time soon.

Upheaval soon reared its head for the band. Thing began unknowingly with guitarist Adrian Smith releasing an album with ASAP in 1989, and singer Bruce Dickinson beginning a solo career with Janick Gers on guitar. While all of this was going on, the band celebrated their tenth anniversary with a compilation release.

Returning to the studio for what would become their next album, 1990's No Prayer For The Dying, during pre-production, Smith would quit. It would later be stated that he disagreed with the stripped-down sound that founding member, and bassist, Steve Harris was leaning towards. Dickinson would suggest he be replaced by Gers, who became the first new member in seven years.

Iron Maiden once again joined Monsters Of Rock and were even joined by Smith who made an appearance to perform with the band. However, as things would have it, issues with Dickinson then began occurring. This began with their 1992 album, Fear Of The Dark, where rather than work with Harris on tracks, which he had done in the past, he instead worked with Gers. Feeling creatively restricted, Dickinson would leave the band in 1993.

After listening to thousands of tapes, the band chose Blaze Bayley, formerly of the band Wolfsbane, to fill the spot of lead vocalist. With his different vocal style from Dickinson, the band received mixed criticism for their next two albums, The X Factor (1995), and Virtual XI (1998). Bayley would be asked to leave in 1999 after a series of poor performances. In hindsight, Gers would say that it was the band's fault for expecting him to perform songs outside of his vocal range.

The band met with Dickinson, and negotiated his return, and following this, phoned up Smith, who also rejoined. Rather than ask Gers to leave, Iron Maiden now encompassed three guitarists, who they nicknamed the Three Amigos. Though there have been ups and downs, success has continued for the band with the lineup of Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adiran Smith, Janick Gers, Steve Harris, and Nicko McBrain. They're continued the legacy of Maiden and released six more albums between 2000 and 2021. While rumors suggest a new album is in the works, nothing has been concretely confirmed.

As for Eddie, the mascot which has appeared on every Maiden album to date, well, he's still around too. He not only remains the face of the band, but as of 2024 has even made the transition to toys from Funko.

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Retro Spins: Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What!

You're a young Jay Reynolds, and you've just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. You join Megadeth as their new guitarist, and finish their 1987 UK tour in support of their platinum selling album, Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? Your next adventure takes you into the studio to begin recording on what will become 1988's So Far, So Good... So What! There's just one problem. You can't perform the solos being requested of you for the songs. You're not only asked to leave, but the person who served as your guitar instructor is then asked to join the band. Enter Jeff Young.

Looking back at yesterday's post, it's ironic that the band would fire Gar Samuelson, and Chris Poland for ongoing substance abuse, when it would be noted that the recording sessions for their 1988 album would be problematic with Dave Mustaine for the exact same reason. To me, that's just ironically hypocritical.

Despite the major label budget for the album, as well as five months to record it, producer Paul Lani would prove to be a problem for the band, leading to frequent clashes between him and Mustaine. Purportedly, this all began with Lani's insistence that the drums be recorded separately from the cymbals, an unheard-of process for rock drummers. The two became estranged, and Lani was ultimately fired, and replaced by Michael Wagener.

Upon its release, So Far, So Good... So What! would become the bands second consecutive platinum record, performing even better on the charts, peaking at number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200. Though things were looking to only get bigger and better for the band, their consistent substance abuse would once again lead to problems. More on that in a bit.

For me, So Far... is relatively more of the same that I've heard two times now. Fast and hard, and mostly incoherent. I'll again give credit where credit is due. The instrumentation work is solid.

Things do break out of this mold, in particular, In My Darkest Hour, and the cover of Sex Pistols Anarchy In The UK. These more structured tunes come across as better, but at the same time, I don't see myself saying, "I need to hear that again."

Overall, I think I'm fatigued at this point on Megadeth. Whereas before I was giving things a pass for having solid instrumentation, this time around, I'm looking for something better. I suppose this is why I have always preferred their 90's material. Tracks like Symphony Of Destruction, Train Of Consequences, A Tout le Monde, and Blood Of Heroes just sound far superior.

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Retro Spins: Peter Cetera - One More Story

After leaving Chicago in 1985, Peter Cetera went on to bigger and better things. For a young boy watching the film, The Karate Kid Part II, in 1986, you wouldn't be able to convince me that the singer was once part of a band. Instead, as far as my mind was convinced, he was an all-new singer, fresh on the scene, and delivering an amazing lead track to a film I equally loved.

Hindsight and age can certainly open one's eyes.

After having his first solo album buried by Warner Bros., for fear it would interfere with their plans for Chicago, Cetera would stay with the band through their 1985 opus, Chicago 17. However, wanting to get back to a solo career, he'd propose to the band to take breaks, allowing him to do so. His request would be declined, and Peter would say, "So long."

This would turn out to be a good move, as along with the momentum of their previous album, he was able to deliver the massive solo record, Solitude/Solitaire. It not only featured the aforementioned Glory Of Love, which would go on to be his first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, but the surprise Amy Grant duet, Next Time I Fall In Love. It too would become a number one hit.

He'd follow this with 1988's One More Story. Though it wouldn't fair as well, it would still be successful, peaking at fifty-eight on the Billboard 200, falling short of its predecessor, which peaked at twenty-three. For me, the album is most notable for having my favorite song from his solo work, One Good Woman. This would peak at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and be followed by the mildly successful Best Of Times (peaking at fifty-nine). Though it wouldn't be a hit, his song, Save Me, would go on to become the opening theme to Baywatch for the show's first season in 1989.

One More Story would also allot the opportunity for Cetera to work with other artists, such as Pink Floyd's David Gilmore, Oakridge Boys' Richard Sterban, and Bonnie Raitt. Perhaps the most unexpected was his collaboration with Lulu Smith, who provides backing vocals on the track, Scheherazade. You may recognize her from her real name, Madonna.

While it's a decent album, it's definitely less pop rock, and more adult contemporary. This equates to a lot of the tracks being slower, and candidly less appealing than previous albums.

My biggest problem with the first half (or side if on vinyl) of the album, is that the first three songs, Best Of Times, Piece Of Mind, and One Good Woman are solid, while the remaining two tank hard. Things don't pick up again until Body Language (There In The Dark), and Never Listen To Me. However, when I say pick up, I mean decent songs, not necessarily tempo.

There in lies my biggest problem with One More Story. It just falls apart under the ballad heavy weight it carries. It's as if he hit number one with Glory Of Love, and Next Time I Fall, and made the decision that he could never sing another rock song. Overall, it's a relatively flat note to end the decade on.

You'd need to really be in tune with Madonna, or know that her vocals were contributed to Scheherazade to even know it was her. She contributes only to some random chanting, and singing the word, "Scheherazade". It's not a bad song, but it's kind of a waste of Madonna's time and talent.

With the 90's Cetera stayed focused on a more adult contemporary sound, finding success on those charts with his 1992 released, World Falling Down album. Though some tracks would also cross over to the Billboard Hot 100, most notably, Feels Like Heaven, a duet with Chaka Khan.

This would not only be his last album for Warner Bros., but his last to chart. Hist last two albums of the decade, 1995's One Clear Voice, and 1997's You're the Inspiration: A Collection, would be on River North Records. The latter collects some of his more popular duets, as well as features re-recorded Chicago hits.

His final two studio albums would see him label hopping with 2001's Another Perfect World on DDE, and 2004's You Just Gotta Love Christmas on Viastar. However, by this point, Peter Cetera had pretty much fallen off the map, save for diehard fans.

Since then, many lucrative offers have come in for him to rejoin Chicago for a reunion tour. Though he continued to say, "never say never", in his own words, he equated leaving the band to a divorce and thus far has had no interest. Instead, he opted to retire in 2019, stating he'd rather bow out before his voice faded.

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Retro Spins: Britny Fox - Britny Fox

Ah, the 80's. Where the men were so into their long hair, high heels, slinky clothes, and makeup, that Steven Tyler himself would be duped by one from behind, prompting him to write, Dude (Looks Like A Lady). You couldn't swing a stick without hitting a hair band. For the girls, it was bad boys singing ballads to them. For the guys, it was hard rock energy and rebellion.

Britny Fox emerged in the mid 80's, securing a recording contract thanks to their ties with Tony Destra, and Michael Kelly Smith, of Cinderella, who were both part of the original lineup. Prior to Destra's death in 1986, the band recorded the demo, In America. This was followed by Rock Is Gonna Fight, with new drummer, Adam West, in 1987. This would lead to their 1988 self-titled debut, which would be considered one of the best of the year, being certified gold. This allowed them the opportunity to tour extensively, opening for acts such as Poison, Warrant, and Ratt. They would also win Metal Edge magazine's Readers Choice Award for Best New Band.

MTV would help push their success with the steady rotation of videos for Girlschool, Long Way To Love, and the power ballad, Save The Weak. Despite this, only Long Way would see any chart success, and just barely by making number one hundred on the Billboard Hot 100. Chart success was far better for the album as a whole, peaking at thirty-nine on the Billboard 200.

All of this, and would you believe I never heard of them until recently? It's true. I came across them while doing a general search of Google for 80's hair bands. Though I went back and forth a few times, I eventually pulled the trigger, grabbing both of their albums from the decade.

Firing it up, I was immediately greeted by Girlschool. Seeing the album cover, I was expecting a Bon Jovi type album. What I instead got was beaten over the head by the raspy powerful vocals of "Dizzy" Dean Davidson. I honestly had to stop after track three, and take a break to regroup myself, and start over.

I'm glad I did because my original impression was, "I didn't sign on for this." Whereas coming back a few days later, mentally prepared for what I was instore for, things resonated better.

The back to back openers, Girlschool, and Longway To Lover were pretty solid entries. Nothing amazing by any means, but definitely rocking that 80's hairband sound.

When ballad, Save The Weak started up, I didn't even need to read the song title to know what it was. Not because I knew it, or had heard it previously. Rather, it just had that cheesy ballad sound to it right from the start. It definitely wasn't for me. It's the kind of track you'd easily find on those compilation albums that you ordered off a television ad from Time Life in the 90's. It's terrible in all the right ways.

As for the rest of the album, it was relatively forgettable, and quickly fell into background noise territory. There was nothing bad about it by any means. But in the world of your Mötley Crüe's, Bon Jovi's, Def Leppard's, and everyone else in the hair metal scene, they just don't stand out as much.

Britny Fox would return to the studio to release 1989's Boys In Heat, an album title which really doesn't excite me to listen to next. However, shortly after it dropped, so to did lead singer Davidson. He dropped right out of the band, and went on to form another group. We'll pick up there tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: Lita Ford - Lita

Between 1985 and 1986, Lita was hard at work recording her third solo studio album, The Bride Wore Black. Unfortunately, it would ultimately be shelved by her record label, Mercury. Further complications at the label involving internal management shakeups would result in her being dropped. Not to worry, Lita would sign with Sharon Osbourne Management and obtain a new deal through RCA.

Her misfortune would turn out to be Mercury's loss. With the supervision of Sharon, and producer Mike Chapman, Ford would go on to record her most successful album in her career, 1988's Lita. It was led by hits, Kiss Me Deadly, Back To The Cave, and the massive duet with Ozzy Osbourne, Close My Eyes Forever. The latter remains her most successful single, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. As a whole, the album would peak at number 29 on the Billboard 200.

Music videos for Kiss Me Deadly, Back To The Cave, of course, Close My Eyes burned up airplay on MTV, further launching the album into mainstream success. Kiss Me Deadly would also go on to be crowned number seventy-six on VH1's list of best hard rock songs.

For how long this album's been in my life, I'm disappointed with myself to say I've never actually listened to it in its entirety. While I wasn't denying myself a perfect masterpiece, I was missing out on some solid gems.

Back To The Cave, Blueberry, Broken Dreams, Kiss Me Deadly, and yes, the song I bought the album for, Close My Eyes Forever, were all fantastic additions to my shuffle list. With the exception of the latter, the album keeps up a consistent hard rock sound with awesome guitar solos, and wonderful synthesizers.

Hearing Close My Eyes Forever really hit me hard. Hearing Ozzy in his prime coming through the headphones was almost too much. I think it may very well be the first time I actually mourned his death and not just acknowledged mentally that he was gone. It's an epic track, and one which will forever live in my personal rotation.

Lita would be at her peak with the album, and its success allowed her the ability to continue on throughout the 90's. However, before doing so, she'd part ways with Osbourne, citing a love-hate relationship. She'd release two more albums for RCA: Stiletto (1990), Dangerous Curves (1991). The last would provide her final career charting single, Shot Of Poison. Prior to taking an extended hiatus, Ford moved to German label, ZYX, and released 1995's Black.

By this time, she had shifted her priorities to raising her kids. It wouldn't be until 2008 that she'd reemerge with a new band and release Wicked Wonderland in 2009. Though she label hopped from this point on, she would release two more studio albums to date, Living Like A Runaway (2012), and Time Capsule (2016).

Speaking of the Runaways, while Ford has long advocated for a reunion, it's all come down to holdout Joan Jett. Though she loves rock and roll, Jett has held the stance that the Runaways legacy should be left untainted. She sees no reason to recreate it decades later. As of 2006, it's become a rather moot point with the passing of Sandy West.

As for Lita herself, she continues to perform live, with her most recent being in March of 2026. At sixty-seven, she seems to have no interest in slowing down, and hey, why not. She's still physically fit and able to rock a stage. So, if the fans keep coming, why stop now?

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Retro Spins: Sade - Stronger Than Pride

My listening sessions through Sade's 80's discography have been a bit mind numbing, a little boring, and overall underwhelming. Granted, I never really expected anything mind blowing. I knew what I was getting into, and I knew what I wanted from it; essentially the three hits I knew, Sweetest Taboo, Smooth Operator, and Your Love Is King, and that's relatively what I got.

Initially, I bought her first two albums, 1984's Diamond Life, and 1985's Pride were intentionally bought for those aforementioned tunes. However, as things go, when I began preparing for this series of Retro Spins, I felt I'd go ahead and pick up her final entry for the decade, 1988's Stronger Than Pride. Just me checking boxes like I so often do (and regret).

Upon its release, Sade definitely kept their successful momentum going. Stronger Than Pride would become their third platinum record to date, and like its predecessors, fire up the Billboard 200 to the top ten, peaking at number seven. It was equally successful across the globe, peaking in the top ten on multiple charts, and smashing platinum sales in multiple territories.

I don't know, maybe it's just me. Sade just doesn't do it for me. As noted above, I find the music boring. There's just nothing here that leaves me saying, "Wow, that's amazing," nor, "I need to hear that again."

Okay, let me think of something positive to say. Instrumentation wise, the band has the smooth jazz sound locked down. They know what they're doing, and Sade knows how to use her vocals to compliment it. If I was into this style of music, I could definitely see the appeal.

The band went on to release 1992's Love Deluxe and would win a Grammy in 1994 for their song, No Ordinary Love, featured in the 1993 film Indecent Proposal. However, by 1994 the singer was looking for a quieter life. One where she could rest and raise her child. Sade Adu, seemingly disappeared overnight. Bassist Paul S. Denman, keyboardist Andrew Hale, and guitar and sax man, Stuart Matthewman, would go on to create Sweetback in 1996.

The four would reunite in 2000 for a performance at the MOBO Awards, and release the studio album, Lovers Rock. As fate would have it, the band essentially picked up right where they left off, producing another platinum record that smashed the charts across the globe. Ten years later, they'd do it again with 2010's Soldier Of Love.

When it's all said and done, while it's not for me, there's an audience out there for Sade, and they love what she does. Kudos to the band for their massive success across multiple decades. All the more respect for being able to take such a long hiatus and do it multiple times like it was just another day for them.

As for me, I'm headed back to Tom Petty, a statement which will make more sense to you tomorrow.

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Retro Spins: Book Of Love - Lullaby

It's ironic that I would say in my previous post about Book Of Love that tubular bells and chimes felt a bit overused, only to then fire up their sophomore album, Lullaby for the opening track, Tubular Bells.

Though their 1986 album featured multiple charting hits, it would be the group's commitment to serve as opening act for Depeche Mode's Black Celebration Tour, which kept them out of the studio. It wouldn't be until spring 1987 that they finally got the opportunity to start laying down demos for what would become 1988's Lullaby.

Preceding its release, Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls, was released as a single, and darted up the dance charts to number five. This was followed by the mildly successful album title track, which peaked at twenty-seven. The third single, Witchcraft wouldn't fare so well, failing to chart. As a whole, the album would also be their first to hit the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at one hundred fifty-six.

As noted above, the album kicks off with Tubular Bells, a fun instrumental, which segues into the hit, Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls. The two tracks really hit the mark for me and excite me for the things to come.

I can't help but feel like if Witchcraft had been released in 1984 / 1985 that it would have been a success. It's not a good song by any means, but what it does have is quirky vocals, which bounce from Susan to Jade to Lauren, all mixed together in a solid beat.

While I will say that the album is pretty okay overall, for the year it was released, it's a bit dated. I suppose part of my opinion driving that is that by this point in time I was listening to more hard rock / metal. Still, it's a decent listening session.

Book Of Love would release two more albums, 1991's Candy Carol, and 1993's Lovebubble. Carol would hit the Billboard 200 (174), and both it and Lovebubble would produce one successful dance chart hit. However, witnessing the changing landscape of music in real time, they would opt to disband in 1994. While part of this decision was to avoid continuing on until irrelevant, the members were admittedly burned out and facing family issues. In the end, they just felt that things had run their course, and it was time to bow out.

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Retro Spins: Femme Fatale - Femme Fatale

1988 was a unique year for music. Though glam metal had made the careers of multiple bands, and still had a strong selling point, it was also on the verge of dying, being replaced by the forthcoming grunge scene. As such, when Femme Fatale entered the arena, they were met with mild fanfare, but not enough to keep them relevant long term.

Lead singer Lorraine Lewis, guitarist Bill D'Angelo, Guitarist / keyboardist Mazzi Rawd, bassist Rick Rael, and drummer Bobby Murray release Fatale's self-titled debut in November 1988, delivering with it two music videos, Waiting For The Big One, and Falling In And Out Of Love. With steady rotation on MTV, album sales were pushed into the two hundred thousand range, peaking at 141 on the Billboard 200. The track, Touch And Go, would also make its way to the soundtrack for the Corey Feldman / Corey Haim film, License To Drive, released that same year.

Fatale certainly has the 80's hair metal sound down. It's loud, with powerful vocals, and sure, it even delivers solid hits in the two aforementioned tracks. But at the end of the day, it's also just another here today, gone tomorrow album. There's no longevity here. Nothing that I'm going to find myself wanting to play again. It's good. It's just not great.

I hate to be that guy, but looking at the cover of their debut album, the back of my mind kept pinging that something was off about the group. It finally hit me, the members looked really old. A little digging revealed that Lewis herself was thirty years old when their debut landed. While that's certainly not ancient in the grand scheme of things, it certainly is in the rock and roll world. To put it in perspective, Jon Bon Jovi was 22 when Bon Jovi's first studio album came out, Vince Neil 20, Axl Rose 25, Bret Michaels 23. You see where I'm going with this? A thirty-year-old isn't very relatable to a late teen / early 20's person. You're that dude that's too old for the people you're attempting to hang out with, but worth keeping around to buy the beer.

After completing their support tour, the band was all set to return to the studio to record their follow-up album. However, this would end up not happening. This was a combination of shrinking support from label MCA, mostly due to the band's inability to compete with other popular hairbands, and their manager developing brain cancer (yikes). Sessions were ultimately scrapped, and Fatale disbanded in 1990.

Lewis would reform the band in 2013 with an all-female lineup. Signing with FnA Records, their second album, One More For The Road, consisting of tracks recorded between 1989 and 1990, would finally see the light of day.

In 2019, Lewis joined Vixen as their new lead vocalist. While they would release the live album, Live Fire in 2018, to date, there have been no new studio albums. She would also return to Femme Fatale in 2025, to record and release the single, Living Like There's No Tomorrow. However, much like Vixen, there's been no new Fatale studio albums.

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Retro Spins: Melissa Etheridge - Melissa Etheridge

Led by the Juliette Lewis starring music video, Melissa Etheridge exploded on the 90's scene with her hit, Come To My Window from her 1993 album, Yes I Am. As such, one would be forgiven to think she was an all-new act of the decade. The facts, however, would be that leading up to this breakthrough, she actually had released three albums already.

Etheridge got her breakthrough through one of the wives who came to see her with her soccer team. The woman was married to Bill Leopold, a music manager at the time, who was able to secure her a contract with Island Records. However, upon turning over the tracks for what would have been her debut, the label rejected them, calling them too polished. She'd return to the studio, and over a grueling four days, hammer out the raw tracks that would be released on her 1988 self-titled debut. It would become an underground success, led mostly by the single, Bring Me Some Water, with the song being nominated for a Grammy. The album would also peak at number twenty-two on the Billboard 200.

I will say up front that expectations for me were low, and I didn't know what exactly to expect. In the 90's, I was a fan of her aforementioned hit and even picked up the CD out of a dollar bin several years back. However, I never actively looked for anything else from her.

During one of my many excisions to the used CD shop, it actually surprised me to find her debut album, but to learn at that time that it was indeed from the 80's. Digging a little further yielded her 1989 follow-up, Brave And Crazy. Even better, both were priced at a mere ninety-nine cents each.

She's kind of like a female version of Jon Bon Jovi. A raspy, yet powerful voice which can push you to the back of a room when the need calls for it. This is all smoothly layered out by solid rock music, typically led by an acoustic guitar, but backed by a full band.

While it initially starts out solid, even having a standout track, Like The Way I Do, by the halfway point it did get a bit boring, and from there, it only further went downhill. I kept waiting on Etheridge's own Livin' On A Prayer, or Raise Your Hands, you know, something big, with a lot of energy, but nothing ever reached that point. It was kind of disappointing, because the potential was there. Fortunately, the album does end on a high note with I Want You.

Though I will, this whole experience doesn't necessarily excite me to jump into her next album. Reading that it delivers more of the same even less intrigues me. If nothing else, I'm moving forward to check it off the list.

Let this be a lesson to you, kids. Just because you're a fan of 80's music doesn't mean you need to buy everything and anything from the era. There's going to be a whole lot of hits and misses, and the misses are going to be a real downer.

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Retro Spins - Huey Lewis And The News - Small World

By 1988, Huey Lewis And The News was in a steady decline of sales and popularity. Despite their previous album, Fore! (1986), reaching number one on the Billboard 200, sales wise, if far under performed in comparison to 1983's Sports. This drop continued with 1988's Small World, which stalled out at number eleven on the Billboard 200, and would "only" go platinum in the USA, and gold in Canada. As a whole, it was considered, "noticeably weaker" by critics and label Chrysalis.

Single, Perfect World would also fail to impress much, stalling out at forty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100. As it would turn out, the only noteworthy highlight would appear to be the instrumental track at the end of the album, which was written solely to be used for highlight reels for the San Francisco 49ers, which the NFL team did indeed incorporate into their games.

Small World (Part 1), and Perfect World are pretty okay tracks, and as a whole, you can definitely hear that the band's writing styles have matured over the years.

However, as a whole, it's not a very noteworthy album. It's pretty mediocre at best. Candidly, there's not much more I can say beyond that. I mean, there's simply no hits here, and it was a pretty poor way to end the decade.

Overall, pretty boring. Specifically pointing out the song Slammin', it's a relatively unnecessary song, and frankly doesn't showcase any catchy riffs or hooks often associated with instrumental tunes.

The band's contract with Chrysalis came up for renewal after Small World, and the boys opted to depart, instead singing with EMI USA. However, they wouldn't release anything new until 1991's Hard At Play. It would be their last album to receive any form of sales certification, but not their last to chart on the Billboard 200.

Though they continued to tour, things were brought to an abrupt halt in 2018, when Lewis reported he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease. Things worsened to the point where he essentially went deaf by 2025. The band would release one final album, 2020's Weather, before officially retiring. Through the aid of cochlear implant, Lewis has recently stated that he can once again hear talking, but doubts he'll ever be able to hear music, and thus perform ever again. That's kind of a downer.

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Retro Spins: Toto - The Seventh One

Yesterday's post went through a lot of history on the band Toto, a subject I avoided in previous listening sessions of their albums. As such, today, as we reach the end of their 80's discography, there's not much to say about anything pre 1988.

Since their debut, the band kept a steady lineup of founding members. It was only after the release of Toto IV in 1982 that David Hungate would opt to leave, wanting a quieter life. He would be replaced by a third Porcaro brother, Mike. Soon thereafter, singer Bobby Kimball was let go for substance abuse. Though he was replaced by Fergie Frederiksen for their next album, after the subsequent tour, he too was let go and replaced by Joseph Williams. Wanting to pursue a career in film and television scoring, Steve Porcaro, would depart in 1987.

Opting to remain as a five piece, Steve Lukather, Joseph Williams, David Paich, Mike Pocaro, and Jeff Pocaro, would begin work on the 1988 album, The Seventh One, aptly named for being the band's seventh studio album. Stop Loving You, and Pamela would become their last top forty hits.

Though their label, Columbia, felt it was one of their strongest albums in their careers to date, and President Al Teller pushed for promotion of Pamela, when he left the company shortly after its release, support ceased. With the lack of the label pushing for exposure, The Seventh One quickly dropped on the charts, and Toto began to fall into obscurity. Lukather would say it was, "the moment that our star dwindled in America and it would take years for us to recover momentum."

Pamela leads off the album, and while it's a decent song, it's not what I'd call an opening number. Things stay relatively slow paced, and after what feels like an eternity, despite only being track four, when Stop Loving You finally comes around.

The tempo picks up momentarily with side b's Straight For The Heart, and Only The Children. It was at this point that I wasn't hearing what the President of Columbia Records stated was their strongest? It was okay, nothing to really write home about, and definitely nothing as impactful as what came with Toto IV.

To me, this is definitely a band on a downward decline from their peak. Yes, the songs are glossy, crafted to perfection in only a manner that the members of Toto can do, and would accept. Unfortunately, it just doesn't have the hits or hidden gems to really make it pop. At almost fifty-five minutes in length, I think it also suffers from CD Bloat Syndrome (aptly what I call CD-BS). CD-BS is when a band crafts their album around filling the extended time quota a CD provided, versus focusing on delivering solid tracks that deserve to make the cut. Less is more, especially when less is quality over quantity.

Williams would depart after the tour for The Seventh One, citing personal struggles with addictions, and a need to pursue other creative outlets. Additionally, in 1989, Steve Lukather released his first solo album. Though he would go on to release nine in total to date, he never shunned his responsibility to the band.

Jean-Michel Byron would be brought in to record the four new tracks created for the 1990 compilation, Past to Present 1977–1990. However, he was promptly dismissed during their subsequent Planet Earth tour for being a diva, and difficult to work with. Lukather would opt to step in as lead vocalist for Toto from that point on.

Toto released their first album of the 90's, Kingdom Of Desire in 1992, only to be met with tragedy when Jeff Porcaro passed away suddenly in August of that same year, while working in his yard. The cause was deemed to be sudden heart attack from years of cocaine use. The loss was so great that the band discussed disbanding. It would be Pocaro's parents who would persuade them not to, insisting Jeff would want them to carry on.

Simon Phillips was brought in, not only for Lukather having previously worked with him, but because the guys knew Jeff liked him as an artist. The three remaining members, Steve Lukather, David Paich, and Mike Pocaro, along with Phillips, would release 1995's Tambu.

Lukather would continue to handle the majority of the lead vocals until Bobby Kimball would rejoin in 1998. They'd release 1999's Minefield, and 2002's Through The Looking Glass, while continuing to tour in between, with one of their most notable being the 25th Anniversary tour. It would be during this that David Paich would semi-retire, needing to take care of sick family. Greg Phillinganes would be brought in to fill in during this time and ultimately join the band. They'd release 2006's Falling In Between with this lineup of Lukather, Paich, Pocaro, Phillips, Kimball, and Phillinganes.

In 2008, Toto would announce its disbanding, but this wouldn't last long. By 2010, the band reformed, and between 2013 and 2014 embarked on a 35th Anniversary tour. Though many returning members partook in the shows, some would also depart. In 2015, a new lineup consisting of Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Pocaro, David Hungate, Joseph Williams, and Keith Carlock, were back int he studio to release Toto XIV.

Lukather, Paich, Pocaro, Hungate, and Williams would return to the studio between 2016 and 2017 to add new material to tracks previously recorded between 1981 and 1984, and release 2018's Old Is New. The album would feature previous Pocaro brothers, Jeff and Mike, a fitting tribute to the brothers who had previously passed away. Toto continues on, touring frequently to date.

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Retro Spins: Chicago - Chicago 19

As I come to today's post, and my final destination in the Chicago transit, I can't help but feel glad that I'm finally crossing this group off my list. It's not been the most exciting series of Retro Spins I've gone through, but I suppose I didn't really expect it to be. They're a band rooted, for me, in their hits, with not much more beyond that.

Whereas their previous album saw the departure of longtime member, Peter Cetera, Chicago 19 would see the producer of their previous two albums, David Foster also exiting. This was not only from the producer feeling the remaining members were difficult to work with, but because they in turn felt he was removing the sound that had built the band. Specifically, the horn sections, which he frequently pushed to the background, or removed completely, in lieu of a more synthesizer accompanied sound. There's no doubt that the changes made by Foster pushed Chicago to the peak of their popularity, so it's disappointing that the guys adamantly pushed back.

Nineteen would end up peaking at thirty-seven on the Billboard 200 and become their last studio album to reach platinum status. It also featured some of the bands most recognizable hits, and pretty much their last batch of them; Look Away, I Don't Want To Live Without Your Love, What Kind Of Man Would I Be, and You're Not Alone.

The aforementioned hits are pretty much where the sweet spot of 19 lies. I suppose four out of ten isn't a terrible ratio for an album, but I don't know. It just continues to be disappointing that Chicago, as a whole, doesn't deliver much in the department of hidden gems. Their songs are either massive hits or falling flat duds. For me, there's just no middle ground.

I suppose in terms of studio albums, it's decent way to end the era. There's certainly been albums from 1988 / 1989 that I've listened to from legacy artists that were massive missteps, and in that regard, Chicago doesn't go out on a bad note. It's just no more impressive, nay, it's less impressive than what came before it. I suppose I go back to what I said above. It's disappointing that they didn't embrace the sound that saw them at their peak in 1985, and to that regard, I'm happier that I'm finally done listening to their music, which should never be the takeaway.

I would always prefer to end wanting more. To be so invested that I consider listening to something from an artist's 90's and beyond catalog. For those of you who know me, you know that's quite an honor on my part because I adamantly don't like 90's and beyond music. But again, that's not a problem here. For Chicago, I'm just ready to be done.

Of course, I'm not the end all be all opinion on these types of things. Chicago would finish out the decade with Greatest Hits 1982–1989, a massively successful compilation which went five times platinum in the USA alone. It's second only to Chicago 17, in terms of peak sales performance. It would also be their last platinum album until 2002's The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning, which to date is their final platinum album.

Though sales would slow down, their overall momentum doesn't seem to have. Sure, lineup changes occurred. Notable were the firing of original drummer, Danny Seraphine, for reasons undisclosed, and Dawayne Bailey for voicing his concerns over their label shelving the album, Stone Of Sisyphus when it was initially recorded. However, the band remains very much active, having released twenty albums, consisting of a variety of studio albums, compilations, and live recordings between 1990 and 2024. They also continue to tour, with a summer schedule in 2026, which will see them headlining with Styx.

While the world loves a reunion story, as for Peter Cetera, he's having no parts of it. To date he's not returned to the group and even declined to perform with them at their 2016 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. So, don't expect to see him on stage with the boys any time soon.

As for me, my next stop on the Retro Spin train is another legacy band which I need to wrap up. I'll see you tomorrow to get started on that.

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Retro Spins: Jane Wiedlin - Fur

Following the lukewarm reception of her self-titled debut, Jane Wiedlin would spend two years carefully crafting the tracks which would become 1988's Fur. The album would fare slightly better than its predacessor, peaking at one hundred five on the Billboard 200, and produce two singles, Inside A Dream, and Rush Hour. They'd peak at fifty-seven and nine on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Fur would feature a more contemporary production to her previous debut album, leaning on programmed instrumentation supplemented with electric guitar and horns. This statement is the perfect segue for my listening session.

Overall, I just felt the album was far superior to her debut. It feels more polished, and it hits that sweet spot in my 80's sounding ears. Side one kicks off with the two noted hits, before jumping into One Heart One Dream, which kind of has a Madonna vibe to me. This then goes into Homeboy, which reminds my ears of Paula Abdul. I'm not saying that Wiedlin was channeling these artists, nor would I fault her if she was. These are all good tracks.

Side one, or rather, what would be side one if I wasn't listening to it on a CD, closes with the slower paced, The End Of Love. It's serviceable, but at the same time also slows down the momentum that was being built. Fortunately, the tempo quickly picks up with side two's opener, Lover's Night, and stays there with Give!

Ironically, the title track is the weakest among the bunch. It serves no purpose other than to preach that one shouldn't wear fur. I mean, that's a fine opinion to have, but at the same time, who cares?

Wiedlin would continue her solo career, releasing 1990's Tangled, and 2000's Kissproof World. She'd also reunite with the Go-Go's in a series of reunions throughout the 90's, and the band would release 2000's God Bless The Go-Go's, an album conceived by Wiedlin.

The Go-Go's announced a farewell tour in 2010, but this would be cancelled when Jane would suffer an accident while climbing. They'd try again in 2020, only to be halted again by the worldwide house arrest (AKA the "pandemic").

In 2021 the Go-Go's were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and formally announced their breakup in 2022. They would reunite a final time, or rather, their most recent, in 2024 for a one-off performance when inducted into the California Hall Of Fame. Wiedlin would return to her solo career, with her most recent tour concluding in 2025.

On a side note, ever since my Dirty Dozens posts of records for consideration of a spot on the wall, and subsequent tour of the room, I couldn't get something out of my head. That something was the itch to own all of "Weird Al" Yankovic's 80's albums on vinyl. Specifically, to own them and put them on the wall.

I would browse for them here and there, but then seeing that they were about $100.00 each, with exception of the UHF soundtrack, which was about four times that (for some reason), I simply passed on them. I wasn't going to pull the trigger if I wasn't going to feasibly afford the soundtrack.

Well, as fate would have it, I came across three very nice "buy it now" sales on ebay. The first was for his 1986 released Polka Party!, 1988's Even Worse, and 1989's UHF. The latter was slightly higher than I wanted to pay...well, all of them were higher than I "wanted" to pay, so I put an offer out for it. I was surprised that the seller took it, but ecstatic that he did. Even better was that not only did they all arrive in the mail the exact same day, but so too did my order of frames from Michaels. Everything just lined up from start to finish!

I decided that if I was going to make the purchase that I'd have to in turn make them all work on the wall without removing anything else. I mean, every record up there was so for a reason. So, off we went to the inevitable third row.

I also moved some things around. First and foremost, to allow all six of his albums to be next to each other. Secondly, to line up Bad with Even Worse.

I don't know why I couldn't let this one go, but itch officially scratched. Now, I mean it this time! No more records for the wall!

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Retro Spins: Ace Frehley (AKA Frehley's Comet) - Second Sighting

With a hit record on their hands, and brand recognition from roots in Kiss, one would think that Ace Frehley, and his band Frehley's Comet would head into their second album with great ease. One would also think with the previous writing credits of Frehley that another hit was inevitable. Sadly, none of this was the case, and the band's momentum quickly stalled out.

Second Sighting saw touring drummer, Billy Ward replaced by Jamie Oldaker. Howarth and Regan remaining in their respective roles of guitars / keyboards / co-lead singer, and bass / backing vocals, respectively.

The album would chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at eighty-one. However, singles, Insane, and It's Over Now, which also received music videos, would fail to chart. Further issues arose when the band set off on tour with Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper, only to run out of money, and have to back out. Depending on who you ask, this may or may not have been a result of the band not being paid. Regardless, the point was they didn't have any money to feasibly continue.

Things follow the standard format of Frehley's previous album, and tenure with Kiss. That being the rotating lead vocals from track to track between him and Howarth. What's lacking, however, is the spark and punch that its predecessor offered.

Overall, it's just not as good. Songs are rather forgettable, mediocre at best, and frankly, I found myself kind of bored with it. The standouts were fewer and farther between than their self-titled debut. For the Frehley vocals, you get Dancin' With Danger. For Howarth, Time Ain't Runnin' Out.

It turns out that my lackluster opinion of Second Sighting isn't alone. Overall sales began to decline rapidly for Frehley's Comet, so much to the point that Frehley would opt to restructure everything for his third solo album. This all started with dropping the band name and instead using his own for their next studio project, and unceremoniously ejecting Howarth off of co-vocals. These decisions would lead to members leaving. It would appear the biggest draws would come from a guest drummer, as well as a Kiss member penned track, but would these be enough to tip the scales back to favorable? I guess I'll find out tomorrow when I listen to 1989's Trouble Walkin'.

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