How can you miss that smile? There’s life here; this ain’t no oldies thing going on. And the hat, the now famous signature hat. First time I saw that.
Review by Tony Piccirillo
Originaly Released 1978 (Lifesong LP # JZ 35356)
Now on CD:
USA: Lifesong CD # DZS-049 (1990)[reissue of the 1978 LP with bonus tracks]
UK: Ace UK/Lifesong CD # CDCH 936 (Twinned with Fire in the Night) (1990)
How can you miss that smile? There’s life here; this ain’t no oldies thing going on. And the hat, the now famous signature hat. First time I saw that.
We used to shop for records at E.J. Korvette’s in the NYC area, big selection, good stereo sound system collection, nice place to browse. ‘Course they were gone by the time this came out, but it would have been perfect to have found this great LP cover standing out among the late 70’s dreck, take it home and have it all fall into place. In my house, a new Dion record is an event. Everything stops, dinner, homework, etc., it stops, we listen. In ’78, it was just me and my soon to be wife and 3 dogs.
The centerpiece, Mid Town American Main Steeet Gang .
Together a celebration, a reminiscence, and a farewell, this one re-defines the word classic. Not only do you get the briefest of autobiographies in the lyrics, you get the wonderfully honest lines “I feared the friends I ran with,” and “Are you puttin’ me on, is the D.A. gone?’ The dynamics alone, if you turn it up loud enough, as it deserves, will break windows. The sax solo cuts like a knife. The guitar is a true whirlwind; the back-up vocals make you wonder what concordance bought these guys together for this one special song. Listen, man, I’m 51 years old, been through most of the history of rock in terms of real time. There are few songs (ok, Twist & Shout by the Beatles, Born to Run by Springsteen, Bat Out of Hell, by Meatloaf, and a few by The Funky Kings (hope someone’s heard of them)) that I can honestly say that I will put the ‘ol headphones on for and crank up the volume to the point where my ears bleed. This is number one. Enough said.
Brooklyn Dodger -
Easy to call it saccharine, except for the emotion here. The instrumental following is an inspired piece of musicianship as well as arrangement. The vocal haunts, and the instrumental evokes summertime. If you’ve never heard the live version from the WCBS-FM show, son, you’ve got some good listening ahead. “Free” says it all. Thematically it fits like a glove, and a very nice one.
Do You Believe In Magic - I’m very partial to this song, written by John Sebastian, performed originally by The Lovin’ Spoonful. It’s hard to listen to a cover of this one for me, hard for any cover to recapture that ’65 sensibility of freedom, music, and change. Interesting choice for inclusion, and a rather nice version. Suitably laid back, but somehow lacking the youthful intensity of the original. Still and all, it’s got swing feel to it that’s infectious. Harmonies are very, very sweet, these guys don’t quit, and I’m nearly a convert.
Spanish Harlem Incident - Truly an inspired choice. Atmospheric, smoky in its arrangement, uses the organ like Dylan hisself might. This one will grow on you; I had earlier dismissed it as just another Dylan cover. There are background vocals here that are so sinuously hidden that you really have to listen. A great guitar solo, more jazz than rock. Another on the money sax solo to ride the song out. Whoever first envisioned this arrangement deserves a medal.
Guitar Queen - Will we ever see it acknowledged that Bonnie Raitt inspired this? What’s going on? He’s done it twice now. Miss the imagery? Please.
Heart of Saturday Night - I know of only three versions; Tom Waits’, Southside Johnny’s fine, slow, acoustic take, and this. Doo-wop to it’s core, to re-appear with the Dave Edmonds 1989 tour. A keeper of major proportions, he tosses off those vocal fills with all the finesse of Sinatra. Oh la la. Sometimes I think that maybe we might have found Bobby Darin doing the same sort of thing in the late 70’s.
There are, finally, three DiMucci/Tuohy compositions(You Awakened Something in Me, The Pattern Of My Life, The Power of Love Within, ) that really remind me more of his work in the Warner Bros. period, than fresh stuff. While they don’t quite work for me within the context of this album, the arrangements are fresh, crisp, and true, as are the performances. Each of the three songs sounds somewhat dated for the late 70’s, dotted with somewhat dated 60’s references. Bottom line is that the best songs here revel in the singer’s past and his dealing with the present, while the three DiMucci/Tuohy songs just feel like filler. Good filler, but they don’t further the theme.
What I will never understand is why this thing never took off. The charts were dominated by soundtracks to “Grease”, and “Saturday Night Fever”, Donna Summer’s version of “MacArthur Park,” and Billy Joel, The Village People, and Barry Manilow. What’s wrong with this picture? .