Album: Radio Dream
Year: 1979
Style: Rock
Similar Bands: Stephen Stills, Billy Joel, Elton John, Hall & Oates, Michael Bolton, Air Supply
One-Word Review: 80's Theme factory
Based Out Of: Sacramento, Ca
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Radio Dream - Cover & Record
Radio Dream - Back & Record
Radio Dream (1979)
- Get Used to It 3:00
- Just What It Takes 3:26
- Does Our Love (Depend on the Night) 3:11
- We Can't Stay Like This Forever 3:11 /
- Radio Dream 3:37
- Anything from Anyone 3:45
- We Only Dance "Cause We Have To 4:02
- The Next Time Around 3:18
- Reprise 2:25
Album Rating (1-10): 5.5
Members & Other Bands:
Roger Voudouris - Vocals, Guitar (Loud As Hell Rockers)
Michael Omartian - Producer, Keys, String Arrangement (Rhythm Heritage)
Leland Sklar - Bass (James Taylor)
David Kemper - Drums (Jerry Garcia Band, Bob Dylan Band, Focus)
Jay Graydon - Rhythm Guitar (Al Jarreau, Airplay, JaR)
Randy Brecker - Flugelhorn, Trumpet (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Dreams, Brecker Bros.)
Michael Brecker - Sax (Brecker Bros. Dreams)
Stormie Omartian - Vox
Myrna Matthews - Vox
Marti McCall - Vox
John Guess - Engineer & Remix
Gary Goodman - Second Engineer
Bernie Grundman - Mastering
Assa Drori - Concert Master
Bruce Cohn - Management
David Gest - Publicity
David Alexander - Photography
Kosh - Design & Art Direction
John Guess - Engineer & Remix
Gary Goodman - Second Engineer
Bernie Grundman - Mastering
Assa Drori - Concert Master
Bruce Cohn - Management
David Gest - Publicity
David Alexander - Photography
Kosh - Design & Art Direction
Unknown-Ness: I’ve never heard
of this artist. But I assume from the album, that it is just going to be singer/songwriter
pop songs with a generic appeal. Occasionally, a singer/songwriter will come
along that rises above the tedium, but you never know until you try. 1979 is a
good year to give a try, and at least the album looks like it has a little dark
edge to it.
Album Review: Apparently Roger
passed away back in 2003, and had a less than stellar career, despite working
with some great musicians on this and other albums. His greatest chart
achievement comes with this album’s opener, which reached #21 back in ’79.
“Get Used to It” starts
like a theme song to any 80’s buddy sit com (Perfect Strangers/Great American Hero),
so it was cutting edge for the time, featuring an Elton John / Billy Joel style
synthesized piano. Even his vocals remind me a little of Billy Joel. The range
of his vocals is illustrated very well in the track. Lots of time changes keep
the song interesting, but continue to build and move the song forward.
“Just What It
Takes” starts with a more aggressive guitar and drum combo, supported by a power
pop guitar. The vocals start with a Hall & Oates night time lounge style. Vocals
kind of remind me of Michael Bolton. The power pop guitar keeps coming back,
and is pretty catchy, reminding me of the recently reviewed Nick Gilder album.
“Does Our Love
(Depend on the Night)” is an 80’s ballad, synth keys supporting the middle
school slow dance staple. The chorus rocks the atmosphere with a bouncy beat, momentarily
making it awkward to continue slow dancing. It does quickly slips back into
hands on hips & shoulders mode. After the second chorus, the song continues
with the more energetic melody for an extended interlude. The song shows not
much sign of heading back to the ladies choice until the last few notes of the
fade out.
“We Can't Stay
Like This Forever” is another upbeat, power pop chord changing song, full of
energy and good, bouncy melodies. The
song picks up speed until it ends with a skipping, repetitions, emotional disco
beat that exhausts itself with a breakdown of all but the bass/drum rhythm
section
“Radio Dream”
starts out just like that: dreamy and calm. It’s an adult AM radio song that
nears on R&B. There is even smooth jazz sax added to further enhance the
stereotype. And it fades out as the chorus is repeated.
“Anything from
Anyone” feels like an Air Supply song at the start with the piano. But the
vocals are more earnest and human. The song slowly glides along, like a strong
memory. The breakdown featuring disco violins supporting metal electric guitars,
making for a schizophrenic instrumental section.
“We Only Dance ‘Cause
We Have To” is a less poppy version of the album opener, with sax, and similar
tv theme song appeal mixed with a Hall & Oates album filler quality.
“The Next Time
Around” is a slow male vocal song, that I’d imagine to have overlapping, fading
in and out head shots of the singer crooning at different angles. And a light
blue background. There was a lot of promise on the first side; this one definitely
drags down the album as a whole. More Michael Bolton vocal examples present
themselves here. It is calm and relaxing, but is a product of the late 70’s /
early 80’s AM AOR radio. It sounds like a religious song.
“Reprise”
features near-Christmas like synth keyboard playing, similar to Get Used to It
& “Dance” it transitions to a prog-renaissance wedding, like the light breakdown
section of Carry On My Wayward Son.
Stand-Out Track: Get Used To It
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