Back on the first side, “IS There Anything I Can Do” is one of the few songs on the album not to come from the pen of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. “Since You’ve Been Gone” first appeared as the b-side of “Standing in the Shadows of Love.” The energy from Four Tops and the Funk Brothers on this track make me think it could have been a hit on its own. “Darling, I Hum Our Song” has a great Levi Stubbs vocal performance (really, he’s great on everything here) in a Jackie Wilson-styled song from the period when Berry Gordy was writing hits for Wilson. No one can argue with the three Top 10 hits on the first side: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” “It’s the Same Old Song” and “Something About You.” The second side doesn’t contain any hit singles but doesn’t suffer from it. The result was often uneven, but the album tracks on Second Album are pretty great in their own regard. Of course it’s all junk food, but like getting the extra butter on movie theater popcorn, sometimes you just can’t help it.įour Tops – Second Album (1965) More often than not, especially in the 1960s, Motown albums were collections of hit singles padded with other recordings. All the songs push the fun factor to 11, but surprisingly nothing feels forced. The key word in the album’s title is SMILE. For better or worse, Roth can’t help being anything other than himself so even this grudge match was delivered with a broad wink and jazz hands. He brought in hotshot guitarist Steve Vai and bass player Billy Sheehan to generate one of the highest notes-per-second rock albums in an era that celebrated six-string excess. The high points more than make up for the milquetoast material – there is usually a little filler on Cash albums, but the result is the least consistent of the American releases to that point.ĭavid Lee Roth – Eat ‘Em and Smile (1986) Diamond Dave is looking to settle scores with his solo debut. Even worse, are covers of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (with Fiona Apple) and “In My Life.” Surprisingly, Cash seems lost on these songs, unsure of what to do with them. Cash isn’t adding anything to those well-worn tunes. “Tear-Stained Letter” is too jaunty and “Desperado” and “Danny Boy” are unnecessary. Most of the rest ranges from fine to worse. Best of all, Cash infuses a lifetime of pain and addiction into “Hurt,” completely claiming the song from Nine Inch Nails. He adds a layer of guilt and gravitas to Sting’s “I Hung My Head” that is absent from the original recording. Similarly, Cash turns Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” into a gospel song. The title song is one of my favorite Cash compositions, funneling the Book of Revelations through a strummy Martin guitar. The album works more often than it doesn’t. Then again, Cash has been singing about death since he shot a man in Reno to watch him die. Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) The final Johnny Cash album released in Johnny Cash’s lifetime is appropriately fixated on mortality.
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