You Want It - You Got It (©1981 A&M)

1. Lonely Nights 2. One Good Reason 3. Don't Look Now 4. Coming Home 5. Fits Ya Good 6. Jealousy 7. Tonight 8. You Want It, You Got It 9. Last Chance 10. No One Makes It Right

I first got this album back in 1983 the same year I picked up picked up Cuts Like a Knife. I'd really liked that album, but friends of mine who had been fans longer than me said that if I wanted to hear a really good Bryan Adams album I needed to get You Want It - You Got It. I remember hearing a DJ say that Adams had wanted to call it Bryan Adams Hasn't Heard Of You Either which would have been pretty funny.

This was Adams when he was hungry. He and Jim Vallance were getting close to the formula that would take over the airwaves for the years to follow. "Lonely Nights" was supposedly written for Pat Benatar, but instead became one of Bryan's early hits. "Fits Ya Good" to this day cracks me up. "Jealousy" is one of those songs that although dated still sounds great. As I listen to this for the first time in many years I'm struck by how many good songs there were, and how rough and varied he was. I suppose that's one of the reasons this one is often overlooked. It shouldn't be - this is vintage Adams.

Reviewed January 11, 2008

On a Day Like Today (©1998 A&M)

the songs: How Do Ya Feel Tonight / C'mon, C'mon, C'com / Getaway / On A Day Like Today / Fearless / I'm A Liar / Cloud Number nine / When You're Gone / Inside Out / If I Had You / Before The Night Is Over / I Don't Wanna Live Forever / Where Angels Fear To Tread

I've been a fan since the purple album, and I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for a catchy hook, some good solid playing, and a sense of the ridiculous (this guy is the king of the cliché, but it works).  After a string of truly bonehead-sloppy soundtrack tunes, I thought I'd seen the last Adams album in my collection.  The bandwagon carried on without me for a while there.

So here I am listening to, and really enjoying this effort.  There's a subdued energy just smoldering within these songs.  Even the Mel C duet didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.  Go figure, eh?

Room Service (©2004 Polydor)

1: East Side Story 2: This Side Of Paradise 3: Not Romeo Not Juliet 4: Flying 5: She's A Little Too Good For Me 6: Open Road 7: Room Service 8: I Was Only Dreamin' 9: Right Back Where I Started From 10: Nowhere Fast 11: Why Do You Have To Be So Hard To Love

There's been a lot of noise about Room Service being Adams' triumphant return to rock and roll. For those people expecting Reckless Part II, or Waking Up the Other Neighbours, you'll find this has more in common with On A Day Like Today, and 18 'Til I Die - which is actually a good thing. Time marches forward (a novel concept), and frankly I'd be a little disappointed if Mister Adams went backwards musically. He's been charting his own course for a long time and at this point in his career he can pretty much do what ever he wants. Be thankful he didn't release an album of showtunes with Michael Bublé (there's an idea Mister Allen). Room Service is a really solid album full of Adams' gruff tenor, and lyrical clichés.

The album's basic tracks were recorded at his Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, with overdubs and vocals recorded on the road in various hotel rooms - hence the clever title. Back to the rock thing (I'm about to repeat myself). Does it rock? Depends on your definition of rock. It took me a couple of listens to appreciate the album, and at first I couldn't figure out what was so different about this one, compared to the last couple then it came to me: a lack of really syrupy love songs. Still, this is an Adams album - which pretty much sums it up for his fans and detractors.

Quite frankly I think the people who are going on about Adams rocking out again, are doing this album a disservice. If you listen to his albums (admittedly there are moments where his ballads were getting all the attention) he was always rocking out on his albums.

Room Service may not be exactly what some people ordered, but it's more satisfying than eating from the mini-bar.

Reviewed October 5, 2004

11 (©2008)

1. Tonight We Have The Stars 2. I Thought I'd Seen Everything 3. I Ain't Losing The Fight 4. Oxygen 5. We Found What We Were Looking For 6. Broken Wings 7. Something To Believe In 8. Mysterious Ways 9. She's Got A Way 10. Flower Grrown Wild 11. Walk On By

I'm in a quandary. This is one of those piss or praise albums. There is nothing here that jumps out and says "LISTEN TO ME!" At best this is a Bryan Adams album, and at worst this is a Bryan Adams album. It's catchy enough. It has all the hooks and clichés I've come to know and love, and the songs move along at their typical mid tempo pace. Most of the songs feel forcibly restrained. It's like Mickey Curry was told to play without energy and for heaven's sake "No fills." Which he seemed to be able to do, except for "Oxygen" where he cut loose a little. There are a number of songs where I was waiting for something to happen, some edge or life - but nothing materialized. The songs just started, went on for a bit, then finished.

To cut Bryan some slack he's closer to 50 now than 30 so he's allowed to grow up. He's not Peter Pan for crying out loud. It's just kind of hard to think of Bryan as "adult contemporary" rather than the young man in a white t-shirt who pumped his fist and wrote rock anthems. 11 is an unthreatening collection of inoffensive pop songs that plays nicely in the background. "Mysterious Ways" kind of caught my attention at first, because it sounded so familiar. Then I realized that it sounded like "Rocket Man".

It's actually kind of weird how hard I am on this one. Coldplay can release an album of slow mid tempo essentially boring songs and people go ga ga over it. Bryan does the same thing and it's deemed crap.But I've said it before and I'll say it again a Bryan Adams album is a Bryan Adams album and although this was a bit of a disappointment, it is what it is. And oddly enough after numerous repeated listenings it does kind of get under my skin.

Reviewed March 18, 2008