•
Rating: I really enjoyed the concert that Cross and his band performed a few months ago at the Naima Blues Club in Forlì: class and musical intelligence in abundance, but also some less expected or even surprising elements, such as the absolute charm of his backup singer and pianist Kiki Ebsen, a fifty-something from Los Angeles with a captivating smile, fluid piano playing, and a precise, effective vocal timbre only slightly husky, making the whole even sexier. Worth marrying! (perhaps if you're a bit older...).
Much less alluring (except musically) is the good Christopher, overweight as usual and on this occasion wearing a funny bowler hat to hide his advancing baldness. His chubby hands skillfully caressed the Stratocaster or the acoustic Taylor, his absurd mezzo-soprano voice rang out, tuned and unmistakable, over those hyper-melodic and impeccable compositions, chosen from the ten albums released over his thirty-year career.
This album takes us back almost to the beginning of that career (1983) and is a classic sophomore work, dealing with the honor and burden of following up on a hugely successful debut (four American Grammies earned from his first album "Christopher Cross" in 1980). "Another Page" sold a lot at the time... millions of copies, though not as much as the previous album, and I would say it's his best, perhaps tied with the excellent "Window" from 1995.
We're well into the eighties here, so obsolete bell-like synthesizers and brash snare drums treated with gated reverb predominate. As with the debut album, it starts with a pair of somewhat unimpressive songs, but then the inspiration soars and maintains through to the end, with three or four melodies that, to my taste, stand out particularly... and which I will certainly highlight here.
The first of these is "What Am I Supposed To Believe," a duet with Karla Bonoff, a country-pop singer who was then competing with the more successful Linda Rondstadt and the more talented Emmilou Harris in that genre. Cross's feminine voice has no trouble alternating with the guest's on the same tones: first verse to Cross, second to Bonoff, the third together and it's done.
The same successful formula applies to "Think Of Laura," essentially Cross and his acoustic guitar at their best in a sublime melody inspired by the tragic fate of a girl killed by a stray bullet: California pop at its zenith, cunning and sweetened for detractors, exquisitely refined and the quintessence of intelligent and avant-garde easy listening (for the time) for enthusiasts.
"All Right" attempts to repeat the glories of the famous "Ride Like the Wind" (covered by everyone, even by the Saxons!) from his debut album. It too is a rock-funky-blues-pop in the Californian manner, with its emphatic and round swagger, very danceable. Cross's half-blues and half-intimate singing becomes syncopated and irresistible in the choruses, reaffirming a true standard of entertainment songs, surpassed today but not improved by much less interesting pop and dance productions.
My favorite among the ten songs on the album is nonetheless the ballad "Nature of the Game", due to its stunningly emotional vocal blend featuring the main voice alongside a good half of the Eagles entourage (Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and John David Souther) on the choruses and supporting closed-mouth harmonies on the bridges.
I'll conclude with a quick list of the musicians involved in the album, practically the best high-profile session men from Los Angeles, plus some established colleagues, all eager to participate in the project since at that time Christopher Cross was the state of the art in light music but with talent: for the vocals, besides those already mentioned, Art Garfunkel, Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys, Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers also contribute; the electric guitars are in the hands of Jay Graydon and Steve Lukather of Toto; the bass is handled by Abraham Laboriel and Mike Porcaro (also Toto); the drummers are Steve Gadd and Jeff Porcaro (naturally Toto); Tom Scott and Ernie Watts are the saxophonists; Paulinho da Costa and Lenny Castro are the percussionists, crucial in Cross's arrangements; Rob Meurer and producer Michael Omartian finally program and operate the keyboards.
A real drawback of this album is the mastering of the ten tracks that make up the CD: very low, muted. It’s a shame because the mixes are impeccable, and so are the instrument timbres, considering them from an eighties perspective and within the context of the round and discreet pop style pursued by the artist... one of the least "sonorous" albums in my collection, absolutely in need of remastering.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
05 Think of Laura (03:24)
Every once in a while I'd see her smile
And she'd turn my day around
A girl with those eyes could stare through the lies
And see what your heart was saying
CHORUS:
Think of Laura but laugh don't cry
I know she'd want it that way
When you think of Laura laugh don't cry
I know she'd want it that way
A friend of a friend, a friend till the end
That's the kind of girl she was
Taken away so young
Taken away without a warning
I know you and you're here
In everyday we live
I know her and she's here
I can feel her when I sing
Hey Laura, where are you now
Are you far away from here
I don't think so
I think you're here
Taking our tears away
CHORUS
06 All Right (04:17)
I know, I know what's on your mind
And I know it gets tough sometimes
But you can give it one more try
Find a reason why
You should pick it up
And try it again
'Cause it's all right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might just work out this time
It's all right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might work out fine this time
It's all right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might just work out
'Cause it's not too late for that
Too late for me
I know I've been hurt before
And I know I really shouldn't give any more
But this time
This time things seem just a little different
And when I look in your eyes
You know I can see that it's true
And I hear you say it's
All right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might just work out this time
It's all right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might work out fine this time
It's all right
I think we're gonna make it
I think it might just work out
'Cause it's not too late for that
Too late for love
Just when you feel helpless
Nothing left to say
Love will find us
The past behind us
Then we're on our way
Time and time again I see
People so unsure like me
We all know it gets hard sometimes
You can give it one more try
Find another reason why
You should pick it up
You should kick it up
And try it again
10 Words of Wisdom (05:46)
I can hear your voice and I have no choice
'Cause the pain is too deep inside
And the hurt of a love that is lost has no cure
But the love of another heart
Your friends try and say it will all get better
They say that they know how you feel
But your heart isn't sure 'cause it knows what it heard
All the things that it read in the letter
All the words of wisdom
Never seem to ease the pain
All the words of wisdom sound the same
All the lies of kindness
Oh that sweet refrain
But you pay the price for the joy that it brings
'Cause you hear the sound of her name
And the morning tries to save you
From the shadows of your heart
They dance and kiss as you reminisce
And it's tearing you apart
All the words of wisdom
Never seem to ease the pain
All the words of wisdom sound the same
I can hear your voice and I have no choice
'Cause the pain is too deep inside
And the hurt of a love that is lost has no cure
But the love of another heart
Your friends try and say it will all get better
They say that they know how you feel
But your heart isn't sure 'cause it knows what it heard
All the things that it read in the letter
All the words of wisdom
Never seem to ease the pain
All the words of wisdom sound the same
All the words of wisdom
They never seem to ease the pain
All the words of wisdom sound the same
All the words of wisdom sound the same��.
Loading comments slowly
