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Rating: 1986: a decidedly important year for AOR, during which extremely important and especially wonderful works in this genre were released. In this regard, one can mention various albums like Back To The Streets by Christian rockers Petra, or When Seconds Count by Survivor, among the most important artists when it comes to AOR, as well as Toto, who released the splendid Fahrenheit that year (one of the most underrated albums of all time in my opinion, just because it is positioned between two masterpieces like Isolation from 1984 and The Seventh One from 1988), or even A Matter Of Attitude by Fate, The Sport Of Kings by Triumph, The Final Countdown by Europe, and many others. All seemingly unsurpassable albums, all deserving of top marks, yet, incredibly but true, there was one album capable of surpassing (and not by a small margin) all of these: Raised On Radio by Journey.
This legendary work was able to surpass all the aforementioned albums, and in my very humble opinion, even two enormous albums like Escape (1981) and Frontiers (1983), which practically represented perfection in AOR and are still cited as two cornerstones of the genre.
The superlatives are abundant with this album, but there are no words capable of fully conveying its beauty, its nuances, the atmosphere it breathes into you while listening. So, the only thing to do is to insert Raised On Radio into the stereo to be swept away by the highly emotional impact of the opener "Girl Can't Help It", a very valid representative style of the album: keyboard dominance (here Jonathan Cain performs a formidable job, probably the best performance of his career), atmospheres that involve the listener in a spiral of emotions and above all a touch of melancholy which makes this album's style unmistakable.
The following track "Positive Touch" (obviously influenced by Toto), with its absolutely irresistible rhythm, seems more cheerful and vigorous than the previous one, but after a certain number of listens, one can catch (especially in the excellent final sax solo) the veiled melancholy previously discussed, which greatly enriches the piece.
After the beautiful "Suzanne", comes the biggest hit of this Raised On Radio: "Be Good To Yourself", with decidedly sunnier and more fun tones than the rest of the album; this makes it seem a bit detached from the other songs, but it fits perfectly with them, not clashing at all within the album. "Once You Love Somebody" is characterized by a very funky rhythm and its ponderous, almost agonizing tempo, while "Happy To Give" is a delicate and beautiful ballad, with Jonathan Cain recreating evocative, fantastic, even unreal scenarios with his keyboards.
The atmospheres are lightened once again with the vibrant and energetic title track, as brief as it is incisive, containing a short but very intense and engaging solo by Neal Schon and a great performance by Steve Perry, who as usual is very expressive, while "I'll Be Alright Without You" and "It Could Have Been You" are two splendid pieces where the shadow of Toto looms once again, while still maintaining their originality.
As we approach the end of the album, we find what is for me one of the most beautiful songs in the history of music, "The Eyes Of A Woman". A Steve Perry at his most expressive and especially a Jonathan Cain who once again weaves imaginary plots and builds ethereal and melancholic atmospheres, making this song a masterpiece, a whirlwind of feelings and emotions destined to stir the listener's soul. The closing is entrusted to the intense ballad "Why Can't This Night Go On Forever", which from the title alone hints at flashes of burning passion emanating from every detail.
One of the most beautiful albums of all music, even if it surely deserves top marks. Its quality may have been surpassed by other works, but trust me, when you listen to (assuming you haven't already) this Raised On Radio, you will immediately realize that its magic will manage to give you emotions that nothing else on Earth will be able to evoke.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Girl Can't Help It (03:51)
If he could hold her
So close in his arms again
If she could show him
The letter her heart forgot to send
Why
They're living dreams on their own
Ooh they'll never stop running
The girl can't help it she needs more
He hasn't found what he's looking for
They're still standing in the rain
He can't help and she's just that way
And when he calls her
She tells him that she still cares
Under the moonlight
He wonders why she can't be there
Why
Why do they go on alone
When they're missing each other
(Chorus)
Ooh there's a fire in his eyes for you
Don't you know she still cries
Ooh do you know she still cries for you
Fire
Ooh there's a fire in his eyes for you
For you she cries
Ooh do you know she still cries for you
Fire
Ooh there's a fire in his eyes for you
Ooh nothing stands between love and you
02 Positive Touch (04:17)
Emergency breakthrough
There's no way to reach you
There's somebody else I'll turn to
She (she's) has got the positive touch (touch)
She's bringing love back to me, yeah, back to me. I said--
She, (she's) to me means so much (much)
She's saving it all for me, yeah
I'm missin' your touch, you're wondering where I've been
No, it's never enough, you're pushing me to the end
You won't break his heart, no...
She's not like you are, no...
Girl, I'm lettin' your love, go...
She, (she's) has got the positive touch (touch)
She's bringing love back to me, yeah, I said back to me
I said she (she) to me means so much
She's saving it all for me
You won't break his heart, no...
She's not like you are, no...
Girl, I'm lettin' your love, go...
Baby...oh bye-bye baby
Girl, now that you're here
In my arms, love is here to stay
Eyes of blue, good-bye yesterday
Love is here to stay
Eyes of blue, good-bye yesterday
03 Suzanne (03:39)
I see your face at the movies
I hear your voice on the radio
You're makin' love on the silver screen
I want you more, I know
Temptation...Infatuation...
Suzanne, don't walk away
On no Suzanne, oh girl I'm callin' you
Suzanne, so far away
Remember Suzanne, those summer nights with me
I wonder if you're really happy
And if you saw me, would you know my name
I'm the one you used to hold on to
You're the one who used to wear my ring
Remember...our last September...
Oh Suzanne, don't walk away
On no Suzanne, oh girl I'm callin' you
Suzanne, so far away
Remember Suzanne, those summer nights with me
Remember...our last September...
Suzanne, so far away
Remember Suzanne, those summer nights with me
Suzanne, don't walk away, I love you Suzanne
I'm still callin' you
Suzanne...no no no no no remember
Those summer nights with me, those summer nights
04 Be Good to Yourself (03:51)
Runnin' out of self-control
Gettin' close to an overload
Up against a no win situation
Shoulder to shoulder, push and shove
I'm hangin' up my boxin' gloves
I'm ready for a long vacation
CHORUS:
Be good to yourself when, nobody else will
Oh be good to yourself
You're walkin' a high wire, caught in a cross fire
Oh be good to yourself
When you can't give no more
They want it all but you gotta say no
I'm turnin' off the noise that makes me crazy
Lookin' back with no regrets
To forgive is to forget
I want a little piece of mind to turn to
REPEAT CHORUS
Be good to yourself when, nobody else will
06 Happy to Give (03:50)
I was born a believer, played the fool
Lonely dreamer, left to choose
I don't know where the love is, there's a promise undone
Someone's cryin, in a room all alone
Shadows fall, after the hurt is gone
Through it all, we love and we lose
Where is the one, someone who's happy (happy to give)
Happy to be with you, it's here you belong, with someone
Who's happy (happy to give) happy to give you love
A song for the singer, one book of dreams
Take this heartache, away from me
A page in a story, romance untold
Sharing secrets, we call, our own
Shadows fall, after the hurt is gone
Through it all, we love and we lose
Where is the one, someone who's happy (happy to give)
Happy to be with you, it's where you belong, with someone
Who's happy (happy to give) happy to give you love
Happy, happy, oh happy
(Happy to give), oo happy to give
Oh somebody's happy to give you love,
Your love, your love oh yeah
07 Raised on Radio (03:49)
Stagger Lee, can you Do The Locomotion
Lucille I hear you knocking but you can't come in
Rockin' Robin, C.C Rider,
A Rama Lama Ding Dong
Let the Good Times Roll
My Sweet Sixteen
I'm Maybelline
The Great Pretender
Returned To Sender
I wonder Why Fools Fall in Love
Yeah, Louie, Louie, loves drive-in movies.
Johnny Angel Rocks Around the Clock
Mister D.J. make a dedication
Cause I'm All Shook Up over Peggy Sue
I'm Mister Blue,
The hits keep rockin' station to station
In the Midnight Hour in the Sea of Love
My Turtle Dove.
When I Found my Thrill, On Blue Berry Hill,
We wrote Love Letters in the Sand.
Be Bop a Lu La,
She Loved Me Tender.
Jungle Lion Sleeps Tonight
Radio, radio
We're all raised on radio, radio
I love my radio
Radio, Radio,
Radio, Radio
08 I'll Be Alright Without You (04:50)
I've been thinkin' about the times
You walked out on me
There were moments I'd believe
You were there
Do I miss you
Or am I lying to myself again
I do these things
(It's all because of you)
I keep holding on, but I'll try
(Try not to think of you)
Love, don't leave me lonely
(Chorus)
I'll be alright without you
There'll be someone else
I keep telling myself
I'll be alright without you
Oh, love's an empty face
I got replace it
(You don't need it)
People wonderin'
Why we broke apart
The great pretender
Here I go again
These things I do
(It's all because of you)
I'll keep holding on
But I'll try
(Try not to think of you)
All I wanted was to hold you
(Chorus)
(Chorus)
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