Album Review #3 - Billy Squier "Tale Of The Tape" (1980)

 

Album Review #3

 Artist:  Billy Squier

Album:  Tale Of The Tape

Year of Release:  1980

Grade:  4/5

 

Band Members

Billy Squier – Vocals, Guitar, Percussion

Bruce Kulick – Guitar (future member of Kiss)

David Sancious – Keyboards, Synthesizers (early member of E Street Band)

Richard T. Bear – Keyboards

Bucky Ballard – Bass

Bobby Chouinard – Drums

Ernest Carter – Percussion (early member of E Street Band)

Woodstock Children’s Chorus

 

 

Background

Boston’s Billy Squier was the driving force behind the band “Piper” which released two albums in the late 70s.  It was a solid band but really didn’t break it big.  Squier got a solo record deal and “Tale Of The Tape” was his debut solo record.  It has a lot in common with his next album – the massive “Don’t Say No”.  I was always partial to “Tale Of The Tape” after discovering it.  “Don’t Say No” and its massive number of hits ruled the airways between my junior and senior years of high school.  His third album “Emotions In Motion” (featuring the members of Queen) and “Signs Of Life” received plenty of airplay.  But…. The single “Rock Me Tonite” on the Signs of Life got tons of airplay until the video came out.  Billy squirming around pink satin sheet was not the most becoming look for a rock guy and it killed his career.

 

Track Listing

1.      “The Big Beat” (Squier)

2.      “Calley Oh” (Squier)

3.      “Rich Kid” (Squier)

4.      “Like I’m Lovin’ You” (Squier)

5.      “Who Knows What A Love Can Do” (Squier, St. John)

6.      “You Should Be High Love” (Squier, Child)

7.      “Who’s Your Boyfriend” (Squier)

8.      “The Music’s All Right” (Squier)

9.      “Young Girls” (Squier)

 

Review

The first track “The Big Beat” has a great beat to it that is almost a prelude to a similar structure in his later hit “The Stroke”.  It has been sampled by a lot of hip hop artists.  While the drums provide the beat, it is the guitar part that I really liked.  It has almost a buzz saw quality to it.  In almost all of Squier’s songs, his vocals are pretty consistent in a good way.

 

The second track “Calley Oh” has a very good 80s feel to it.  The singer pleads his case for her to take him back despite his faults.  The chorus is very catchy.  It is a middle of the road tune that leaves you singing it when you least expect it.

 

The next track is just an ok track.  “Rich Kid” is all about wanting the stuff (respect, girls, toys) that the better off kids get.  But it has a bite to it rather than “give me stuff”.  It has potential as a song but I think there are better songs on the album.

 

The fourth track “Like I’m Lovin You” is one of my favorite songs.  It is the story of almost unrequited love.  The singer is into the girl far more than she is interested in him.  The song builds and the singer pleads his case.

 

The next song “Who Knows What A Love Can Do” is a typical Squier song about a couple trying to make it against all odds.  Others don’t give them much of a chance but as long as they stick together, they can do it.  The song has its moments but comes up just shy of being a great song.

 

“You Should Be High Love” has great instrumentation by lyrically just comes across as repetitive.  It had the potential to be a big hit but like some other songs, didn’t catch on.  The chorus is catchy but the lyrics need some more depth and less repetition.

 

The next song makes up for the previous two.  “Who’s Your Boyfriend” is one of my favorite Squier songs.  It was originally recorded on Piper’s self titled debut album.  But here it has a more modern feel and better production quality.  The singer is longing to find the girl was in his past or that he saw in passing.  One of those “she will completely me” kind of things.  It has a great chorus and some really good guitar work by Squier.

 

Track #8 is “The Music’s All Right”.  The song is all about the ability of good music to turn a bad situation or emotion around.  My only real complaint about this song is the over the top chorus.  It just seems overdone.  It is a decent track.

 

The last song “Young Girls” is probably my least favorite track on the album.  The song is about the brashness about youth – particularly, young girls – and how much they have to learn as they get older.  Musically, it is ok but it is almost like “I need another song”.  I would have rather had another of the Piper songs redone.