Customer Reviews

Always Guaranteed

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This Cliff album will transport you to the realms of beautiful fantasies and dreams. I love most of Cliff's work but I don't think I've ever seen a Cliff album with so much imagination and creativity, both in the strength of the songwriting, in the production/blend of instruments and in the way Cliff's voice is used.

Reading the sleeve notes, it seems that Alan Tarney, who authored all the songs bar one, and produced the whole album, had some doubts about his songwriting. But he is a genius. His backing tracks are so ethereal, so funky, so boppy, they make you drift into a blissful haze and trance. But when Cliff's vocals, crystal-clear and smooth as dripping honey and fluttering delicately into the music like a bluesy butterfly, are allied to this, the result is the most perfect and utopic (and still sounding ultra contemporary) album you could ever hear.

Cliff's versatile voice is brilliantly accomplished and sensual. He uses the influences of his rock n roll roots, dating back to the fifties, and he throbs with blues, rockabilly, harmonies, jazz and soul to breathe life into these funky rock/dance ballads. "One Night" is soulful and sexy, "Once Upon A Time" passionnate and warm; "This Time Now" is mellow and bluesy (sublime satiny vocals); "Under Your Spell" (written by Chris Eaton) is soaring and `spell'binding; "My Pretty One" is fairy-like; "Forever" is a luscious romantic epic and the title track is a darker rocker, hotter and sultrier. Listen to the lyrics too, as they have some very moving stories to tell eg "Some People".

The eight bonus tracks with this album make this cd excellent value for money. I've got three faves - "Brave New World", listen to Cliff's silky high notes at the end; the mellifluous "Wild Geese" and the sweet reggae "Another Christmas Day" which is about the true meaning of the festive season.

"Always Guaranteed" was Cliff's biggest selling studio album, and it's certainly rates as one of his finest and that's saying something! It is out of this world. Pure bliss!

Alright all you USA Cliff fans that don't know this record you are missing a great one! With many records in his career, This album from 1987 has out sold every other record Cliff ever made!!! YES, This includes ALL of them. Summer Holiday, The Young Ones, I'm No Hero ect. Don't just take my word for it look it up yourself. In England, Always Guaranteed was/and still is his biggest seller. It still sounds very fresh and very current even after all these years. In 1987 in England, FIVE of the tracks off this record went to #1 or top 10!

"Always Guaranteed" originally hit the streets in 1987, when the CD format was fairly new. A remastered version came out in 1992 with eight additional tracks. My review is of the original.

The album opens with "One Night", a hard-driving number (for Cliff) that makes it clear that this is not going to be an album full of ballads. Not bad, but by no means the best track, and Cliff's falsetto sounds weak in places (7/10).

Next up is "Once Upon a Time"; not unpleasant, but it sounds like a piece of very well-produced filler. I have always questioned the wisdom behind soppy ballads sung by a guy who has remained celibate for decades (3/10).

On to "Some People", my favorite cut from the album, and one of four"five-star" tracks on the album. The heavy synth backing gives this song an ethereal, otherworldly feel (10/10)

The next track, "Forever", reminds me of the saying "Given enough power, even a brick can fly". It is dull and repetitive, but like a pig with lipstick it is immaculately dressed with lavish production values which make it barely pleasant enough not to press the fast-forward button,. The best thing about this song is the fade-out at the end (3/10)

"Two Hearts" is one of those songs that has Cliff written all over it. Driving without being an out-and-out rocker, not slow enough to be considered soppy, with two predictable-yet-nonetheless-interesting electric guitar solos in the middle and at the end (8/10).

"Under your spell" is a workable enough number; good enough to make it as an album track but not quite good enough to make it as a single (7/10).

"This Time Now" is the second of the choice cuts. The 3-3-2 rhythm drives it relentlessly onwards, and the melody is pitched at a level that can be sung by ordinary men without the need for nutcrackers or pliers (10/10).

The good-bad see-saw nature of the album ends with "My Pretty One", the third of four top-notchers, this one was released as a single and received quite a lot of airplay. It has an absolutely killer bridge (9/10).

The winning streak continues with "Remember Me", which drives along nicely and has some interesting synth/guitar work (9/10).

The album is rounded out by the title track, which has the dubious distinction of being neither particularly good nor particularly bad, in which Cliff tried to be an old-school rocker... and fails. The lyrics are pretty ropey, too (5/10).

Bottom line: 40% brilliant, 40% ok, 20% dire. Not a bad score for a non-greatest-hits package. Worth the shekels if you are a Cliff Richard fan.

Gorgeous melodies and crisp vocals, this is a fantastic album. Lots of rock and roll and ethereal ballads. My personal fave is 'forever' a beautiful ballad, with synth parts that really sound magical. There are other great songs. Listen to the harmonies on 'once upon a time' and the good and subtle use of synths. The ballads 'remember me' and 'some people' are also included. There are also no less than eight bonus tracks, of which Cliff writes four himself. These are all wonderful tracks, with 'one time lover man' standing out to me. I think the 80's style really suited Cliff's voice and style, as much as the 50's/60's, and he proves that here

This album is a good one. I like the song Some People. He still can sound good.

Ah yes Always Guaranteed released in 1987 became Cliff's biggest selling studio album produced four hit singles and is absolutely perfect from start to finish Alan Tarney is so amazing as songwriter, arranger, producer, musician that with repeated listenings you can hear new sounds that you thought were inaudible before and Cliff's voice just floats right over the top it is just magic this is an essential album for your collection

Although, professionally produced, Cliff never moves beyond safe songs and arrangements. And, many song lyrics are pedestrian at worse to simple at best. A few songs were hits in England and will inspire feet tapping or shuffling.

Cliff fans will enjoy this album but it is not reason to spend money, except of course if you are a Cliffette. In my opinion, although he was one of the early British rockers and rock stars, he is inferior to Paul McCartney.