|
|
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to Fall, Impossible to Forget, June 15, 2000
I came across this wonderful album a little late, after all three singles had been released and Bob had established himself as a solo artist. At the time I was exploring Fleetwood Mac's recorded history, and had already fallen in love with his notable contributions to their post-Green pre-Nicks era. When I recognized the "Bare Trees" song, "Sentimental Lady" as a recent radio hit, a brief search at the record store brought me my first copy of "French Kiss." Like a lot of the reviewers here, I wore out several copies of the vinyl album, and was greatly relieved when Capitol reissued the album on digital disc.Now that 20+ years have passed and I've had a chance to put this album in perspective (along with the rest of his solo recordings and the two albums with Paris), I find it remarkable that such "light" rock made an indelible impression on me. Like it's dynamic followup, "Three Hearts," "French Kiss" is a Pop/Rock confection with hooks and beats aplenty. Though some fans of "Sentimental Lady" might have been disappointed that the gentle, almost crystalline tones of that single were not representative of the rest of the album, I was bowled over by the sheer tunefulness of the songs it contained. The album is flavored with early Pop and Rock influences (the be-bop style backup vocals and Duane Eddy-ish guitar work) but the rolling bass and explosive drum parts are representative of a Rock-Disco synthesis that few artists of the period were able to achieve. (Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" is a notable exception.) Though some may label this music as formulaic Pop, the experience of listening to these great tunes is anything but by the numbers. The soaring strings ("Easy To Fall," "Dancing In Our Eyes", "Lose Your Heart") are the perfect complement to the low-end flash of Welch's bass and Alvin Taylor's drums. Welch's multi-tracked vocals pack a punch that is sorely missing in many of his contributions to the Big Mac. Lyrically, the songs of "French Kiss" are direct and accessible...something of an oddity when you consider the opaque mysticism of some earlier compositions. The combination of all these elements is undeniably infectious, and sounds great wherever the CD is played. The only flaws that I can find in this album come from the "same-ness" of a few songs on the original B-side of the album, but this is a minor consideration. It's hard to pick out highlights, but here are a few in addition to the singles ("Sentimental Lady," "Ebony Eyes" and "Hot Love, Cold World"): "Mystery Train"'s brilliant rhythm track and thrilling vocal harmonies, "Easy To Fall"'s minor-key hooks (including great backups from Christine McVie), and the beautiful, recurring melody that makes all three "Lose Your/My..." compositions the album's centerpiece(s). Welch fans should look for a UK Import version of this album, which combines "French Kiss" with the diamond-perfect Pop-Rock of "Three Hearts" on one CD. Together they represent (in my opinion) the pinnacle of Welch's solo offerings, and many memorable listens. (FYI: There is a similar Import disc that combines his last two albums for Capitol, "The Other One" and "Man Overboard"...also well-worth a little hunting.) Now if RCA Records would just get off their collective butt and do CD reissues for "Bob Welch" and "Eye Contact"...... -Mic
|
Interact With Your Music: Discover, listen to, and buy new music, all from the pages of SPIN's digital edition, free to Amazon customers.
by Bob Welch 
