Customer Reviews

French Kiss

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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

I remember French Kiss as being one of the few albums you could listen to all the way through. As another reviewer said, there is a sameness to all of the songs but that may be one of the things that makes the album so enjoyable. The best time to play this cd? On a lonely road trip in the middle of the night. It's a mellow, moody, middle of the night piece of music - that rocks!

An album from my high school days that never seems to loose its appeal. Everyone loves "Ebony Eyes" and "Sentimental Lady" and on those rare occasions that "Easy to Fall" makes it on the air on a 70's station, noone seems to mind when the volume is turned up. A real gem.

Bob Welch had to be miffed about Fleetwood Mac's rise to superstardom shortly after his departure. My money says it fueled the creativity behind this beautiful album. He cut definitive versions of his Fleetwood Mac contributions, bettering them at a time when they ruled supreme. Some criticize the sameness of the songs, but in the pre-CD world most fans didn't want to find experimentation on a 35-40 minute LP. Finding a sound - or hitting a groove, was a virtue, not a vice. Fans expected "more of the same," and Bob delivered. And there is variety... "Sentimental Lady" and "Hot Love in a Cold World" nicely sum up the yin and yang of romantic and sexual tension so aptly depicted on the cover. "Ebony Eyes" is a pop-rock-er and "Outskirts" even provides some edge. Overall, though, despite the title, it's clear Bob seeks to please, not penetrate. This he does extremely well, and for all its 70's pop cachet, or cliche - depending on your perspective, the album has aged reasonably well. I've docked it a notch for filler effect, as Bob reworks the same idea one too many times in his eagerness to get this out the door. In so doing he comes across a bit lightweight, more than is really the case. But he wasn't really trying to have his way with his audience, just make a really good impression. The two or three absolute classics on this set sure do - and that's one or two more classics than some famous "artists" have in their entire catalogue... Overall this is a hidden gem, that even today is well worth hearing. The cover shows it well - this French Kiss has only a playful, teasing hint of tongue, which is why it always leaves you wanting more.

"French Kiss" was the solo debut from former Fleetwood Mac guitarist/singer/songwriter Bob Welch and his most successful album.
The year was 1977 and it was a great one for what is now known as "Classic rock". Steve Miller, Rod Stewart, Electric Light Orchestra, Styx, The Eagles and Welch's former bandmates (it was the year of "Rumours") were all acheiving great success with some of their best work. Bob Welch's "French Kiss" is no exception. It's a staple of its time and is a fantastic album from beginning to end.
The hits "Ebony Eyes", "Hot Love Cold World" and the remake of his 1971 Mac hit "Sentimental Lady" are timeless classics and the latter song still gets considerable airplay on Classic Rock stations. Elsewhere on the album are catchy tuneful moments such as "Easy To Fall", "Mystery Train", "Danchiva", "Carolene" and the "Lose My Heart/Lose Your../Lose Your Heart" trilogy which is spread throughout the album. There are also some atmospheric moments such as the Steve Miller-esque "Outskirts" which brings to mind songs like "Hypnotized" from Welch's days with Fleetwoood Mac.
While it seems a bit forgotten over the past few decades, "French Kiss" is an album that brings back fond memories for those who were there when it was first released. This album was a huge hit during its day and it's easy to see why. It's original, mostly upbeat and impossible to dislike even for those today who don't know who the heck Bob Welch is.
If you enjoy light Classic rock of the mid 70s, this album is definitely essential.
A long-forgotten classic that deserves rememberance!!

On a personal note: I was four years old when my sister bought "French Kiss" on LP when the album was newly released. Although it seems unthinkable, I still have clear and fond memories of listening to this album in my sister's bedroom and in the living room at the time. Those memories still run through my head when listening to CD now.

I bought this album back in 1977. During an album run my roomate and I purchased this pretty much based on the fact that we knew Bob from Fleetwood Mac.
I don't think we had even heard "Sentimental Lady" on the radio before we bought this but actually that song is not even in my top 5 faves from this CD.
I sequence the album starting with track 2.

All the hooks, smooth vocals and good pop rock just flow from the speakers. This is a very good album. Other reviewers gave it 3 stars. I think it deserves 4.
I bought this having not heard it for 15 years and it's gonna get worn out. Every song is as rich and powerful as I remeber.

This IS Radio Rock. This IS Good Pop Rock.

Sadly my disc has no liner notes. I'd like to know who backed up Bob on this album. I've heard Lindsey, Mick and Christine played on it. Anybody got the info? e-mail me please.

I've been wanting this CD for so long and finally found it on Amazon.

I used to listen to the songs on this album when my highschool baseball teammates used to take to the road for our out of town ball games. I didn't have my driver's license yet so I got to enjoy the ride and listen to Bob Welch.

Thanks!

Length:: 1:02 Mins

This is one album that I can listen to at anytime. Bought it when it came out. It makes me happy, my legs start pumping, feet tapping. I want to put on my white tails, pick up my walking stick and slide down the railing. Really miss tunes where one can actually sing or hum along and not be afraid of sexually harrasing anyone listening. Great tunes, great sounds, great dance tunes. Love the guitars. Thanks, Bob Welch. Thanks everytime I listen.

Everything that was the decade of the seventies is here. Disco shimmering, big over the top guitars, singer-songwriter introspective moments. You'd think it would simply be a mess, but throughout all of this, it simply works