Parting Should Be Painless [Original recording]

Roger Daltrey | Format: Vinyl

Product Details

• Vinyl
• Original Release Date: 1984
• Format: Original recording
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000R9N9H0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,082,273 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

1. Walking in My Sleep 2. Parting Should Be Painless 3. Is There Anybody Out There? 4. Would a Stranger Do? 5. Going Strong 6. Looking for You 7. Somebody Told Me 8. One Day 9. How Does the Cold Wind Cry 10. Don't Wait on the Stairs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars KILLER FERRY-PENNED TRACK! COULD USE REMASTERING, THOUGH!, October 18, 2004

By 

BOB (LOS ANGELES, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Parting Should Be Painless (Audio CD)

I have been waiting for this album to appear on CD for decades; I still have my vinyl copy of it.

The object of my fervor is an absolutely killer track written by Bryan Ferry called "Going Strong". To my knowledge, Ferry has never recorded the tune himself (a shame), so I am assuming he wrote this for Daltrey and this album. If you liked "The Main Thing" from Roxy's Avalon CD, you'll dig this track.

The rest of the album is pretty good, but it is one of those rare times when one song is worth the price of the entire CD. If you have not heard the track, especially if you are a Ferry / Roxy fan, check it out. You won't be sorry.

I do wish, however, that Wounded Bird would get up off its butt and provide proper remastering one of these days. You have to kick the volume on this disc (and just about every other WB disc) up quite a ways to get a decent response. There aren't a lot of dynamics of a CD made from a master that was EQ'd for vinyl 20 years ago.

Hey, WB? If Rhino can make a business model out of remastering, why can't you?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hit and miss, April 30, 2009

By 

Anyechka (Rensselaer, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parting Should Be Painless (Audio CD)

While I have come to the conclusion that Roger's solo work isn't as bad as it's often said to be, this album is definitely not one of the ones that should be used as an example of what Roger was capable of in his solo career. Exactly half of the songs (the title track, "Walking in My Sleep," "Would a Stranger Do?," "How Does the Cold Wind Cry?," and "Going Strong") are excellent, and the other half are dull, unforgettable, out of character for Roger's usual style. Not even my usual sentimentalism for Eighties music could save this one for me.

The title track and "Walking in My Sleep" are wonderful Eighties pop-rock songs, and thankfully they are the first two songs on the album, starting it off on a very good note. "Is There Anybody Out There?" has some moments, but overall isn't one of the album's key tracks. "Would a Stranger Do?," dealing with the familiar theme of two lonely strangers reaching out to one another and coming together for a night of emotional comfort and love, is a really beautiful ballad. Roger truly puts his heart and soul into singing this one. I think it's my favorite track on here. "Going Strong," while not one of my favorites, is one of the album's standout tracks, and was really tailor-made for Roger. All of the rest of the songs, bar the beautiful haunting ballad "How Does the Cold Wind Cry?," are milquetoast, dull, and forgettable. I agree that Roger does sound a bit uncomfortable singing these songs, since they're so out of his usual mold. Anybody could have sung these songs; they're missing his unique stamp.

In spite of half of the songs being great, I'd only recommend this album for completists or people who are far enough along in their exploration of Roger's solo work that they're not likely to be turned off and get the wrong impression by this album. The one word I would use to sum up this album is "unmemorable." At least, as always, he did the best he could with lousy material.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best solo Roger Album, February 15, 2010

By 

E J "special" (DC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Parting Should Be Painless (Audio CD)

Best solo album from Roger, if your a WHO fan or Pete fan you will enjoy this record- great selection of songs including one from Dave Stewart and A.L. Slightly dated in some sounds but fresh song choices and his best singing solo work to date. Take a chance, it will be worth it- record really grows on ya, do not find myself skipping over tracks. A great listen all the way through.