Customer Reviews

Read My Lips

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

 

 

Most of Toto is here with Fee and some writing by Richard Marx. Sure, this LP killed the Tubes group (see my Love Bomb review for the details) but Fee sure put out a gem! The music is very catchy and well performed. It has a very 80s sound, but still beats the pants off of most of today's new releases. Every time I play this CD for someone I am consistently asked who the artist is and where did I get the CD. So get yours too!

This is probably some of the best music to come out in the 80's that you've never heard of.
"Read My Lips" is Tube's frontman Fee Waybill's first solo effort. With the help of producer David Foster, and most of the band Toto backing him up, Waybill hits a homerun in his first at bat.
The first track, "You're Still Laughing" is a in your face rocking song followed by Toto's Steve Lukather great guitar riffs leads into the second track "Nobody's Perfect"
A good chunk of the album is written by Waybill, Lukather and Foster and track three is co-written by then unknown artist Richard Marx. The music ranges from Rock, Pop and even a little Caribbean flavor on the track aptly titled "Caribbean Sunsets". I like all 10 tracks on this cd. It's just like knarly dude!
All you 80's music fans out there who want to find out what you missed back twenty years ago, pick this disc up.

I bought this album when it was first released in 1984. I wore out two copies of the cassette, didn't have a copy for years, then nearly pee'd my pants when i found the CD a couple of years ago. This record has a mid-80's feel to it, but strangely enough doesn't really sound dated. This is the record i have probably listened to more times than any other record/CD i have ever owned. It is "rock and roll" enough to satisfy, and also has some very catchy Pop sensibility. Plus, Fee is one of the great rock vocalists, period. His 1996 release "Don't Be Scared By These Hands", while not as uniformly pleasing as "Read My Lips", packs enough humor and melodiousness to merit purchasing.

Fee Waybill, front man for "The Tubes", teams up with David Foster, Richard Marx, and many of the band members of "Toto" to create a project that will leave you wondering how you possibly could have missed this one over the last 15 years (actually, two songs from this album were part of the "St. Elmo's Fire" soundtrack). Phenominal lyrics, a wide variety of song styles, and the very best studio performances and production efforts combine to create what I consider to be the greatest Pop/Rock project ever made. Timeless, an absolute must-have.

Fee Waybill (lead singer for the Tubes) does a good job on this solo album. Pop rock throughout, with a Tubes-like sound (but not quite the Tubes).

This is a good 80's pop album. Fans of the Tubes and 80's music in general like the Romantics, the Cars, Foreigner, and Mr. Mister should like this record. Fee's lyrics lift the album above other more mundane offerings from that era, and the musicianship is certainly competent, as others pointed out regarding Toto members. It is a fun album to listen to, and songs from it will fit easily onto your homemade 80's compilations.

That said, and with that in mind, I did give it four stars.

But now I must attach a warning to the more heavy rockers out there. You will not find songs like "Hold the Line" from Toto on here. The best song you will find on here is "Saved My Life", which is indeed my favorite. It is also featured on the 'St. Elmo's Fire' soundtrack which has a good tune from Billy Squier on it too...and truthfully, you might be better served to get that disc if you like it when Fee is singing that way and guitar is wailing behind him.

This effort from Fee is POP, not really rock like "Talk to Ya Later" was from the 'Completion Backward Principle' Tubes album.
I had hoped this record would have more gems like that fantastic song, but it does not go in that direction. It is fun pop music that gets nearly as heavy musically as 'She's a Beauty' or "Sushi Girl' a couple times.

The other harder song on here --'Thrill of the Kill' --is not too good, and almost sounds like a joke with the guitar very synth-sounding and high-strung. The guitar on 'Saved My Life" is perfect, and I wish Lukather had kept that tone on 'Thrill of the Kill'. It would have made it a much, much better song.

Bottom Line: If you get it and place it next to your other 80's POP music cd's, you won't be disappointed. It is certainly a worthy addition to that genre.

1 HAVE A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS ALBUM - i LOVE IT BECAUSE IT IS SO GOOD-I HATE IT BECAUSE IT SIGNIFIED THE ENDING OF THE TUBES THE MUSIC ON THIS ALBUM SOUNDS LIKE THE TUBES BUT WE KNOW IT ISN'T IT IS THE VOCALS OF FEE WAYBILL WITHOUT THE OTHERS -STILL A GOOD LP -FAREWELL MY BELOVED TUBES

Incredibly diverse! Waybill does an excellent job in a variety of tunes. The tender "Passion Play" or the tropical "Carribean Sunsets" shows his immense vocal and songwriting talents. A must-own for pop music lovers.