Customer Reviews

Somebody's Watching Me

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

 

 

Rockwell, son of Motown founder berry Gordy, and brother-in-law of Michael Jackson's brother may have fallen into the "where are they now" category, but way back in 1984, he had a huge smash off his debut album.

Title track "Somebody's watching me" is a Funk/Pop ditty with a dramatic narration about paranoia and feeling like one is living in "The twilight zone". Incredibly catchy, it was a top 5 hit in the US (#2) and UK, and featured prominent backing vocals from his famous in-law.

"Obscene phone caller" is more of the same, bouncier and more rock tinged, with a narration about a nutty phone caller who just breathes heavily down the phone when it's picked up.

Other standouts are a synth heavy remake of George Harrison's "Taxman", and the punk feel of "Runaway" and "Wasting away" (with a squealing guitar solo).

The album's emotional centerpiece though is its lone ballad; "Knife". Sounding like a seventies cinematic classic (very Elton John-ish or Jason Mraz-like), it is a tender piano ballad about heartache. The lyrics "When I pretend/wear a smile to fool my dearest friends/I wonder if they know/It's just a show" are so intense and I feel a strong connection to them. He gives such a heartfelt and emotive vocal performance, showing he can do more than just narrate as he did on his lone big hit. Heartache never sounded so beautiful!

The album hit #15 in the US and his follow up albums, though posessing moments of sporadic brilliance ("Don't it make you cry", "He's a cobra" from "Captured"), sank much without a trace. Shame really, but this is such a fun album, a perfect example of 80s Pop.

Rockwell's first album was really good. It had a funk driven feel to it on most tracks. Obscene Phone Caller was a good follow up to Somebody's Watching Me. Anybody that can get Michael Jackson to sing on your song is a winner in my book as that song is still funky 2 decades later! It sounded very close to Michael's own hit Billie Jean in terms of the rhythm and beats. Unfortunately, Rockwell couldn't match that early success with his next album. But this was a good start for him in his short lived music career.

This is a totally awesome CD! For highlights this has the very well known "Somebody's Watching Me", another hit "Obscene Phone Caller", & the awesome remake of George Harrison's "Taxman" (I think I like this version better!)!

Rockwell (born Kennedy Gordy in 1964 and son of Motown mogul Berry Gordy), is something of a black Weird Al Yankovic, singing utterly nonsensical songs and often speaking with a fake British accent. Best recommended are the hits "Somebody's Watching Me" in which Rockwell is pretty much afraid to move a muscle for fear that somebody is out to get him, and "Obscene Phone Caller" in which someone will not stop crank-calling him. There are lots of funny moments throughout the album.

They say there's no such thing as pefection but I beg to differ when it comes to Rockwell's debut album Somebody's watching me. This album is great from start to finish. It has everything I love, including hot electro beats, synthesizers and some of the best new wave ever made. The best tracks are of course the title track, Obscene phone caller, Knife which displays Rockwell's softer side, Foreign Country and Wasting away but as I stated before this album flawless. Order this album you will not be sorry!

PS,
Captured Rockwell's 2nd album) aint half bad either!

I will never forget the first time I heard this. Excellent debut album and incidentally, released the same year as Prince's Purple Rain, and the year after "MJ's "Thriller" two of the best selling albums of all time. Nonetheless, "Somebody's Watching Me" held it's own, and is still a great song and album to this day. It is a shame the artist's success and popularity dropped off after subsequent albums.

i agree with that one person. if they can get the king on their album, DEFINATELY has my vote. I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON!