Customer Reviews

Up to Date

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In an age when underage teens have to flaunt their sexuality to sell an album, it is refreshing that these great tunes of the 70s still hold up SO well after all these years.First of all, it amazes me that there are still Partridge haters who feel it a necessity to bash this music in this forum, yet DO NOT know WHAT they are talking about! If I see one more reviewer say the Partridges version of the Buddy Holly song is bad, I'll rip out my hair. There are NO Buddy Holly songs on this CD! That'll Be The Day is an original song with only the title being the same as the Holly song. OPEN YOUR EARS! Now that being said, the Partridges UP TO DATE album remains one of their earlier "rocking-est" albums at their best. Although the band only consisted of two singers who were really members , the arrangements and background singers are incredible and this LP as well as the ones that followed, put the Partridge Family in a category of their own that far transcended the typical "Bubblegum" of the time. This is NOT bubblegum but some of the best pop music that came out of the 70s. Far superior to the manufactured pop groups before them, these gems still stand tall and have aged rather well after 30+ years. The packaging on the Partridge LPs were always geared to snag the younger crowd with Cracker Jack prizes such as photos, bookcovers, shopping bags, etc. but the true prizes here are the songs themselves. In my opinion, there is NOT ONE bad tune on this CD! From the huge hits of "I'll Meet You Halfway", "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" and "She'd Rather Have The Rain" to the underrated gems of "You Are Always On My Mind" and "Umbrella Man" and the soulful loss of "There's No Doubt In My Mind", it was NO wonder that David Cassidy still today has earned a lasting place in the hearts of an America when things were more innocent and it was acceptable to show TV shows with families who loved each other, sans violence, sexuality, and drugs. This music brings me back to those times. Days when your biggest concern was if your homework would be done before TV, whose team you were going to be on in the neighborhood basketball game and what you'd be spending your paper route money on next. Cynics...call it simplistic or cheesey or whatever else you want, it means happier times to me and innocence lost, so if that's what I want to spend MY money on....so be it! For you non-believers...take a listen with a set of headphones and then tell me this is inferior music!

Up to Date is really one of the better Partridge Family albums out there; and hopefully this will be back in print before long! The sound quality is very good and the artwork is very nicely done. This album has great tunes on it and Partridge Family fans will want this album for their collections.

"I'll Meet You Halfway" starts the CD off with a moving, poignant love ballad that The Partridge Family delivers with panache! Of all their songs, this clearly has to be one of my highly ranked favorites. I love how the song deals with love and how two people really can work out their differences to hope to be together as a couple; and the musical arrangement is lush without ever drowning out David Cassidy and the others. There's some great guitar work, too! "I'll Meet You Halfway" is an excellent tune. "You Are Always On My Mind" shines brightly as another very good hit; I believe this is a cover song but in any event David Cassidy and the rest perform this very well; this moves me with the key changes and the tempo is just right. A lot of young people will identify with this song as they experience their first true love with all the "obsessing" that goes right along with the joy!

"Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" has an early `70s flavor to it that still sounds quite good today; and the guitar work is very good. David Cassidy sings this while the others harmonize on backup; and this makes "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted" another superior number. "Lay It On The Line" rocks somewhat harder but it's still classic Partridge Family; this tune showcases how this group really could rock and they certainly weren't just limited to bubblegum songs! "Morning Rider On The Road" has another pretty melody and this soft rock ballad puts David Cassidy front and center--right where he belonged for this song.

"That'll Be The Day" is a fine tune that The Partridge Family performs with so much grace; they deliver this without a superfluous note and that's terrific! "That'll Be The Day" may not be their very strongest song ever but it's still quite good. "She'd Rather Have The Rain" reverts back to a rockin' flavored tune that still has a heavy twist of early `70s pop to make this number meatier; and the CD ends well with The Partridge Family performing "I'll Leave Myself A Little Time." "I'll Leave Myself A Little Time" is very sweet and this makes a fine ending for this album. David Cassidy never sounded better and the rest of The Partridge Family sounds every bit as good.

Overall, Partridge Family fans owe it to themselves to get this CD! This is also a fine CD for people who like contemporary pop vocals and tunes that have that wonderful `70s flavor.

There really isn't a bad song on this album. It's one of their best and a lot better than the debut album a few months earlier in 1970. DOESN'T SOMEBODY WANT TO BE WANTED was the biggest hit but it's probably my least favorite on the CD. I'LL MEET YOU HALFWAY(#9 in 1971) is my favorite and the rest of the songs are equally wonderful to listen and sing along with. Younger people should listen to this music it's much better than what is offered to them by today's "artists". The Partridge Family may have been manufactured but they had a great sound and David Cassidy did a great job with all the songs they ever recorded. I only wish the people who put these on CD would have included bonus unreleased material(which there is plenty!) because the running time for all their Cd's is under 35 minutes. Maybe they are saving that for a special CD(or maybe not, who knows?!). This is a solid collection of great songs from a great time in music so I suggest everyone buy this CD or SOUND MAGAZINE if you're unsure about buying a Partridge family CD for the first time. It's well worth the low price on Amazon.

I was 13 years old when the partridge family show appeared on the network. I of course was naive and full of dreams, and the memories of the times through these songs really make me happy again. Over the years I never forgot the songs or lyrics. I am just so happy that the songs are back and on CD. I only wish that the other albums would be added to make my nostalgia complete. I am happy that David Cassidy has embraced his past again, and hopefully more fondly.

Again, the Wes Farrell/Bahler boys connection, lead now in force by David Cassidy's maturing vocals, is a dynamo combination of fresh, breezy, incredibly listenable pop music. Reflecting the times, a more innocent slice of 1971, the tracks on this album are all terrific, from the sublime build of I'll Meet You Halfway to the lush, cascading and yes, moving power of She'd Rather Have The Rain, to the kicky delights of You Are Always On My Mind (which should have been a hit single) and That'll Be The Day...the list goes on. For you trivia fans, this, the second PF album, features not only Doesn't Somebody Want..., which contains the spoken passage David hated when it was recorded, it also includes his first published songwriting credit with a jaunty little rocker called Lay It Right On The Line. Enjoy!

I bought this album with my allowance money back in 1971 when I was 10 years old. (Probably the first album I ever bought on my own.) I was with my then-best friend. He bought McCartney's RAM album.

We ended up listening to the Partridges over and over again and poor Paul got relegated to second-class status.

I still own that vinyl album. I slapped it on the turntable the other day for the heck of it, and I think I understand why my ten-year-old buddy and I got hooked on it. It's pure, fun music. No bad lyrics for parents to worry about, no sleazy outfits that provoke talking heads on the news to wonder "Has this teen idol has gone too far?", and no elaborately choreographed dance moves that distract from the music itself. Just good old-fashioned well-written pop tunes, sung well by David and his mom, and played with aplomb by the assorted studio musicians.

You can probably count one of my stars as being strictly for nostalgic value -- those were great, carefree times, and listening to this album reminds me of them. But it's more than that. It's just good pop music. Sure, some of it may seem a bit corny, but really, what's more cheesy -- the Partridges or, say, N'Sync? I'll let you decide.

I admit, with no shame, of my undying love of the commercial pop sound engendered by the Partridge Family, a conglomeration of front singer/teen idol David Cassidy and a team of exceptional musicians and singers, including the talented Bahler brothers. UP TO DATE is, I think, the best of the albums produced of the Partridge Family sound. It once again features a number of delectable pop songs, impeccably arranged, and inspires a sense of nostalgia and fun with every listen. My personal faves: SHE'D RATHER HAVE THE RAIN, with its cascading, infectious melody, and YOU ARE ALWAYS ON MY MIND, which I think could have been a bigger follow-up to I THINK I LOVE YOU as a massively popular hit single than DOESN'T SOMEBODY WANT..., which is fun in its own right, but lacks the punch and dazzle of MIND. Let the good times in!

Did it feel great popping in this CD (awesome quality, compared to my old albums) and hearing those good old tunes from years gone by. I do recommend this album to any Partridge fan -- especially a David Cassidy fan!

The songs of the Partridge Family/David Cassidy bring back the good olds days , like the Barbra Streisand song. The quality of this record it excellent.
Enjoy the music, feel the groove.

This was the second release from the infamous Partridge Family. For not being a real group, at this stage much thought was given into the quality and eclectic styles of the songs recorded. David Cassidy had great vocals to carry these tracks. I was a teen at the time this was released and I think that even though this music is "bubblegum pop" it also is fun, infectuous and well produced. It stands the test of time and I am very greatful the albums are on cd like this, remastered with excellent sound quality. There are also very informative liner notes.

The hit here was DOESN'T SOMEBODY WANT TO BE WANTED but there are many standouts here. I'LL MEET YOU HALFWAY, LAY IT ON THE LINE, UMBRELLA MAN, THAT'LL BE THE DAY, SHE'D RATHER HAVE THE RAIN and I'LL LEAVE MYSELF A LITTLE TIME are all quality pop songs.

This cd is highly entertaining. For all of you who grew up with this music it is a must have. You will still enjoy it and the price and remastering make it an excellent addiition to your music collection.