Customer Reviews

Wanderer

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Donna Summer is surprisingly one of the few African American women that can really carry a rock tune. On "The Wanderer" she creates an atmosphere of hard edge new wave cuts that has the kids dancing to a new beat. Her vocals are even better here than on her stellar disco performances. Once again along for the ride are super producers Giorgio and Pete. There is a unique mix of synth new wave rock and gospel tinged R&B. The big hit "The Wanderer" is a funky mix keyboards and guitars melded with a deep sexy vocal by Summer. The blue sweetness of "Breakdown" is another winner with Donna telling of "cheating and fooling around" set to amazing male background and great synthesizer program. Donna goes from dark spooky rock of "Running For Cover" and then gets needy on the upbeat "Cold Love". Even the big gospel "I Believe In Jesus" is uplifting. In all a worthy Summer album full of art rather than non stop hits.

Not all Summer fans are going to love this one. It's almost the beginning of the end as it comes to Donna's mega success on the charts. Then again, it's her most artistic album to date and is very courageous. But the dancy upbeat Donna seems to be gone, not to mention this intro into rock also worked as an exit, being her last rock album at all, while follow-ups will focus on strict R&B and dance pop with Christian admiration. They won't work very well. I really enjoy this rebellious side of Summer and would love to set it return someday. Get "I'm A Rainbow" and "Bad Girls" for more of a rocky Donna.

I was 12 years old when this album came out and i remember buying every single released from the album. Although The Wanderer was the first (and most popular) cut from the album it was Grand Illusion that i latched onto. I remember it was a b-side to either The Wanderer single or Cold Love but I listened to it over and over because i'd never heard anything so mesmerizing before. That one b-side opened me up so so many other musical possibilities and as i grew older my musical intersts moved into what was called Alternative music in the 80s/ groups like The Smiths, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, etc. but i think it was because of listening to Donna's songs when i was a little kid that made me appreciate all those differnt sounds. These days, while others still caller her the Queen of Disco, I consider her the Godmother of Techno. With the help of producers like Giorgio Moroder she virtually invented the 12-inch dance track, was the first artist to have an all electronic top 40 hit, and paved the way for New Wave, House and Techno. I certainly hope that one day she gets the credit she deserves for being so responsible for much of the music styles we've listened to for the past 25+ years. and i applaud her for being one of the first African American artists to refuse to be pigeon-holed into an Aretha Franklin cookie-cutter charicature of what people thought an African American female should sound like.

The Wanderer album has always been a release I admired for the direction that it pointed to. After a string of well crafted double albums, a single disk release to me seemed rushed, and it could have been since Donna had just signed as the first artist to Geffen Records, and they no doubt wanted to get product out as soon as possible, and Donna was still riding high from her blockbuster year of 1979.

Moving forward to the more rock/new wave edge of the early 80's, this release featured great dancable songs that never the less moved away from Disco. The Wanderer, Looking Up, Running For Cover, Who Do You Think Your Fooling, and Nightlife all were songs that you could move to, and Cold Love continued in the vein of Hot Stuff.

Grand Illusion was the most intriging track here, it is actually a real breakthrough, combining an almost 60's physcadellic aura with a London style new wave edge.

This album also featured Donna's first openly spritual song, the very disarming, I Belive In Jesus. For watever reason the secular music critics loved it (one called it the best song of it's type since Let It Be), and the Contemporary Christian Music critics dismissed it (and they wondered why Donna would never record a album for one of their labels).

Rolling Stone Magazine (long supporters of Donna) loved this album and gave it an almost classic rating, and Time reported that it shows she can be THE female rocker of the 80's.

Why did I give it 4 stars (as opposed to 5) ?, for me the album lacked a true Donna Summer ballad, and with this albums theme of Post Disco New Wave/Rock, and great Janis Joplin type ballad would have MADE the album.

Despite the progress that The Wanderer showed, Geffen Records would push Donna into a very different direction with her next release, and this album would be the last of her albums to be produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte for quite awhile (see my reviews of Donna Summer, and I'm A Rainbow).

..and for the record, when you read my other reviews of Donna's releases while at Geffen Records, The Wanderer was the only one not to have a non-album track as at least one B-side single.

What can be said about this masterpiece that hasn't been said?

This was the first LP by Donna Summer I ever owned. Recorded while Donna was pregnant with her second daughter Brooklyn, it was produced by Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. It was a step into the New wave movement, as well as including doses of Donna's new found Christian faith. While not as commercial or successful (it made it to number 13 on the hot 200 and was certified gold for sales of over 700,000 copies) as her previous efforts, this was very experimental and ahead of it's time.

In her recent autobiography 'Ordinary girl', she mentions imitating her 'main man' Elvis while she was growing up. This she does on the albums opening track 'The wanderer', a wonderful slice of synthesized rock with a dance beat, echoing vocals on the chorus, and lower register tremulous vocals throughout the song. It climbed to number 3 on the hot 100 and sold a million copies to give her the 10th gold single (in those days, gold was for sales of a million copies, compared to half a million today) of her career.

'Looking up' a piano driven rocker with a dance beat, is a declaration of her faith. With simple lyrics and a catchy sing-along chorus, this is one of the album's highlights, especially the part where she self harmonises the lines 'someone who understands..'.

'Breakdown' with its male backed chorus and Donna singing in a crystal clear falsetto is another delight.

'Grand illusion' is a technological masterpiece. Swirling synthesizers, electronic effects, falsetto, sprinklings of vocoder, and an unusual beat set this apart from the rest of the album. 'Harmony, we need harmony' she sings, and we do.

'Running for cover' is a deep, dark tale of a young girl running from the terrors of the city. Penned entirely by Donna, it begins downbeat, then frenetic drumming and wailing guitars conjure an image of running and fear. A masterpiece!

'Cold love' is a stomping rocker, with a scratchy intro, a great guitar riff (which Michael Jackson stole for his song 'Black or white', check it out) and sharp, icy vocals. It garnered her second Grammy nomination for best rock song by a female, and made it to number 33 on the hot 100.

'Who do you think you're fooling' is a delightful number about the pretensions of stardom. Sung in a lower register to a bouncy beat, it made it to 40 on the hot 100, giving the album 3 top 40 hits.

'Night life' is the closest to her disco days. Similar in theme to 'Sunset people' (from 'Bad girls'), she sings in a lower register, to a dance beat and a great guitar riff with twirlings of synthesizer, especially when the song breaks.

'Stop me' is a punk rocker, similar to a Blondie song, complete with its hand claps and a delightful sax break.

The closing track is 'I believe in Jesus', again penned by Donna alone. It earned her the first of her 3 (to date) Grammy nominations for best Gospel song. With simple, nursery rhyme like lyrics, powerful singing and a male backing choir this is the most overt flaunting of her faith. Beautiful!

In all, it is an album of largely simply (almost minimalist) crafted, superbly executed songs. A very artistic statement! Released almost 24 years ago, it still sounds fresh and innovative.

The cover photographs, shot by Harry Langdon, are beautiful, mysterious and surreal, in keeping with the theme of the album. Great!

I would recommend this album to anyone, a fine testament to the phenomenal talent of a great singer.

Summer makes it pretty clear on the Bobby Darin-inspired rock
of the tital track,"Cold Love" and others that she is completely
through with disco.Filled with rocked-up guitars and roudy,slinky
singing Donna Summer proves (however needlessly) that she CAN be a rock 'n roll star and not just a mere disco queen.My own favorite is "Grand Illusion",an unusual piece fashioned in layers
of leslie-amplified percussion.Certainly an artistic triumph for the singer "The Wanderer" is a must-have for fans who don't
care much for disco but do like Donna Summer.Curious?

"The Wanderer" marks Donna's switch from the Casablanca label over to David Geffen's newly founded Geffen label, and also showcases a new sound for Donna as the disco era came to its supposed close. Adding right into the mix is the fact that Donna at this time was starting to add a little more of a religious or inspirational tinge to her songwriting.

This album definitely opened the doors for the dance-rock sound of the eighties and paved the road for future dance-rockers such as Irene Cara, Laura Branigan, and maybe even Madonna. The new sound was a fusion of the disco the world was trying so hard to escape from (but others will argue never really left the scene), with a bit of rock, a dash of gospel, and just a touch of electronica. Did it work? Well just judge by the success of the hit title song and its follow up single "Cold Love".

The album, in my opinion, wasn't as successful as it should have been, but stands its ground on what it represented for the future of pop music. Take for example the synth work on "Grand Illusion", or the funk-rocker "Stop Me", these were extreme changes from the usual disco/dance formulas. Or how about the bi-rhythmical "Running For Cover" which is probably one of the album's most intense moments. Those just looking to dance should check out "Looking Up", "Nightlife" or the album's third single "Who Do You Think You're Fooling".

The album wraps up with the gospel ballad "I Believe In Jesus", a song even a sinner can appreciate as it shows off Donna in one of her most endearing performances. It also marks the end of the long term collaboration between Donna and producer Giorgio Moroder as the two would not work together again commercially for nearly ten years.

with The Wanderer, Ms. Summer shed her disco image once and for all and recorded an early 80's rock album that should have begun another phase of her career, instead of being one of her last successful albums. This album is a keeper. The Wanderer hit #3 and gave a more new wave sound to he repitoire. the Pat Benatar-esque Cold Love and the more middle-of-the-road Who Do You Think You're Fooling were also top 40 hits besides the title track. The trippy Grand Illusion is one of her most underrated songs. Running For Cover reminds me of a grandiose Steinman/Meat Loaf track. Looking Up and Breakdown both show tracks of the Bad Girls Donna, but also show a new side of her. This album is a must-have along with Bad Girls and Once Upon A Time.

Donna Summer always amazes by virtue of her vocal prowess. That said, she takes a "leap of faith" and tries to let the world in on her real soul journey. But fear not as the music on this cd will rock you out of your shoes. From the quirky funkiness of the title cut, hard rocking "cold love" (my fav.) and "running for cover","nightlife", and "stop me" (no we hadn't heard that one before!!!) to the seemless pop-ness of "who do you think...", " breakdown" and " grand illusion"... to the inspirational musicality of "looking up" and " I believe in Jesus", there is not a mis-fire on this cd. She should be so proud of this collection of rock-n-pop dynamite!

After leaving Casablanca in 1980, Donna Summer was ready to ccrossover completely from the disco genre. "The Wanderer" is a rocking power house of an album. Starting off with the new wave wail of the title track, the album takes off with the belting beautiful "Looking Up", bluesy "Breakdown", and Celtic rockish "Grand Illusion". Other memorable songs are "Stop me", "Night Life" and "Running For Cover"; a sort of rock take off on "Bad Girls". The Wanderer finishes off with the inspirational "I Believe In Jesus". This is a strong album that keeps moving forward.

In 1980, Donna Summer had been through a lot. She had achieved massive success and Grammy Awards for her 1979 album, "Bad Girls"; released a number one greatest hits album called "On The Radio"; left her record label (Casablanca) for the newly-formed Geffen records; and became a born-again Christian. She also had to contend with the backlash towards disco music.

So when Donna Summer began her tenure with Geffen Records, it was to be a new beginning. "The Wanderer" her first album for Geffen was a move into new wave/rock/pop. Overall, it is a good album, with Donna exploring interesting themes and penning more introspective lyrics, but admittedly, it's all over the map. Donna couldn't decide if she was a pop/rock singer (the brilliant "Cold Love"), a gospel singer ("I Believe In Jesus"), a rocker ("Stop Me") or avant garde ("Grand Illusions"). Donna had underwent such a dramatic change from sex-kitten disco queen ("Bad Girls) to born-again Christian, that many of her fans felt alienated. "The Wanderer" is void of any of the dance grooves, or even camp, that was prevalent on prior releases such as "Bad Girls" and "Once Upon a Time". Also, the transition from disco to rock and from the 70s to the 80s (and a change in record labels) presented many challenges for Donna.

Here she was still working with collaborators Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, but it's not hard to guess that the partnership was coming to an end. Moroder's inclination for Europop/Eurodisco is pretty much stifled here, so it's not surprising that he would go on to find other female artists (ie. Irene Cara) to further develop his sound.

But, despite all this, "The Wanderer" is worth a listen. It's well-produced and Donna's singing is excellent. It's an interesting chapter in her music career as it shows the singer in transition.