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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This is the record that REALLY defined Bryan Adams' music!, May 5, 2001
Bryan Adams definitely found his sound in this recording. He had experimented with some different styles on his first album, YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT, including New Wave (he doesn't even sound like himself on that album's "One Good Reason"). This album abandons all experimentation in favor of two predominant styles: hard rock and ballad. On CUTS LIKE A KNIFE, we do get more hard rock than anything else. I bought this on vinyl back in the summer of '83, and it has always been one of my favorite records from that period.The first track, "The Only One," is sort of a hard-pop song that is fairly forgettable (put it to you this way, when was the last time you ever heard this song, much less played it on your own?). But then things get busy: we get the wonderful "Take Me Back" which has a bluesy-keyboard tune which is slightly reminiscient of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, with some soulful screaming on Bryan's behalf. "This Time" is a straightforward hard rock/pop song which easily made the Top 40 at the time (it even sounds like a single), but is nevertheless a catchy tune with enough heartfelt singing from Bryan to ensure it never reaches bubblegum status. "Straight From The Heart" is the first of two ballads on this record, and is very good. Interestingly enough, later that same year (1983), Bonnie Tyler did a version of that song on her explosive FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF NIGHT, and while I do like her slightly harder take on the song, I think that the Bryan Adams original is more memorable. Of course, after this song we get the most memorable song on here, the wonderful title track which caused me to sing "na-NA-na-na-na-NA-na-NA" for the better part of that year! After "Cuts Like A Knife," you would expect the rest of the CD to pale by comparison, right? Wrong! The very next track is "I'm Ready" which is the greatest keyboard-hook-and-guitar-lick-laden hard rock track that Bon Jovi never recorded. Bryan Adams screams with authority "I'm ready!" and he sure sounds like he is ready...to rock us REAL good! :) The next three songs "What's It Gonna Be," "Don't Leave Me Lonely," and "Let Him Know" are all good, but not very memorable. However, just as was the case on his debut album, this record ends with another very good piano-driven ballad. This one is called "The Best Was Yet to Come." It is a heartfelt, plaintive song dealing with the breakup of a relationship that the protagonist felt was strong and would have gotten even stronger, that is, until his girl broke up with him. Having experienced this same type of thing myself, and crying myself to tears listening to this song at the time, I must say that this song hit a particularly strong chord with me. Of course, it is because of this that I have not played the song since-- it's just too depressing for me now. Overall, this is a great Bryan Adams CD that no one who likes him should ever be without! It's definitely one of his very best. :)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Full "Team Effort" by Adams and company, May 26, 2004
"Cuts Like a Knife" was the third studio album by Canadian Bryan Adams. This is his second in a series of four albums in a row co-produced by legendary mix expert Bob Clearmountain. Like on the previous two efforts, Jim Vallance remains his songwriting partner (for all but one song). On this collection, Bryan Adams picks right up where he left off with "You Want It, You Got It". This album has much more depth from a songwriting and musicianship standpoint than the previous album. This is the album that helped shape the "Adams Sound". Bryan Adams' albums have always great team efforts that tight collaborations between his songwriting partner and his studio band "Cuts Like a Knife" is perhaps the strongest team effort of any Adams album that was released.Bryan Adams has been fortunate to have nearly the same studio band for two decades. On "You Want It, You Got It" - keyboardist Tommy Mandel and drummer Mickey Curry were brought in. On "Cuts Like a Knife", Bryan went out and recruited Keith Scott for guitars and Dave Scott for Bass (Scott was very well known in Vancouver). Scott and Adams' guitaring combine for some incredible jamming - especially on this collection. These four band members would form the nucleus of Bryan Adams' studio band for the next 2 decades. This album features some incredible background vocals - two main background vocalists include Scott and Foreigner's Lou Gramm. Combine this with strong songwriting by the Adams/Vallance connection and Bob Clearmountain's mastery, the makings for a very strong album are clearly in play. A lot of why Adams really grew on this album are some of the contributions of Keith Scott, he was the perfect right-hand man for Adams. Another staple of the Adams/Clearmountain connection is the ability to order tracks on the albums in a near flawless fashion. Once again Adams/Clearmountain have the perfect opening track in "The Only One" and the perfect closing track "The Best is Yet to Come" (ironically a great song title to end this album with 'Reckless', 'Into The Fire', and 'Waking Up the Neighbours' in Adams' future). On "The Only One", the team effort is heard right away - Adams and Scott have some great guitar work while Taylor's bass, Mandel's Keyboards, and Curry's drumming are in fine form. You'll also hear some of the nice background vocals that really make up this album from Gramm and Scott. Want more great guitar work - "Take Me Back" is the song to hear. This song appears on the "Live Live Live" album and the that live version features Bryan starting the song "Take Me Back Keith". Although you don't hear that on this album, the song is still solid. And yes, same message as "The Only One" - full team effort. The third song "This Time" reminds me of a sequel to "Don't Look Now" - although no obvious lyrical connections they do have a similar rhythm. Other songs that really follow this Team Effort include "Straight From the Heart", "Cuts Like a Knife", "I'm Ready", and "Let Him Know". "Straight From the Heart" is the prototype for what is the classic Adams ballad. The provoking lyrics really shine here. This is the one song that wasn't co-written by Jim Vallance. On this song Eric Kagna is Adams partner, but not a beat is lost on this song. "Let Him Know" is a catchy song that often gets lost with some of the other monster songs that are on this album. This is also a solid album in terms of the liner notes. All lyrics are included along with the appropriate songwriting and studio musician credits. This is something where "You Want It, You Got It" fell very short. I'll emphasize the exceptional "Team Effort" that sets this album apart from the other Adams' releases. It is a must have for anyone building or keeping a Bryan Adams collection.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Was Yet To Come, November 15, 2003
As far as world-wide fame and popularity, the best was still yet to come for this Vancouver born and raised rocker. Bryan would later move out of Canada and call England home, date Lady Diana before she tragically died, and musically, slow things down. But before all that, he exploded onto the North American music scene in the early and mid-eighties. I agree with Bob Schneider's review, but having seen Bryan perform live before 11,000 people 2 nights ago, I felt compelled to make a slight correction to his comments regarding "The Best Was Yet To Come". (By the way, tickets were only $35 Canadian!!!! How's THAT for a breath of fresh air in this day of $100+ ticket prices???)And don't feel bad, Bob, because until 2 nights ago, I didn't know what the song was really about either, and I have been an Adams fan since the early 80's - before the rest of the world "discovered him". In fact a good friend knew him when he played lead guitar in the club band Roxy Roller a long time back in Vancouver - when Keith Scott was touted as "the best guitarist to ever come out of the Vancouver music scene.....he's gonna be HUGE some day". Bryan later hooked up with Keith (with Keith as the lead guitarist in his band) on the album "Cuts Like A Knife", and fame and fortune soon followed. In fact, Keith is STILL with him to this day, and was unbelievable 2 night's ago. But I digress. "The Best Was Yet To Come" was a song Bryan wrote about Dorothy Stratten. I can't recall EXACTLY word for word how he introduced the song 2 nights ago, but it went like this..."I'd like to play a song for you now that I wrote 20 years ago, about a Vancouver born girl, who went to Hollywood and found fortune and fame as a Playboy bunny." (Hoots and hollers from the crowd at this point.) "Her boyfriend murdered her, shortly thereafter." (11,000 people in the stadium, and I could have heard a pin drop.) "Her name was Dorothy Stratten, and I wrote the song after hearing about her tragic death to show people that fortune and fame isn't always what it's cracked up to be." I always loved this song, but now listen to it a little differently, knowing what it's really about. Bob, go back and give it another listen now. What a powerful song. Bryan became bigger and gained a much larger world-wide audience right around this time, but I'm glad that I can say I "knew" him when....... And, yes, he has never outright admitted it, but he has never outright denied that he was the "un-named musician that is dating Lady Di"......in fact, dig through his 90's music - he has a song called "Diana" that was a hit in Canada (sorry don't remember the album it was on, but it's easily found), that pretty much confirms the "rumor" of him dating Lady Di. Bryan Adams - a Canadian born and raised rocker. Keep going strong, Bry!!!!!
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