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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Revisited, February 14, 2002
I have long felt BARKING AT AIRPLANES was the high point of Kim Carnes' career; whenever I've wanted to turn people on to her beyond "Bette Davis Eyes" this was always the album I would pull out. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I heard it (along with VOYEUR and CAFE RACERS)was being rereleased on CD. Even moreso than on the more-famous MISTAKEN IDENTITY, the rock tracks here just kick it, while the ballads are deeply heart-wrenching. This CD truly is a classic! I was reminded of this once again as soon as I put the CD on for the first time. Opening up the disc is "Crazy In The Night", Carnes' biggest post-"Bette Davis Eyes" solo hit. Making it all the way to #15, I think the song could have easily sailed into the Top Ten if EMI had believed in both the single and the artist a tad bit more. With it's chiming keyboards, lead vocals that alternate between full-throttled and whispered, stinging guitars and clever backing vocals, this is creative pop rock at it's best! Up next is "One Kiss", a synth-drenched song of longing and regret. Mark my word - if this had been the second single back in '85, BARKING AT AIRPLANES would have had a MUCH longer shelf life. With it's sweet, yet sorrowful, lyrics and a lead vocal that ranks amoung Carnes' Top Five, this song is just gorgeous. And then there's "Begging For Favors", my all-time favorite Kim Carnes track. What isn't there to like about this song, what with it's slightly vague lyrics, wailing sax and hushed, yet intense, vocals?!? The high point, however, has to be Lindsey Buckingham's contribution of guitar and harmony vocals (I'm still waiting for these two to work together again....can you imagine a Kim Carnes CD co-produced by Mr. B? Sweet!!). Special acknowledgement needs to be made over the blistering guitar picking that Buckingham provides as the song fades out; brilliant, and...just...so...perfect! "He Makes The Sun Rise" allows you to catch your breath, with it's romantic vibe and soulful sax. And then you get the emotional stuffing walloped out of you again, because up next is "Bon Voyage", one of the two or three most heart-breaking songs of the last 25 years. With it's lovely lead vocal and subtle, restrained instrumentation (AWESOME percussion!), we are treated to some of Carnes' most touchingly raw lyrics ("Bon voyage/When you find the one/Don't let her go/Like you're letting me go/Bon voyage/After all this time you'd think/We'd know/Why you're letting me go"). Even after almost seventeen years, this song still breaks my heart every time I hear it. While what was side two on the album and cassette formats wasn't as strong as side one, there were some cool moments. "Don't Pick Up The Phone" was a pulsating, arena-rock/dance number (think Van Halen's "Jump" with a female lead vocal!) that's as much fun now as it was back in 1985, while "Rough Edges" has a nice, smooth, swaying pop sheen to it. On the flip side, all that needs to be said about "Abadabadango" is that it was surely a low point in Carnes' career, and releasing it as the album's second single probably killed BARKING... faster than anything else could have. Things manage to bounce back with the island-flavored "Touch And Go." This was a new sound for Carnes, and it's still amazing how well it works for her. Yah, mahn......you go, girl! Closing out the original disc was "Oliver(Voice On The Radio)", a haunting ballad that kind of floats out of your speakers and just sort of wraps around you like a warm blanket. Downright loverly! We also now have the added bonus of three previously unreleased tracks...."I Am A Camera" is typical 80's synth pop, while "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" works better as a duet (though this take does give us more of a feel in regard to Carnes' songwriting process). The best of the three is Carnes' take on Steve Van Zandt's "Forever".....it proves, once and for all that, when she set her mind to it, Kim Carnes rocked! This disc also proves two other things.....A)Kim Carnes is one of the most underrated artists of the last twenty-five years and B)after almost fourteen years since her last U.S. studio album, we are sorely in need of new music from Miss Carnes. Until that happens, BARKING AT AIRPLANES will just have to do!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exquisite recording by an underrated artist!, October 12, 2001
In my opinion, this upbeat CD is Kim Carnes at her finest! Her unique voice soars...the music is mature and smart, yet youthful and fun. This CD is splendidly remastered and sparkles with pure energy from start to finish! Every one of the ten original tracks is a winner, and the three bonus tracks are wonderful as well, especially her solo version of her hit duet with Barbra Streisand, "Make No Mistake, He's Mine." The entire disk is '80s pop at its very best...and proof that Kim has a lot more to offer than just "Bette Davis Eyes." I HIGHLY recommend this disk to any fan of '80s pop. I was not a big Kim Carnes fan...but this album changed that.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kim's best., August 21, 2006
Length:: 2:32 Mins
Certainly a masterpiece. The title track was the hit. But that's only the tip of the iceburg. This album features Kim's most gripping and sad song "Bon Voyage" -- the words and the production both send a chill in my spine. I cannot listen to that song without crying. Elsewhere, you will find some of Kim's most successful and daring experiments. "He Makes the Sun Rise" has an almost industrial synth bass line (that leads into a almost jazzish song...) "Don't Pick Up The Phone" is arena synth rock at its best. And "One Kiss" is heartbreaking 1985 pop. Kim co-produced this album, and she must be applauded for some of her brave choices. For example, when the steel drums pop out of nowhere in the synth-laden "He Makes The Sun Rise" you can't help but raise your eyebrows. And impressively, it works. The odd alienated airport voice in the intro and face of "Bon Voyage" so creatively captures the moment you watch someone walk away. Through the terminal. Out of your life. Promises left unfulfilled. Even "Abadabadango", which some people seem to hate, is such a feel-good dance-a-thon...I don't see how anyone can resist jumping out of their chair and dancing around shamelessly. That song is certainly one of Kim's most gay-friendly moments. I can't see me or any of my queer friends not getting into the spirit of that number. And of course, Lindsey Buckingham makes his cameo on "Begging For Favors"--another intelligently written character study. This album is getting harder and harder to find...so if you like psychologically intelligent 80s pop, hurry and get this.
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