The 1983 Listening Post - Joan Armatrading - The Key

Joan Armatrading - The Key

Joan Armatrading
The Key
3

Highlights:
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names
Drop the Pilot
Tell Tale

Why does Joan Armatrading sound like Annie Lennox on Drop the Pilot? Must be by design. Must also be Steve Lillywhite’s production.

Everything I didn’t like on the previous couple of Joan’s albums disappear for me on The Key. Like it’s designed to appeal to exactly the listener I am now. I’m not sure I would’ve cared in 83, but the production and musicianship is stellar. Some songs are trite. Others are excellent. An improvement over Ladders.
April 1983
Joan Armatrading
The Key
3

Highlights:
(I Love It When You) Call Me Names
Drop the Pilot
Tell Tale

Why does Joan Armatrading sound like Annie Lennox on Drop the Pilot? Must be by design. Must also be Steve Lillywhite’s production.

Everything I didn’t like on the previous couple of Joan’s albums disappear for me on The Key. Like it’s designed to appeal to exactly the listener I am now. I’m not sure I would’ve cared in 83, but the production and musicianship is stellar. Some songs are trite. Others are excellent. An improvement over Ladders.
Among all the polish is The Dealer, a dark and experimental bit of terror that I really appreciated. It’s not great, but it was unexpected.