The 1981 Listening Post - Bob Welch - Bob Welch

 Bob Welch - Bob Welch

#523

October 1981

Bob Welch

Bob Welch

Genre: Rock

2.75 out of 5

What’s wrong with this?:

“All songs written by Bob Welch except where noted.

1. "Two to Do" (Michael Clark) – 3:33
2. "Remember" (Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance) – 3:53
3. "Bend Me, Shape Me" (Larry Weiss, Scott English) – 3:01
4. "That's What We Said" – 3:07
5. "If You Think You Know How to Love Me" (Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn) – 3:55
6. "It's What Ya Don't Say" (Steve Diamond) – 2:45
7. "You Can't Do That" – 2:36
8. "Secrets" – 3:09
9. "Imaginary Fool" – 3:22
10. "To My Heart Again" (Tom Snow) – 3:04
11. "Drive" – 0:49

“

Um….Wikipedia…maybe Bob doesn’t need that first line. If you’ve written <45% of your record you don’t deserve that disclaimer. (Claimer?)

I can’t make a “requisite cover” list because a lot of this record is either a cover or written by someone else. 

The first two tracks actually pop even though they go nowhere and then they fade out. Now, here’s the thing about the “fade out”: It’s not used anymore but the purpose was for the song to linger as the next one ramped up. You SHOULD still be tapping your foot as the faded song disappears. But no one does it anymore. However, these songs fade out and don’t feel complete. Like they just have nowhere else to go. 

That’s just the first two. After that the album sort of gets its footing with that Outsiders cover and then we finally hear Bob’s own track and it’s probably the best of side one and yet there’s no way it’s a single. Instead if comes across as a hackneyed Jan and Dean tune.
Then we get to the Smokie song, “If You Think You Know How to Love Me”. Everyone knows that I’m a huge ChinniChap fan. But this is just ChinniChap-by-the-numbers. 

Side Two is where the Welch songs live and that should tell us everything we need to know about this record.

Welch isn’t a strong writer, nor is he much of an engaging player or singer. 

So, this whole album is one big meh. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/bob-welch/838786260

The 1980 Listening Post - Bob Welch - Man Overboard

 Bob Welch - Man Overboard

#353

September 1980

Bob Welch

Man Overboard

Genre: Apparently, we need another New Wave version of Steve Miller. 

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

B666

Writing songs is hard. For me, at least. I put pen to paper the other night after a chord progression and strumming pattern that I liked and, boy, the adolescent garbage that came pouring out. It’s the kind of stuff that is cringey to even read back, let alone try to make into a tune. 

And this happened during and after I listened to a surprise album of 16 songs that Taylor Swift dropped in the middle of the night. 

She wrote it during quarantine. 

I rewatched 9 seasons of How I Met Your Mother during quarantine. And have played about 15 games of Gloomhaven. 

Cuz, writing songs is hard, man. 

So, I don’t blame Bob Welch for these tracks. It’s hard to write songs, man. But seeing the New Wave writing on the wall and slathering the whole thing with synths is egregious. It’s Steve Miller Abracadabra egregious. 

That’s this record. 

I will say this for Bob and his production team: They seem more interested in scoring horror movie soundtracks than writing songs. “B666” is a spectacular example of this. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/man-overboard/715866491