The 1981 Listening Post - Billy Squier - Don't Say No

Billy Squier - Don't Say No #126 By Tom Mott April 13 1981 Billy Squier Don’t Say No Genre: early-'80s melodic rawk Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Tom’s Rating: 4.7 out of 5 Highlights In the Dark The Stroke My Kinda Lover Lonely is the Night PROLOGUE "This is the sound of the roller skating rink and driving around in your older friends car while smoking huge quantities of generic Mexican weed. This album captures what is what really like in 1981. The huge, legendary bands were either finished or on their last legs. Here was something familiar, but very melodic and crunchy at the same time. Real life affirming stuff."--AllMusic user review A SHORT PLAY THE CHARACTERS Me: 53-year-old dad He: 14-year-old son who likes Kendrick Lamar PART 1 Me: Wanna review an album together? He: OK, but I won't like it. Me: Won't like reviewing? He: Won't like the album. I don't like rock, and I don't like 80s music. Me: Well, this was the second album I ever owned. (needle drop. first 30 seconds of In the Dark play) He: Oh! (...) He sounds like the guy from Led Zeppelin. Me: Totally! But, punched-up and streamlined for the 80s. He: Yeah! This isn't bad. (I skip ahead to the second song, The Stroke) Me: This is called The Stroke. ... Me: (blurted) Itsprobablyaboutsexormasturbation (20-30 seconds of listening) He: This was your second album? Me: Yeah He: It's not bad. Me: Right? Here's another song. (My Kinda Lover) Me: I love the bass sound on this album. It's super melodic. Listen to that! (0:59) Right there! I love that! He: I hear it! Me: (quietly bonding over music) INTERMISSION I have three first albums. The 1st album I owned: Zenyatta Mondatta, given as a gift from Brother #1. The 1st album I chose: Don't Say No, given as a choose-your-own-record from Brother #2. And the 1st album I bought: Escape. This one got a lot of play. It has such a great sound: soaring vocals, tasty riffs, big melodic bass, Bonham-esque drums. I heard Billy Squier before Led Zeppelin, so I didn't know he sounded like Robert Plant. He just sounded like Billy Squier. Sure, Lonely is the Night sounds like Nobody's Fault But Mine, but Billy shaved off two minutes and turned in something groovy and fun. Reinhold Mack is producing here. Mack, who produced albums for Queen, ELO, and the Stones, along with Sparks "Angst in My Pants" (!!!). So that helps explain the great sound: big Bonham-esque drums, crunchy riffs, soaring vocals, that lovely melodic bass, and just a shmear of synths. PART 2 Me: OK, here's another one. (Lonely is the Night begins) Me: Listen to that bass! He: Totally! I hear it! It sounds great! He: (Gets up and walks out) ... ... ... Me: (calling out) Are you done? He: Yeah. EPILOGUE 1 Squier wrote all the songs. It's really good. EPILOGUE 2 I'm trying and failing to imagine my dad hipping me to an album -- "Itsprobablyaboutsexormasturbation" -- Ugh, Dad! Just give me my space. https://open.spotify.com/album/6TwlLNU5Zd9qGuNgSLeWPt?si=HifMzVZuSKOdmWH5-DxaBg

The 1980 Listening Post - Billy Squier - The Tale of the Tape

Billy Squier - The Tale of the Tape


#222

by Rob Slater

Billy Squier

The Tale of the Tape 

Genre – Hard Pop

Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Rob’s Rating: 3.75 (4) out of 5  

Highlights: 

 The Big Beat 

 Calley Oh   

 Great debut and you can hear where “Don't Say Know” came from. Wondering if I should listen to Piper, the band he was in before this. Two albums. When my review is written, I'll need to see if Allen's already done it. “The Big Beat” – It's “The Stroke” in a first draft form. And it's good. Not sure why it didn't do better. Nice guitar stuff as well. And he's got the Rawk voice. Turns out that big beat in the song has been sampled more than 300 times. “Calley Oh" – Classic girls name in a song. Noticing how nicely clean everything is in terms of hearing every instrument. Nice harmonies. "Rich Kid" – Okay, this track is a little bit off in terms of the sound, but the bones are amazing. And the guitar is great. It's just an okay song. "Like I'm Lovin' You" – The walk down before the key change oh, man is amazing. This guy has got it all. I think I may nominate Billy squier for the most underrated artists of the 80s despite the hits. "Who Knows What a Love Can Do" – This song just made my day. I am energized. I may not be the right person to review this album; I freaking love Billy Squier. [Break to fix the dryer vent. Assuming I would have to get up at this point and turn the record over!] "You Should Be High Love" – Here's the hit. And guess who he co-wrote it with? Desmond Child. Originally gave the album a 4, but listened to it again, and it's got a bit of filler. I would put half these songs on a playlist. It's good. Some nice keyboards, but not overdone, probably because he's such a guitar guy! “Backup” band included: Ernest "Boom" Carter, Bruce Kulick, David Sancious. Reasons why keyboards, drums and guitar are all good! Not that the other players are slouches, just haven't heard of them.

https://open.spotify.com/album/0OZgiA5rOCJ5Q0r6FnTWzy?si=SfD3UfOrQ3GhUL9v4f8zqQ

The 1984 Listening Post - Billy Squier - Signs of Life

Billy Squier - Signs of Life

#185

July 5 1984

Billy Squier

Signs of Life

2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

All Night Long

Rock Me Tonite

Billy Squier makes music to drive fast all alone on the highway. In other words, he was making the soundtrack to Miami Vice before Miami Vice was a thing and before Glenn Frey watered it down and smuggified it. The rest of the album is Sammy Hagar territory. Billy could’ve fronted Van Halen and I doubt there’d be any difference, save the amount of alcohol intake. 

There is a requisite (for the time) paranoid song about 1984. And a bunch of stuff that just sounds like 3rd rate Foreigner. 

Billy knows how to do this, but he’s wearing it’s welcome out. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/signs-of-life/716310291