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This was the sixth album from Huey Lewis and the News. It was poorly promoted from the start, and never really got much attention. As a result, it sold poorly, and went largely unnoticed. Timing was also an issue. The album came out in 1991, a time when popular music was beginning to see an upheaval that blow by Lewis' mainstream soft rock appeal. This was an 80's album released in the 90's, and was doomed from the start.
This doesn't make it a bad album, however. There are some truly fun tracks here, and the band is as great as always. In addition to Huey Lewis playing harmonica and singing lead vocals, Mario Cipollina played bass, Johnny Colla played guitar & saxophone, Bill Gibson played drums, Chris Hayes played guitar, and Sean Hopper played keyboards. As always, they play with a blues-infused pop sensibility; perhaps this is what doomed them, as they never really evolved or changed their style. But it always worked for them, and they played it well.
The first single, "Couple Days Off", was also the most successful, reaching number 11 on the Billboard charts, number 3 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It's a fun weekend-themed song, with a simple but catchy riff. The next single was "Build Me Up", more of an album track, and it reached number 27 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The third single was "It Hit Me Like a Hammer", which reached number 21 on the Billboard chart, but managed to hit #10 on the Adult Contemporary chart, which was a more accurate reflection of where the band now fit. This one seemed to get more play than even "Couple Days Off", or at least had more staying power. The chorus was quite catchy, and the whole song was a reflection of what music in the 80's was about.
Other tracks may not have been hit single material, but there were some good reflections of the sound of Huey Lewis. "That's Not Me" is about a man seeing someone else with the woman he loves, and noting that he's just not the same. "Attitude" and "We Should Be Making Love" are the weakest tracks on the album; trite even for an album made past it's time. However, the album finishes quite strongly, with "Don't Look Back", a strong pop song, then "Time Ain't Money", a fast-tempo rock song that brings the album, and to some extent the prime era of the band, to a close. These won't be found on any best of collections, but they are fun pop-rock songs.
Huey Lewis and the News were truly an 80's band. Their first album was released in 1980, and they released five successful albums during the decade. The 90's were not kind to them, however; they didn't change with the times, and so time passed them by. They released a few more albums, and had a single here and there, but this truly marked the end of their real run. That said, this album got short-changed, as it was much better than it's sales indicated. If you like their style, you will definitely enjoy this album. If you've never heard it, you will be pleasantly surprised by some of the songs here. It's not high art by any means, but it's a light, fun time.
This doesn't make it a bad album, however. There are some truly fun tracks here, and the band is as great as always. In addition to Huey Lewis playing harmonica and singing lead vocals, Mario Cipollina played bass, Johnny Colla played guitar & saxophone, Bill Gibson played drums, Chris Hayes played guitar, and Sean Hopper played keyboards. As always, they play with a blues-infused pop sensibility; perhaps this is what doomed them, as they never really evolved or changed their style. But it always worked for them, and they played it well.
The first single, "Couple Days Off", was also the most successful, reaching number 11 on the Billboard charts, number 3 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It's a fun weekend-themed song, with a simple but catchy riff. The next single was "Build Me Up", more of an album track, and it reached number 27 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The third single was "It Hit Me Like a Hammer", which reached number 21 on the Billboard chart, but managed to hit #10 on the Adult Contemporary chart, which was a more accurate reflection of where the band now fit. This one seemed to get more play than even "Couple Days Off", or at least had more staying power. The chorus was quite catchy, and the whole song was a reflection of what music in the 80's was about.
Other tracks may not have been hit single material, but there were some good reflections of the sound of Huey Lewis. "That's Not Me" is about a man seeing someone else with the woman he loves, and noting that he's just not the same. "Attitude" and "We Should Be Making Love" are the weakest tracks on the album; trite even for an album made past it's time. However, the album finishes quite strongly, with "Don't Look Back", a strong pop song, then "Time Ain't Money", a fast-tempo rock song that brings the album, and to some extent the prime era of the band, to a close. These won't be found on any best of collections, but they are fun pop-rock songs.
Huey Lewis and the News were truly an 80's band. Their first album was released in 1980, and they released five successful albums during the decade. The 90's were not kind to them, however; they didn't change with the times, and so time passed them by. They released a few more albums, and had a single here and there, but this truly marked the end of their real run. That said, this album got short-changed, as it was much better than it's sales indicated. If you like their style, you will definitely enjoy this album. If you've never heard it, you will be pleasantly surprised by some of the songs here. It's not high art by any means, but it's a light, fun time.