第二十三屆格萊美年度最佳專輯 Christopher Cross' self titled debut album "Christopher Cross" marked a return to simplicity as the decade would change from the 1970s to the 1980s. The 1970s had introduced the hard rock sound as well as the disco sound. Christopher Cross' album would be filled with what would today be classified as adult contemporary songs. In some ways, this album was also a sign of things to come for the 1980s - an album that is infused with a keyboards and synthesizers. This album would go on to be the big hit of the 1980 Grammy Awards. Some may be critical of the efforts (my Grandfather attended the 1980 Grammys and was not happy that Cross would win all the awards), but most applaud the efforts (including myself - despite my Grandfathers opinion). Cross and producer Michael Omartian did a lot of right things when putting together this colleciton. No doubt Omartian knew he had a gem of a songwriter and a gem of a voice in Christopher Cross. This was something that could lead to big things, but what Omartian did is take out an insurance policy - he surrounded Cross with some outstanding talent to contribute background vocals to the songs on the album. The names are Michael McDonald ("I Really Don't Know Anymore" and "Ride With the Wind"), Don Henley ("The Light is On") and the late Nicolette Larson ("Say You'll Be Mine"). There also is a lesser known vocalist named Valerie Carter who does an outstanding job on contibuting vocals to "Spinning". There also is a solid studio band - Tommy Taylor and Andy Salmon play drums and bass respectively on all of the tracks. Rob Meurer contributes keyboards, piano, etc on 8 of the 9 tracks. Michael McDonald does a tremendous job on his two tracks. His soulful voice is perfect as he echoes Cross on the chorus of "I Really Don't Know Anymore". Meurer's synthesizers will also give this song a very catchy beat. McDonald is much better known for his background vocals "Ride Like the Wind". "Ride Like the Wind" is an awesome song. McDonald is used in a similar role as "I Really Don't Know Anymore" provided the "echo" to Cross. In 1982, I remember watching "The Great American Bike Race" (a transcontiential bicycle race) on ABC Sports. The person who won that race was kind of a "loner" character named Lon Haldeman. They used this song to describe him and I remember how perfect this music was. Even today I have visions of the "loner" cyclist when this song is played. On "The Light is On", this isn't a song I would expect to hear Don Henley on. Henley contributes vocals and not any percussion or drums. Henley's vocals are combined with Cross himself and someone named J.D. Souther. You won't hear Henley stand out on this song, but I'm sure having someone like him in the studio contributed to great quality this song delivers. As for Nicolette Larson (the late singer who passed away in 1997 - famous for her hit "Lotta Love"), she is the perfect vocalist on "Say You'll Be Mine". On this track, Larson basically performs a duet with Cross. She blends beautifully in this song. Larson doesn't come on to the song til about 1:35 into the song - and she "folds" into the song beautifully as her role gets more prevalent as the song goes on. On "Spinning", Valerie Carter also plays a duet role - but her role starts much earlier in the song. "Spinning" is a hidden gem on this album - it is a very soulful and romantic song featuring some terrific flugelhorn by someone named Chuck Findley. There are two other songs that are hidden gems on this album. Both of these songs feature terrific lyrics and terrific music. The first is "Poor Shirley" is a song that deals with someone named 'Shirley' that Cross describes as someone who has went through the heartbreak of a breakup. "Minstrel Gigolo" is the six minute finale to the album and is the perfect wrap-up song. In this song Cross takes us the journey of being a star in the music industry. Since this was a debut album, Cross probably wasn't writing from experience but rather taking a peek into the future. "Minstrel Gigolo" is probably the second best track on the collection. Besides "Ride Like the Wind", there are two other popular songs on this album. "Sailing" won a Grammy for song of the year and is one of those songs in which the songwriter is able to create a "visual" from the music. No doubt, Cross paints the perfect picture of a relaxing day at sea. I think Cross knew he was painting a picture as he references "the canvas can do miracles". The other well known song is "Never Be the Same" - this song has a catchy pop beat to it. It's a nice song, but compared to the other 8 tracks it might be the weakest of songs on the collection. This CD has a nice set of liner notes. All of the lyrics to the 9 songs contained in the collection are included. In addition, all production and musician credits are done on a song by song basis. There are some real good songs included especially from a songwriting and musicianship standpoint, but the one drawback is that this album sometimes wears thin on me pretty quickly. In other words, after I sporadically play this CD for a day or so, it kind of develops that overplayed feeling. This isn't a knock of the quality of the work of this album, but more a statement of reality. A final note - even without the guest vocalists, this album still has a lot of merit. This album still has a lot to offer and there probably is something for everyone on this collection.

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