I can’t recall exactly what prompted me to suddenly want to listen to some Huey Lewis & The News. But I’m glad the urge came upon me.
The best songs on this album – Hip To Be Square and The Power Of Love – are six star affairs. All time classics, of the Pop variety.
The album isn’t uniformly brilliant. And there are things about the production – the drum sound (and as a drummer, that really matters to me!) – that date it. Some of the keyboard sounds, likewise.
Huey mentions his version (and the songwriter’s original) of ‘Doin’ The Best For My Baby’, on his What’s In My Bag Amoeba Records video… This, and numbers like Happy To Be Stuck With You, are real feel good heart warmers. Not classics, perhaps? But solid, and yet also cosy!
There are, however, a few ‘album tracks’ here that I’ve grown to really love. The acapella ‘Naturally’ is really wonderful. ‘Forest For The Trees’ speaks to me, as a person who’s battled depression (thanks, Huey & co!).
And the final track, ‘It’s As Simple As That’, really speaks to me. With its themes of money struggles, ageing, married life, and so on. This last is written by Tower of Power dudes, Kupca and Castillo…
FOOTNOTE
This is very interesting, and worth reading. In the linked piece Huey talks about his recent hearing loss, and such ideas as gratitude. He’s a terrific person.