Genre: rock
Rating: * (1 star)
Title: View from the House
Company: MCA
Catalog: MCA-4229
Year: 1988
Country/State: US
Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+
Comments: digital recording
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4467
Price: $5.00
Cost: $66.00
I'll admit to having a weakness for Kim Carnes' croak-of-a-voice. As such, I own quite a bit of her catalog (see The Sugar Bears). That said, I'll also admit that much of what she's released isn't particularly good and this is one of the few LPs on my list that gets a one star rating.
Co-produced by Jimmy Bowen and Carnes, 1988's "View from the House" certainly starts out disappointingly. Co-written with longtime writing partner Donna Weiss, 'Brass & Batons' and 'Just To Spend Tonight with You' have to be two of the dullest openers you'll ever hear. The good news is that if you can get through those first two selections the album starts to improve (if only marginally). Unfortunately, exemplified by tracks such as 'Crazy In Love, 'If You Don't Want My Love' and 'Willie and the Hand Jive' the overall album feel is sluggish and rather pro-forma. At least 'Heartbreak Radio' was a decent rocker, though Frankie Miller (who co-wrote the song), would have done a better job on it.
"View from the House" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Brass & Batons (Kim Carnes - Donna Weiss) -
2.) Just To Spend Tonight with You (Kim Carnes - Donna Weiss) -
3.) Heartbreak Radio (Troy Seals - Frankie Miller) -
4.) Crazy In Love (Even Stevens - Randy McCormick) -
5.) If You Don't Want My Love (John Prine - Phil Spector) -
(side 2)
1.) Willie and the Hand Jive (Johnny Otis)
2.) Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (John Prine) -
3.) Blood from the Bandit (Kim Carnes - Donna Weiss) -
4.) Fantastic Fire of Love (Kim Carnes) -
5.) Crimes of the Heart (Kim Carnes - Donna Weiss) -