Search - Billy Squier :: Happy Blue

Seriously, Don't Say No to this New Classic

Erik J. Fortmeyer | Brooklyn, NY USA | 07/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The year was 1981. Somehow, Ronald Reagan was President. The economy was terrible but, we didn't notice because we were in middle or high school. Then "Don't Say No" came out. Billy Squier had created hard rock guitar perfection! AC/DC's "Back In Black" could finally be put back in it's record sleeve. We all bought cassette copies of "Don't Say No" and played it usually literally to tape death. "In the Dark", "The Stroke", "My Kinda Lover", it was high school heaven! Then we graduated, CDs came along, the Web appeared, we sort of grew up, got hitched, had kids, started liking other music, and well, here we are. Then recently, someone asked if you had heard that Billy Squier put out an album in 1998. "Really? Is it any good?" Well, I can tell you this from someone who has mostly lived the life as above. But still killer! I bought the CD recently used simply because it brought back memories of old and it intrigued me. When I first played it, expecting berserk guitar and crashing drums, I couldn't have been more surprised! It was definitely Billy, but all else I ever heard was a six-string. Acoustic! I looked at the credits and saw that Billy wrote them all except for "River" by Joni Mitchell. All were new, too, except for a revised "Stroke" in "Stroke Me Blues".Billy Squier has apparently "sort of grown up" just like us! This album is basically a labor of love project Billy did after a VH1 taping in the summer of 1997. The blues and lots of wisdom have infused themselves into our former hard rocker since 1981. "Happy Blue" is the result. Standouts on this CD include "The Pursuit of Happiness", "Grasping for Oblivion", "More Than Words Can Say", "Inferno (Everybody Cries Sometimes)", "Long Way to Fall", and "Two". He adds three or four sentences to explain the inspiration for each song in the liner notes (lyrics also included). The bottom line: If you still dig Billy Squier, but have also expanded your musical horizons somewhat since high school, then definitely buy this disc. You will be surprised, and VERY pleased."

Excellent CD

Erik J. Fortmeyer | 06/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I must say that when I heard Billy Squier on a local radio show discussing this CD, I didnt give it a second thought. That is until he played two tracks from the CD (i.e "Inferno" and "River") Not only did I like the songs but both musically and lyrically, I was struck by how mature they sounded. By mature I dont mean wimpy, however, I do think that this album will move in ways that you don't expect. His lyrics are intelligent and the music is simple but dont let the fact that it is an acoustical CD fool you. I am about as skeptical as one can get when it comes to purchasing CD's that I'm unsure about but I am glad that I gave this one a shot. This is an excellent effort by Billy and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys quality music."

Bare-bones Billy

Miss Kitty | 05/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always loved Billy Squier's music, and when this album came out, we were fortunate enough to find out about a performance he was doing at a "Borders Books" of all places, right down the street by our house. We went down and saw the show from about 5 feet away from Billy--we were immediately captivated by his new project. I instantly fell in love with "Grasping for Oblivion" and this is one of my favorite Billy albums. His melodies and distinctive vocal texture are a delight when captured in this acoustic forum, and he seemed much happier playing these stripped down tunes that were more reflective of his true nature.If you are a fan of Billy this album is a must buy! Delightfully under-produced, it truly showcases how talented this man is in every apect of his performance--writing, singing, and guitar playing.Side note:
We had the pleasure of meeting with Billy and talking with him after the show, he is a wonderful person--he even sat and talked with our then 8 year old daughter."