Search - David Gates :: Love Is Always Seventeen

Welcome back to an "ol' friend" and great artist!

CWC | Long Beach, CA | 05/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"David Gates left the music industry in the early '80's- all too soon for me. 13 years passed and at least 100 times that number I would walk into a record store with the thought, "I wonder if David Gates has put out a new album?" In April 1995, I was killing some time while waiting for a Little Richard concert at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center with that very thought. Then I happened on "Love Is Always Seventeen" staring at me from the CD rack. I had to pinch myself and make sure it wasn't a mirage. David Gates always leaned a bit to a country style in many of Bread's tunes. In this album, he moves a bit closer to the country genre as several '70's pop rocks stars have such as Dan Seals of England Dan & John Ford Coley. Mr. Gates has penned 7 new songs and co-written 3 songs with country singer Billy Dean. The album was engineered in Nashville.This is a nice collection of songs! Mr. Gates continues to shine as a familar star with the soft ballads "Save This Dance For Me," "Heart's It's All Over" and "I Will Wait For You," co-written with Dean. Two of my favorites are "I Can't Find The Words To Say Goodbye" (classic David Gates lyrics- and it was nice to "see" and hear former Bread co-member Larry Knechtel playing piano on this song!) and "Dear World" (nice sentiment and great orchestration). He ends this album as the true, humble person David Gates has always been with a wonderful song tribute to a co-contemporary of his- James Taylor.In his early mid-50's, Gates' voice sounds as good as ever- able to hit the high notes as smoothly as ever in his unique signature style. To all hard-core David Gates fans, this CD will please you on many old- and new- levels of his talent. Hopefully, this signals his return and we won't have to wait another 13 years to hear more of what this incredible talent has to "say" to us."

David Gates still sounds good after all these years

A. Butterfield | UK | 08/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I would be happier if David Gates had finally released the rest of his solo albums on CD (will it EVER happen? (YES! in 2008 it happened!)), this was a very pleasant surprise in 1994. A typical mix of ballads and catchy, more uptempo tunes, this is a very good album. The first track is especially good. I was amazed how good he still sounded after 13 years without an album. Unusually for Gates, he has recorded one or two songs that he didn't write himself, but they are well chosen. A couple of the ballads are perhaps a little sloppy (there's a grammatical error (to make it fit presumably - something he has done in the past to better effect) in one that gets to me every time. But on the whole, this album is very enjoyable. Production and arrangements, by David as usual, are excellent. The sound is very good, but not "in your face". Well worth adding to your collection, but not as good as those unreleased ones (David, are you listening!)."

Love is Always 17

musiclover | New Zealand | 11/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have finally found this cd after months of searching for it. I saw David Gates in concert a few years back in New Zealand and I thought he was fantastic. One song that really stood out to me was 'love is always seventeen' and since then I have been trying really hard to find that song. Thank goodness for the internet! Anyway, I think this is one of the most beautiful songs that David has ever sung and I hope he continues to release more solo albums."