Search - Eric Carmen :: Change of Heart (24bt) (Mlps)

Nostalgic, wimpy pop

S. Newland | Minneapolis, Minnesota USA | 08/25/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I grew enamored with Eric Carmen's music, drawn in by not only the many honest, complicated emotions of his first two solo albums (especially Boats Against The Current) but also by the occasionally hard-hitting pop of The Raspberries. I got away from Carmen's work for a long time, but recently have been relistening to the old LP's and gave Change of Heart a spin. After hearing it again, I was surprised at three things. First, most songs seemed half-baked, with the chorus on most making a quick appearance and then repeating endlessly. These are short songs, devoid of development and any compositional reach. Second, the production seemed both overdone and timid at the same time. Overdone in the all-star backing musicians (Danny Kortchmar! Leland Sklar! Nigel Olsson! Burton Cummings! Jeff Porcaro!) playing very simple stuff. Overdone in the too-thick orchestration. Timid like the hand claps and piano glissandos on "Hey Deanie" and other examples throughout the album. Finally, I was surprised by the brevity. Only 8 tunes, with a syrupy orchestral variation on the title track. Again, underlining the overall theme of an uninspired, tired work."

Wimpy, maybe...but I don't care.

Craig A. Benfer | Lebanon, PA | 05/04/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those who need their music to be deep and thought provoking, then maybe this album isn't for you. For those who just want good melodic pop songs that crawl inside your head, then this is definitely for you. I play it from beginning to end without skipping a song. Also contains Deperate Fools which ranks among my all-time Carmen favorites. Unlike most other solo material, there is a hint of disco in a few of the songs. In my opinion, 8 of these songs are B+ with the final cut an A+."