His record label was reluctant to issue it, but the album defied expectations and revived interest in the classic songwriting of the mid-20th century.
Author: Mark Leviton
Mark Leviton
Mark Leviton began writing about music and pop culture in 1967, with credits in Rolling Stone, Creem, Fusion, Bay Area Musician, LA Weekly, Phonograph Record and many fly-by-night publications. For 25 years he worked for the Warner Music Group and Rhino Records, producing hundreds of compilation albums and historical reissues, placing recordings in films and TV, and generally having a blast. His weekly radio show "Pet Sounds" is heard on KVMR-FM in Nevada City, CA and the website www.petsoundsmusic.com.
Although he was a star locally, the Detroit rocker had been struggling for years to break out nationally—until he formed the Silver Bullet Band.
The faux mariachi-style LP spent three years on the charts and appealed to seemingly every category of record buyer.
Charles: “The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues, very down.”
With more time, he might have taken his place as an equal of James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Paul Simon, etc.
Teaming with his favored guitar sidekick Mick Ronson, plus members of the E Street Band, the former Mott the Hoople leader created his best solo effort.
The album became the British band’s first charting album in the U.S. upon release in 1980 thanks to songs like “Another Nail in My Heart.”
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to dance to live rock and roll at a Los Angeles discotheque in 1964, here is your answer.
The music is stellar, and the LP became a massive hit, selling 10 million copies and staying on the Billboard album chart for three years.
The 1979 album doesn’t have a weak song or performance, and continues to be cited as the British singer-songwriter’s greatest achievement.