20082014 - Billy Ocean "Suddenly"

1984, eh? Dammit, you just gotta love those sound effects in "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)"! The heavy breathing, the ray gun blasts, the whatever else that is supposed to signify "electric eyes" and whatnot. Oh, and the song is still great, 30 years later. "Mystery Lady" also holds up nicely, and I'm pretty sure there are still people getting seduced to that song. Yes, I'm gonna go through every song on this album, both the familiar and the ones I'm hearing for the first time right now! "Syncopation" is a big meh, and Billy's version of "The Long and Winding Road" is pretty redundant. Now "Loverboy" is another beast entirely. Again with the sound effects plus a bitchin' riff - one that has been used a million times before and just as many since, but who cares? When Billy tells you his "finger's on the trigger" you know he means business! "Lucky Man" floats by like the shadow of a shrug, but "Dancefloor" is kinda cool and again something that could still work. It's actually pretty impressive how little of this album sounds outdated! "If I Should Lose You" is also pleasant enough. Now, let's take a moment to consider this: Did you know that Billy Ocean's real name is Leslie Sebastian Charles? Me neither. So, that's basically three first names, and not one of them is William. Oh, well. The title track finishes the album, and boy what a ballad that still is! Never mind the fact that it's slightly similar to another song from the previous year, it's still great. Yes, I have enjoyed this album and there ain't a goddamn thing anybody can do about it!