Bob Welch: French Kiss CD Track Listing

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Bob Welch French Kiss (1977)
1989 Capitol Records, Inc.\n\nOriginally Released 1977\nCD Edition Released March 1989\nCEMA Special Markets CD Edition Released November 1995\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Bob Welch's debut album saw him cash in on three Top 40 singles, refurbishing the romantic "Sentimental Lady" (originally from Fleetwood Mac's Bare Trees album) and taking it to number eight on the charts, with radio-tailored efforts like "Ebony Eyes" and "Hot Love, Cold World" following right behind. With not much success coming from Welch's short stint with his own Paris project, he decided to hire Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, and Christine McVie to help him out with his first solo venture. Spotlighting Welch's vocal powderiness, French Kiss ends up being a bunch of approachable soft pop tunes that display enough eager guitar work to keep them afloat. Presenting a sturdy feel for Welch on his own, tracks like "Easy to Fall," "Carolene," and "Lose My Heart" are equivalent to the hits in their familiar '70s rock formula, but cuts like "Dancin' Eyes" and "Danchiva" find Welch running out of room. Two years later, Welch released his second album, entitled Three Hearts, which gave him his last Top 40 hit with "Precious Love," but the album itself is noticeably weaker and less enthusiastic sounding than his first. -- Mike DeGagne\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nIconic 70's fusion of pop, rock and disco., June 22, 2007 \nBy lighten_up_already2 "lighten_up_already2" (Kirkland, WA USA)\nI've held off writing a review of this becuase I couldn't come up with words to adequately describe what I feel about this recording. I bought it on vinyl back in '78 and replaced it on CD and I dig it out about once a year or so and crank it up. \n\nI absolutely love the silky soft power chord "hard rock" vibe of this record with the disco idioms sprinkled throughout, as a tribute to the disco era even while taking it where it hadn't gone yet. Of course, this would all be a waste if not for the genuinely chatchy, melodic and hook laden songs the form the musical backbone of this album. \n\nI've listened to sound samples from other Bob Welch's recordins, and while I acknowledge his talent and contributions to Fleetwood Mac, I really believe that this is his magnum opus. This album is like a rock symphony. There "sameness" of the songs on this album is in arrangement, not in melody. It's not repetitive, except in the way a classical music symphony is "repetitve" in the sense that a few melodic themes may be reprised several times through a symphony to provide a sense of continuity and completeness. It's called thoughtful music writing. This is a concept album, and I simply can't stand to hear pieces of it chopped out of context as on greatest hits albums. \n\nAs far as I'm concerned, there's never been a pop music album quite like this before since. It has it's own special ambiance. So, plug that CD player into a 70's era Marantz or Sansui or Pioneer type amp with some big, wooden speakers with huge woofers, or a really good set of headphones, and enjoy.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nNot quite French..., September 2, 2002 \nBy "prefabguy" (Long Beach, CA USA)\nBob Welch had to be miffed about Fleetwood Mac's rise to superstardom shortly after his departure. My money says it fueled the creativity behind this beautiful album. He cut definitive versions of his Fleetwood Mac contributions, bettering them at a time when they ruled supreme. Some criticize the sameness of the songs, but in the pre-CD world most fans didn't want to find experimentation on a 35-40 minute LP. Finding a sound - or hitting a groove, was a virtue, not a vice. Fans expected "more of the same," and Bob delivered. And there is variety... "Sentimental Lady" and "Hot Love in a Cold World" nicely sum up the yin and yang of romantic and sexual tension so aptly depicted on the cover. "Ebony Eyes" is a pop-rock-er and "Outskirts" even provides some edge. Overall, though, despite the title, it's clear Bob seeks to please, not penetrate. This he does extremely well, and for all its 70's pop cachet, or cliche - depending on your perspective, the album has aged reasonably well. I've docked it a notch for filler effect, as Bob reworks the same idea one too many times in his eagerness to get this out the door. In so doing he comes across a bit lightweight, more than is really the case. But he wasn't really trying to have his way with his audience, just make a really good impression. The two or three absolute classics on this set sure do - and that's one or two more classics than some famous "artists" have in their entire catalogue... Overall this is a hidden gem, that even today is well worth hearing. The cover shows it well - this French Kiss has only a playful, teasing hint of tongue, which is why it always leaves you wanting more. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHate to break up the love-fest here, but..., November 9, 2001 \nBy Robert J. Schneider (Tacoma, WA USA)\nAlthough each song on Bob Welch's FRENCH KISS bears a distinctively smooth, tight arrangement, the results are...a bit uneven.\nFirst, the good stuff: The opening track, and by far the most famous, is Bob's simple ballad "Sentimental Lady." It's too bad that this song got played to death on the radio, because it is a good song and the version on this album is easily the best of them all (including the dreadful redux of it put out barely a year later). The best number is "Ebony Eyes" on which everything just comes together: The opening riff (which is so infectious that I can play the song several times in one day and just barely satisfy my craving for it--this is one of the greatest intros in rock history, I exaggerate not), Bob's ultra-smooth vocals, and that great catchy chorus! It's a perfect mixture of hard-rock and pop--the greatest Steve Miller Band song that Steve Miller didn't write. There is also a good song named "Hot Love, Cold World" which features good power riffing and a catchy chorus of its own.\n\nOkay now, the not-so-good stuff: "Easy To Fall" which is appropriately titled because, after beginning with strong verses, it ends up easily falling into a messy chorus that does not go well with the rest of the song. A couple of songs are also horribly truncated (who edited this album, anyway?) especially Track #8, "Lose Your..." I guess Bob forgot to finish the song as well as its title! Why he did this, I don't know. And what's with the cheesiness of Tracks #5 & 12: "Lose My Heart" and "Lose Your Heart" (oh, how clever). Not to mention the sheer triteness of the latter song's lyrics: "You made me lose my heart/But did you lose your heart to me?"--BLUGH!\n\nIf this CD were being offered at ten bucks, I'd give it 2 stars--but at THIS price (especially considering the good sound quality), it gets a ***. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nEasy to Fall, Impossible to Forget, June 15, 2000 \nBy J. Collins "stoned-soul" (www.sufferingsappho.com)\nI came across this wonderful album a little late, after all three singles had been released and Bob had established himself as a solo artist. At the time I was exploring Fleetwood Mac's recorded history, and had already fallen in love with his notable contributions to their post-Green pre-Nicks era. When I recognized the "Bare Trees" song, "Sentimental Lady" as a recent radio hit, a brief search at the record store brought me my first copy of "French Kiss." Like a lot of the reviewers here, I wore out several copies of the vinyl album, and was greatly relieved when Capitol reissued the album on digital disc.\nNow that 20+ years have passed and I've had a chance to put this album in perspective (along with the rest of his solo recordings and the two albums with Paris), I find it remarkable that such "light" rock made an indelible impression on me. Like it's dynamic followup, "Three Hearts," "French Kiss" is a Pop/Rock confection with hooks and beats aplenty. Though some fans of "Sentimental Lady" might have been disappointed that the gentle, almost crystalline tones of that single were not representative of the rest of the album, I was bowled over by the sheer tunefulness of the songs it contained. The album is flavored with early Pop and Rock influences (the be-bop style backup vocals and Duane Eddy-ish guitar work) but the rolling bass and explosive drum parts are representative of a Rock-Disco synthesis that few artists of the period were able to achieve. (Blondie's "Heart Of Glass" is a notable exception.) \n\nThough some may label this music as formulaic Pop, the experience of listening to these great tunes is anything but by the numbers. The soaring strings ("Easy To Fall," "Dancing In Our Eyes", "Lose Your Heart") are the perfect complement to the low-end flash of Welch's bass and Alvin Taylor's drums. Welch's multi-tracked vocals pack a punch that is sorely missing in many of his contributions to the Big Mac. Lyrically, the songs of "French Kiss" are direct and accessible...something of an oddity when you consider the opaque mysticism of some earlier compositions. The combination of all these elements is undeniably infectious, and sounds great wherever the CD is played.\n\nThe only flaws that I can find in this album come from the "same-ness" of a few songs on the original B-side of the album, but this is a minor consideration. It's hard to pick out highlights, but here are a few in addition to the singles ("Sentimental Lady," "Ebony Eyes" and "Hot Love, Cold World"): "Mystery Train"'s brilliant rhythm track and thrilling vocal harmonies, "Easy To Fall"'s minor-key hooks (including great backups from Christine McVie), and the beautiful, recurring melody that makes all three "Lose Your/My..." compositions the album's centerpiece(s).\n\nWelch fans should look for a UK Import version of this album, which combines "French Kiss" with the diamond-perfect Pop-Rock of "Three Hearts" on one CD. Together they represent (in my opinion) the pinnacle of Welch's solo offerings, and many memorable listens. (FYI: There is a similar Import disc that combines his last two albums for Capitol, "The Other One" and "Man Overboard"...also well-worth a little hunting.)\n\nNow if RCA Records would just get off their collective butt and do CD reissues for "Bob Welch" and "Eye Contact"......\n\n-Mic \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nBest solo album from ex-Mac guitarist, May 28, 2000 \nBy Kevin Rathert (Carbondale, IL USA)\n"French Kiss" was Bob Welch's first solo album, following stints with Fleetwood Mac and Paris. Best known for its hit singles ("Sentimental Lady" #8, "Ebony Eyes" #14, and "Hot Love, Cold World" #31) , this album is cosistent throughout. Welch handles guitar, bass, and vocal duties on all the tracks save "Sentimental Lady" which features Lindsey Buckingham on guitar and Christine McVie on keyboards, with both also contributing backing vocals. "French Kiss" is vintage Bob Welch, clean guitar lines, smooth vocals, and chock full of pop hooks. The album hit #12 and stayed on the charts for 46 weeks. One listen and you'll know why. Its a real shame that Welch's album sales decreased with each successive release and that to get any of his other Capitol lps ("Three Hearts" "Man Overboard" or "The Other One") you have to seek out the UK imports on Edsel Records. Nonetheless, do yourself a favor and pick up "French Kiss" and relive a bit of AM rock, mid 1977-style. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nContributing artists: Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Bob Welch (vocals, guitar, bass); Lindsey Buckingham (guitar, background vocals); Christine McVie (keyboards, background vocals); Mick Fleetwood, Alvin Taylor (drums).\n\nProducers: Carter, Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie.\nEngineers: Warren Dewy, Richard Dashut, Ken Cailat.\nOriginally released on Capitol (11683).
This rock cd contains 12 tracks and runs 36min 22sec.
Freedb: a808840c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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