Billy Squier: Don't Say No CD Track Listing

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Billy Squier Don't Say No (1981)
Originally Released 1981\nCD Released 1988 ??\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: After turning some heads with his debut, Billy Squier truly arrived with 1981's Don't Say No, kicking off in spectacular fashion with the triple opening salvo of "In the Dark," "The Stroke" and "My Kinda Lover" -- all of which have become staples at rock radio. The album is a near-perfect example of early-'80s melodic hard rock, and even less enduring (but hardly inferior rockers) such as "You Know What I Like" and "Lonely Is the Night" keep up the intensity. And Squier also finds time for the occasional ballad, like the disarmingly gentle "Nobody Knows." Completists may want to review his mid-'90s double-disc anthology, but as far as studio albums are concerned, Don't Say No is undoubtedly his best. -- Ed Rivadavia\n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nProducer: Billy Squier, Mack \n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Billy Squier (vocals, guitars, piano, percussion), Cary Sharaf (guitar), Alan St. Jon (keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals), Mark Clarke (bass), Bobby Chouinard (drums).\n\nRecorded at The Power Station, New York City.\nAll songs written by Billy Squier.\n\nBefore becoming a solo superstar, Billy Squier had done time in Piper, a Cheap Trick-like 1970s band that split the difference between hard rock and power pop. Some of that sensibility still informs his second solo album and mainstream breakthrough, DON'T SAY NO. While the gargantuan guitar riffs and drum beats are clearly indebted to Led Zeppelin, and Squier's vocal style finds a middle ground between Robert Plant and Freddie Mercury, all the excess of Zeppelin and Queen is mercilessly sliced away, leaving lean, concise pop hooks that drive the record's turbo-charged heavy-rock attack.\nThe energy level almost never lets up, as Squier and his band careen from one breathlessly infectious-yet-diamond-hard track to the next. "Nobody Knows," one of the only down-tempo moments, reveals a Beatles influence that underscores Squier's pop roots. But it's the sledgehammer groove of "The Stroke" and the AOR nirvana of "In the Dark" that made this album a centerpiece of rock radio in the era when what we now regard as "classic rock" was drawing its last breath, just before giving way to New Wave.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nSquier's classic sophomore effort - rock masterpiece, June 10, 2003\nReviewer: Darth Kommissar (Las Vegas, NV (USA)) \n \nINTRODUCTION: \nIn the late seventies, a young musician named Billy Squier was playing in an up-and-coming band called Piper - who unfortunately never made it off the ground. However, this didn't discourage him. At the end of the seventies, Squier set out to make it big on his own - as a solo artist. Although his first work as a solo artist, The Tale Of The Tape, flopped commercially, success was right around the corner. When Squier released his 1981 album Don't Say No, the mixture of hard rock and pop rock was an instant hit. Is this album as good as people say? Read on for my review of Don't Say No! \n\nOVERVIEW: \nBilly Squier released his second solo studio album, Don't Say No, in 1981. Reinhold Mack produced the album. Backing musicians on the album included Cary Sharaf, Alan St. Jon, Mark Clarke, and Bobby Chouinard. Tracklist features In The Dark, The Stroke, My Kinda Lover, You Know What I Like, Too Daze Gone, Lonely Is The Night, Whadda You Want From Me, Nobody Knows, I Need You, and Don't Say No. \n\nREVIEW: \nThere's a reason this is the album people remember Billy Squier for - it's his all-around finest work. This is one of the finest rock and roll albums out there, and it definitely stands as one of the best albums in my entire collection. Sadly, after this album, even though Squier continued to make excellent music, he'd fade from the spotlight. Still, the album that people remember him for stands as his crowning achievement in the world of rock music. Let's look at the album, and the tracks that comprise it! \n\n-SIDE A- \n\n-In The Dark: Starting off Squier's classic solo album is one of the songs that stands as a quintessential classic of his. This is hard rock with synthesizer back, and a sound that is all Squier's own. It definitely stands an awesome album-opener, and after you give it a listen, you'll see why it became the big hit it did. \n\n-The Stroke: The classic arena-rock anthem. This song is, perhaps, the biggest hit Squier ever had. With its catchy beat and memorable lyrics, this is one of those songs that draws in many of Squier's fans. It was the first song of his I ever heard, and it is ultimately what hooked me. This song is a rock classic, and nothing less. \n\n-My Kinda Lover: This song ends the string of hits that kicks off the album. Although not quite as popular as the two tracks the proceeded it, this song is no less excellent - and did become a fairly popular song in its own right. With its upbeat hard rock sound, it's certainly catchy. A solid piece from start to finish, well-deserving of its credit. \n\n-You Know What I Like: This is one of the faster-paced rockers the album serves up. The sound here is that sound that is distinctly Squier. It rocks hard, and with its fast pace, it's anything but boring. It wasn't a big hit the way the previous three tracks were, but with its awesome musical stylings, it should have been. \n\n-Too Daze Gone: This song is slower than the previous one, but it's still a straight-up rocker. And once again, the song is distinctly a Squier piece. The backing piano track, combined with the guitar playing, helps to give this particular piece a uniqueness all its own. One of my favorite tunes here, and it's a shame it wasn't a big hit. \n\n-SIDE B- \n\n-Lonely Is The Night: This is an interesting song, because despite its status as one of Squier's biggest hits, it almost never shows up on any of his hits compilations! Nonetheless, this is an excellent rocker through and through. There is a lot of Led Zeppelin influence on this song, and for the longest time, I thought it was one of their songs! It's one of the many Squier classics to be found here. \n\n-Whadda You Want From Me: Here's another fast-paced rocker. But rather than being a straight-up hard rocker, this is a fun, pop-oriented one. It's one of the catchiest pieces on the album, and after giving it just one listen, you'll agree entirely. Many of the songs on this album should have been big hits, but weren't fortunate enough to gain that high status. This is one of them. \n\n-Nobody Knows: For uniqueness, this track scores major points, sounding absolutely nothing like any other piece on the album. It's an extremely slow and melodic ballad. No other Squier song even come close to this one. As far as ballads go, this one is nothing short of excellent. THIS is the way they are supposed to be done! \n\n-I Need You: Here we have another ballad, but it's a far cry from the previous one. This is more of a power ballad, returning to the electric and guitars, synthesizers, and vintage Squier vocals fans know and love. It's a nice return to normalcy after the last few tracks on the album, and it definitely helps to show Squier's musical diversity. \n\n-Don't Say No: The previous track fades right into the title track, which is the album's finale. Once again, this is a slower, more melodic track, which is mostly acoustic. From its beginnings right up to the finish, it's a nice piece, and it definitely stands as a good piece to finish off the album with. \n\nOVERALL: \nIn the end, it isn't hard to see how this stands as one of the most beloved classic rock albums out there. It's just a shame that Squier never managed to create an album of the same level of popularity and commercial success as this one. Nonetheless, all of his music is excellent, and no album stands as a testament of his musical greatness the way this one does. If you're into classic rock, this is a highly recommended album! \n\nEDITION NOTES: \nWhile most of the Billy Squier catalogue is long out of print, this album, being his most popular and successful, is still being made. Most major record stores should have it. Alternatively, there is an import collection which combines it with Squier's first solo album, The Tale Of The Tape. That volume is a much better deal, so I suggest hunting it down or ordering it instead of buying the album or albums separately. \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA ROCK-ALBUM MUST., January 28, 2000\nReviewer: Dr. James C. Smith (Michigan) \nThis album was a smash hit the year ('81) I was a senior in high school. My friends and I loved it! We were also big into Queen. In '82 Squier warmed up for Queen in Detroit, and unlike most such bands, he was fantastic. He simply had song after song that we knew and loved. We were surprised he had so many. For whatever reason, I forgot about him, only to recently find he made several albums since Emotions in Motion. I thought he gave up music, and now the albums are no longer in print :-( I was absolutely tickled to hear a very dynamic Freddie Mercury in an almost duet on Love is the Hero on his 16 Strokes collection. I doubt his other albums were as great as this one though, since they didn't seem to get the airplay. But I'd sure like to be the judge of that. I hope they rerelease the collection on CD!\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nMissing In Action., September 9, 2001 \nReviewer: Jason Stein from Chula Vista, CA United States \nThis is Squier's bestselling cd overall and for good reason. It contains three hits "In The Dark", "The Stroke" and "My Kinda Lover". The rest of the cd is nearly as solid as those three tracks with "Too Daze Gone" and "Lonely Is The Night". Unfortunately, Capitol records has deleted all of his catalogue except "Don't Say No", which is ridiculous because he had other great cds like 1982's "Emotions In Motion", 1984's "Signs Of Life" and 1989's "Hear & Now" (I have his entire catalogue on cd before they went out of print). Highly underrated artist, and as far as I can tell, still underappreciated. If you want hits, the buy the "Reach For The Sky" anthology, otherwise you'll have to be content with this, his only available cd (out of the 8 he recorded with Capitol records). You can also buy 1998's "Happy Blue" to see what Squier has been up to lately if you didn't catch him on tour with Styx and Bad Company this summer.
This rock cd contains 10 tracks and runs 38min 24sec.
Freedb: 7f08fe0a
Buy: from Amazon.com

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