release date: Jun. 13, 1983
format: vinyl / cd (2012 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: 'Little Bastard' (aka John Mellencamp)
label: Mercury Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "B.I.G.T.I.M.E." (4 / 5) (live with John Mellencamp) - 2. "When You Were Mine" (4,5 / 5) (org. video) - 3. "A Thrill's a Thrill (Duet with Marianne Faithfull)" - 4. "Come Again" (4 / 5) - 6. "The Thrill of It All"
Studio album by Mitch Ryder produced by John Mellencamp org. released by Riva and Mercury Records - the 2012 remaster is released on Repertoire Records. Ryder doesn't write many songs himself, but he's one of those rocks' greats who masters the ability to pick almost any song written by someone else and just make it better. The first song on this album is written by Keith Sykes and was included on Sykes' own folk rock and rock & roll album I'm Not Strange, I'm Just Like You from 1979. The original song sounds like something from the 1950s, but here in Ryder's updated version it really comes to live in present times. The second song is sheer brilliance - originally a song by Prince for his album Dirty Mind (1980) in a disco, synth funk and dance-pop version. Now, with all respect for Prince and his contributions to modern pop music, the original song isn't exactly a mind-blowing tune; however, in Ryder's rock-version of the song, it shines like it never did before. And that's just what Ryder does. He has a great voice for rhythm & blues, rock & roll, and for music with a certain amount of soul. John Mellencamp has produced the album with a sense for what makes Ryder good and together it all becomes great. Mellencamp has co-written the song "Come Again" with Ryder, and that's another gem where everything falls into place. Overall, Mellencamp is the perfect producer for the album and his adoration for Ryder lifts this album above most releases in the year 1983 but only few know of its existence, which is crime in itself.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
