After enduring eight 90 degree days this Summer (Normal is five 90 degree days), the Jet Stream finally brought Western NY some pleasant 70 degree days this week. Hopefully, this is a sign of an early Fall.
With Summer winding down, I thought this compilation, Classic Soft Rock: Summer Breeze, from 2006 would be a good way of celebrating the end of Summer. Of course, the lead song is the classic Seals & Crofts “Summer Breeze.” Don’t ask me what makes Chicago’s “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” a Summer song. The same with “Sara Smile” by Hall & Oates. But I like both songs.
“Cool Change” by Little River Band fits. So does “Even the Nights are Better” by Air Supply. Other than that, this compilation seems more like a group of random songs. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B (for breeze)
TRACK LIST:
| Seals & Crofts– | Summer Breeze | 3:27 | |
| Bertie Higgins– | Key Largo | 3:19 | |
| Bread– | Make It With You | 3:11 | |
| Chicago (2)– | Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? | 3:21 | |
| Gary Wright– | Dream Weaver | 4:18 | |
| Todd Rundgren– | Hello It’s Me | 3:41 | |
| Daryl Hall & John Oates– | Sara Smile | 3:10 | |
| Rickie Lee Jones– | Chuck E.’s In Love | 3:27 | |
| The Doobie Brothers– | Black Water | 4:19 | |
| Orleans– | Still The One | 3:56 | |
| Linda Ronstadt– | Hurt So Bad | 3:17 | |
| Little River Band– | Cool Change | 4:08 | |
| Ambrosia (2)– | Biggest Part Of Me | 5:26 | |
| Christopher Cross– | Never Be The Same | 4:41 | |
| America (2)– | You Can Do Magic | 3:56 | |
| Bread– | The Guitar Man | 3:45 | |
| America (2)– | Tin Man | 3:27 | |
| Michael Murphy*– | Wildfire | 4:49 | |
| Chicago (2)– | 25 Or 6 To 4 | 4:52 | |
| Nicolette Larson– | Lotta Love | 3:10 | |
| The Doobie Brothers– | What A Fool Believes | 3:45 | |
| Robbie Dupree– | Steal Away | 3:31 | |
| Ambrosia (2)– | You’re The Only Woman | 4:21 | |
| Dr. Hook– | Sexy Eyes | 3:00 | |
| Exile (7)– | Kiss You All Over | 3:29 | |
| Air Supply– | Even The Nights Are Better | 3:55 | |
| Christopher Cross– | Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) | 3:54 | |
| John Waite– | Missing You | 4:30 | |
| Joshua Kadison– | Beautiful In My Eyes | 4:10 | |
| Alannah Myles– | Black Velvet | 4:48 |
The triumph of marketing over content!
Deb, TIME LIFE really knew how to churn out these compilation CDs!
Evidently I am not a summer song person. Favorites are DOES ANYBODY REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS, 25 OR 6 TO 4, BLACK WATER, and HURT SO BAD. I firmly believe that every right-thinking person would avoid Todd Rundgren at all costs. Plus, my idea of Hell is being forced down a long, dark corridor and at the end of it are two doors: one says “Gangster Rap,” and the other, “Christopher Cross.”
Jerry, your detailed analysis is spot on! How Christopher Cross garnered all those record sales still baffles me!
By giving Journey fans something similarly bland and jejune to listen to.
Todd, you are so right! Go Journey fans!
A real Mixmaster of ’70s and early ’80s MOR. I don’t really dislike the tracks but there aren’t any standouts either. Mostly, it reminds me what a sleepy time the early Carter era was (’76-’78), compared with the sh*tstorms that followed and continue to follow.
Fred, MOR and “Soft Rock” dominated the radio airwaves in the 70s and early 80s. Sleepy time, indeed!
Good one, Jerry. That would be a tough choice.
Just heard “Summer Breeze” (a song I do like) on Sirius and couple of days ago. Also like Still The One, Hurt So Bad (and the Little Anthony original), What a Fool Believes and Lotta Love. I recently got a Nicolette Larson concert tribute CD and it was good, withbJoe Walsh, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and others.
Jeff, Nicolette Larson is an underrated performer.
It looks like you’ve drydocked your yacht for the season.
Byron, you’re right! Many of these “Soft Rock” hits also qualify as “Yacht Rock.”
I can listen to most of them! My fab faves are Still the One and What a Fool Believes!
Bob, your taste in music is exceptional!
The Kadison is the only one I retain no memory of…certainly a fair amount of pleasant-enough work, but nothing much that would’ve pried a buck out of my wallet.
Though the Doobie Bros.’ work always did strike me as better or at least catchier without insult to the listener than most of their peers at the time.
Todd, Jeff and Jackie Meyerson just saw the DOOBIE BROTHERS in concert. That’s a group that’s been around a long time!
Todd, I think I picked up CLASSIC SOFT ROCK: SUMMER BREEZE for a quarter.