Eye to Eye/Shakespeare Stole My Baby in Bloomington, MN

This single CD gathers the entire recorded output of
Eye to Eye
, which consists of their eponymously titled debut album as well as the subsequent -- and ultimately final -- release,
Shakespeare Stole My Baby
. The early-'80s project centered on the talents of former
Marshall -- Hain
member
Julian Marshall
(keyboards) and
Deborah Berg
(vocals), who caught
Marshall
's ear in the waning months of 1979. In relatively short order, the pair was signed to the U.K.-based
Automatic Records
label and set out to compose and record the
album. Their light
techno-pop
was sublimely executed with the aid of some studio heavies and legends, including former
Mothers of Invention
Ian Underwood
Ruth Underwood
(marimba), as well as
Jim Keltner
(drums),
Chuck Rainey
(bass),
Rick Derringer
(guitar),
Jeff Porcaro
Elliot Randall
(guitar), and
Donald Fagen
(synthesizer). Under the direction of
and highlighted by
Berg
's airy, pure vocals, they crafted a consistently interesting album featuring the perky FM radio hit
"Nice Girls,"
the manic and quirky
"Life in Motion,"
and more pensive tracks such as
"On the Mend"
or
"Hunger Pains."
Unfortunately, the momentum or focus coalesced on the first album dissipated. By the time
(1983) was issued, there was very little public interest in the band. The fact also remains that much of the material was at best idiosyncratic. Nevertheless, as he had done on
, producer
Gary Katz
incorporated an aggregate of the finest recording session talent available, this time with notable contributions from
Larry Carlton
(guitar) and
Steve Lukather
(guitar), as well as a few holdouts from the first album. There are some bright spots, though.
"Tonight Insomnia"
and
"Mermaid Man"
are odd enough to be reminiscent of
Robyn Hitchcock
's ethereal and oblique humor-filled songs. ~ Lindsay Planer