"Baby Come Back"
is one of those classic one-hit wonders of the '70s; the kind of breezy song that easily found its way to number one, and remained in the public consciousness for years later. It's the kind of song most listeners know when they hear it, yet they're not sure who it is -- and, if they do know who it is, chances are, that's all they know. They know that
Player
is responsible for that song, and that's it. Few people realize that
had another Top Ten hit with
"This Time I'm in It for Love,"
or that both of their first two albums -- 1977's
and 1978's
Danger Zone
-- reached the Top 40 and went gold. They had more success than most one-hit wonders, and it was deserved, since they epitomized what mainstream soft
pop/rock
was all about in the late '70s -- and that was the sound of Los Angeles.
sat atop the
pop
singles chart for three weeks in early 1978. Later that year,
was released, and it followed through on the promise of
"Baby Come Back,"
particularly on
but also with its abundant offering of mellow keyboards, layered harmonies, and spacious production. This was laid-back but engaging, and the band displayed some serious musical chops, occasionally sounding like a sweet, streamlined
Steely Dan
. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine