Former
Rainbow
keyboardist and
Planet P
vocalist
Tony Carey
became a solo star in Germany. The California native had some U.S. success in 1984 with
Some Tough City
. It yielded two Top 40 hits in
"A Fine Fine Day"
and
"The First Day of Summer."
Carey
plays virtually every note except for drums, the guitar solos and a couple of saxophone breaks. His keyboard work in particular is tasteful, efficient and melodic.
is a strong effort. It's a loose concept album and the songs are individual stories about the struggle of down-and-out people trying -- and often failing -- to make better lives for themselves in big cities like New York and Los Angeles.
is a majestic rocker with a powerful chorus; the lyrics about mysterious Uncle Sonny's troubles are cleverly vague.
"A Lonely Life"
seems to profile a drug dealer and junkie, although a pimp and prostitute are possibilities.
"Eddie Goes Underground"
is an infectious rocker with disturbing lyrics about a statutory rapist on the run from the law.
"The First Day of Summer"
is deceptive in its bright sound because the song is about two runaway delinquents; the narrator is left behind to work as a hotel dish washer when his friend steals their car and leaves. The high-energy song
"Tinseltown"
tells how Hollywood eats up dreamers who want to be stars.
"I Can Stop the World"
is a ballad, but it's not wimpy.
"Some Tough City"
addresses poverty in the United States. The more traditional ballad
"She Can Bring Me Love"
is a
Springsteen
-esque tale of a young working-class couple relying on their love to get through hard times. [
Renaissance
's 2008 reissue includes
"Say It's All Over,"
a bonus track previously unreleased on album.] ~ Bret Adams