Though known primarily for their No 1 hit Baby Come Back, a soft rock song in the vein of Hall And Oates that peaked during the Bee Gees reign, Player had a debut album full of fresh instrumental hooks and indelible melodies. This album had a bit of everything, from yacht rock, prog rock passages, soaring falsettos and even a countrypolitan closing track;
"Come On Out" (Crowley) – 3:43 STEVIE WONDER & FOREIGNER
The ending coda is very much the style of Hall and Oates soul numbers and a throbbing bass-line taken from She's Gone. There is a blues Hard rock guitar turnaround from Traffic's Mr Fantasy and Led Zep's Ten Years Gone as well as guitar arpeggios from Bell Bottom Blues. It also starts with a Stevie Wonder mix of droopy wah synth and clavinet.
"Baby Come Back" (Beckett, Crowley) – 4:10 HALL AND OATES TAVARES
A disco cymbal heavy beat, Hall and Oates styled confessional verses and a big falsetto chorus reminiscent of Tavares
"Goodbye (That's All I Ever Heard)" (Crowley) – 3:44 STEELY DAN EARLY TOTO/ EARLY FOREIGNER
This song starts off similar to the openings of Every Which Way and Come on Out, with stacks of sweet but regal keyboard chords and lilting guitar sustains, the kind you would hear from Stevie Wonder.
The verses are a walking bassline, with a Steely Dan vocal and tremolo synthesizer ripples. The chorus is built around a stacked harmony rendition of the title, again sounding like Steely Dan before a middle eight, where circular guitar riff and equally circular vocal melody enter, claiming "Love is Strange.."
The quiet bridge is baroque with it's gentle/night time mix of playful flute, oscillating vibraphone and plucked flamenco strings reminiscent of the prog mid song breaks of early Foreigner and Toto
"Melanie" (J. Crocker) – 3:39 LITTLE RIVER BAND
A summery soft rock song, similar to Shandi by Kiss, it has the layered shimmering tremolo guitars of Wild Cherry's Hold On and the vibe of Little River Band, it's defining hook is the big meaty, flamenco tinged guitar riff that bookends the song.
"Every Which Way" (Beckett, Crowley) – 3:34 Michael McDonald era DOOBIE BROTHERS & STARBUCK
Every Which Way is a Michael McDonald era Doobie Brothers patented song, with the funky 'Mario Kart' keyboards during the verses and Sting like vocals of the chorus; the refrain of Every Which Way reminiscent of It Keeps you Running/ Minute by Minute. However it starts with a luscious multi tracked, synth part warbling in and out alongside a vibraphone part, a combo of instruments popularised by funky, Yacht Rockers Starbuck.
"This Time I'm in It for Love" (Larry Keith, Steve Pippin) – 4:20 - ENGLAND DAN JOHN FORD COLEY & HALL AND OATES
The 'stop watch' sounding keyboard ticking away during the opening of This Time I'm in it for Love sounds like it was taken directly from the opening of Hall and Oates' Out of Me, Out of You. The chorus is the saccharine sentiment and soothing countrified balladry and twin slide guitars you would often find in songs by England Dan and John Ford Coley
"Love Is Where You Find It" (Crocker, Reed Kailing, Crowley) – 4:00 ELO
A light disco-fied pop rock tune highlighted by call and response vocals with sprightly, pitchy falsetto harmonies reminiscent of ELO, that remind me of the schoolkid vocals song Dance by Justice
"Movin' Up" (Crocker, Kailing, Steve Kipner) – 2:50 BONEY M BEE GEES OHIO PLAYERS
The jumped up rhythms of the Commodores, the clanky funk guitar chord strikes of disco groups like Boney M or the Kay Gees and the hysterical falsetto of the Bee Gees. But most of all it reminds me of the Ohio Players heavy funk bops like Body Vibes,Merry Go Round, Dance (If Ya Wanta), Funk-O-Nots, Contradictions etc
"Cancellation" (Crocker, Kailing, Kipner) – 4:07 LRB FOREIGNER TOTO
Full of interesting elements from the swirling teapot flute in the middle of the verses, to the dueling Arena rock guitar riff, to the cooing Paul Stanley falsetto and finally the punchy synth solo
"Trying to Write a Hit Song" (R. L. Mahonin) – 4:36 - GORDON LIGHTFOOT
A typical Gordon Lightfoot type of singer songwriter ballad
VERDICT: A Soft Rock Album with does of arena rock, funk disco rhythms and Blue eyed soul. Some tracks remind me of the Hall and Oates Silver album 1975 which featured more guitar interplay. Overall it has the mix of blue eyed soul soft rock and hard rock of Toto's first two albums in the late 70s
A lot of Hall and Oates and early Toto/Foreigner in the prog bridge sections as well as Bee Gees Pablo Cruise but mainly a precursor to the late 70s albums by Toto
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