The 1980s weren't kind to singer/songwriters, and
Melanie was far from an exception.
Arabesque does its best to move her into an inoffensive AOR focus. When the tactic works, on "Detroit or Buffalo" for instance, the results are fairly good. But from then on, things go awry -- "Imaginary Heroes" and "Chances" are mawkish ballads of the worst kind, and material like
Michael McDonald's "It Don't Matter Now" is just not right for a rough-hewn, inventive performer of
Melanie's ilk. "When We're Dead and Gone" attempts to revive her quirky '70s persona, but the cod-reggae arrangement falls flat on its face. In short,
Arabesque simply isn't very good.