Following the success (and distress) of the Raspberries and a truly exquisite 1975 solo debut album, Eric Carmen was indeed a hot recording property. This album is a very elaborate collection of recordings, and although it really hasn't dated that well and certainly doesn't contain his finest songs, it is quite pleasant. On this record, Carmen is moving toward a more soul-based sound, as opposed to his strong pop leanings, with limited success. "End of the World" and "Haven't We Come a Long Way" are fine, if somewhat tepid L.A. late-'70s soul-pop. A cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland Motown classic "Baby I Need Your Lovin" underlines Carmen's influences during this period. The only problem is that Carmen's true strength always lay in rock & roll, and, unfortunately, there is very little of that on this record, save the minor hit "Hey Deanie," which was also covered successfully by Shaun Cassidy. But, the record contains an excellent ballad, "Heaven Can Wait," which is buttressed by David Campbell's excellent string arrangement. Campbell's work on the album's opening track, "Desperate Fools Overture," is also quite striking. In the end, though, the album tends to veer into being slightly top-heavy, with some of the trappings of the Los Angeles recording scene of the period.
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