Glenn Frey's first solo album plotted two Top 40 singles, with "I Found Somebody" going to number 31 in the summer of 1982 and the destitute-sounding "The One You Love" hitting number 15 two months later. With help from
Jack Tempchin, who wrote the Eagles' "Peaceful Easy Feeling," the album reached number 32 on the U.S. charts, but it's
Frey's perfectly guided vocals and impeccable talent for crafting laid-back love songs that make the album noteworthy. The saxophone from "The One You Love," which tags alongside the soothing chorus, makes the song even better, and "I Found Somebody" hints at the
Eagles' warm, harmonic style. Even the average-sounding "All Those Lies" went to number 41, but efforts like "That Girl" and "She Can't Let Go" are thinned out too much, as
Frey gets a little too involved with singer/songwriter colloquialisms. Some life is regained with a spirited attempt at
Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise," one of the album's real movers. With
Frey's own production assistance,
No Fun Aloud stands up as a modest debut album. ~ Mike DeGagne