I expected the kind of merry Christmas and happy New Year that all the greeting cards tell us everyone receives, but I didn’t get it this festive season. On December 25 my Grandma had a bad fall, which led to her admission to hospital the day later. Also on Boxing Day my Mam, my mum’s stepmother, found herself in hospital too. While Grandma’s still resting up, Mam passed away. We had her funeral yesterday. Consequently the season which is ordinarily so festive was stressful and sad.
Of course I turned to music, this time the 80s pop showcased on David Campbell’s latest covers album Let’s Go. We have a rule in my family never to buy ourselves anything in the lead up to Christmas, so I was a bit late getting my hands on it. But goodness it was worth the wait.
This is the David Campbell album I’ve been waiting for. Anyone who knows me knows the 80s is my decade, and David’s done it justice. Some clever arrangements see the tunes feeling fresh, although they’re not so different as to alienate the diehard fans.
Funnily enough the album features many of the 80s tracks my husband and I had discussed prior to its release. David equals Tony Hadley’s silky smooth vocals on “True.” Adam Ant’s “Goody Two Shoes” has just the right amount of pep, while “You Make My Dreams Come True” should put a smile on anyone’s face. I’ll say this; David Campbell has impeccable taste.
In some cases he’s even done the unthinkable and bettered the originals. The arrangement of “Missing You” brings out the gutwrenching heart of the lyrics like John Waite’s version never did. I must have heard “Come On Eileen” a million times on radio, yet David’s version has so much energy that I find myself hitting repeat.
This is one of those albums that begs for a sequel, just as we saw with his Swing Sessions. I’m not sure whether I’ll get my wish, but I’m certainly in for an amazing show when David Campbell hits town later this year!
Image source: David Campbell Facebook page
I like the album, I agree that he’s made some great song selections which means that as each track starts you find yourself thinking “Oh I love this song”.
True is absolutely amazing.
My main criticism is that the whole album is just way too polished. It’s almost as if David is afraid that if he let’s loose he’ll sound too much like his Dad. I wanted more grunt!
I can see your point Annie. But I also figure the 80s was pretty frothy and didn’t have a lot of edge, so for me his treatments seemed to suit the decade he was paying homage to. I’m pretty sure we’ll see him letting loose when he takes the album on the road though!