Alex Call was the leader of Clover, a country rock band that struggled for 10 years in California before heading for England in the late '70s. The band caught the tail end of the pub-rock scene just as punk was sweeping Britain. Clover wound up backing Elvis Costello on his debut My Aim is True which is a little-known fact partly because they were left off the credits.
A couple of albums released in the United States went nowhere (they're well worth trying to find in the cut-out bins) and Clover eventually broke up. While guitarist John McFee thrived in the Doobie Brothers and singer Hughie Lewis formed his own band, Call semi-retired from the music business.
But then Tommy Tutone turned Call's "867-5309 Jennie" into a major hit which eventually resulted in this album, Call's solo debut.
It's a mixed bag. While Call has a certain knack for tuneful melodies and catchy hooks, he also has a disruptive tendency to hide them in cliched, heavily lots of second-class filler.
Most listeners (especially radio programmers) won't get past Side One, cut one: "Just Another Saturday Night" which collapses under its pretentious, heavy message.
That's too bad because there are some real gems. "Annie Don't Lie," "New Romeo" and "Going Through the Motions," free of cluttering distractions, are bright pop songs worthy of far greater exposure.
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