Huey Lewis and the News burst out of San Francisco onto thenational music scene at the beginning of the decade, with theirself-titled rock-pop album released by Chrysalis, though theyreally didn't come into their own, commercially or artistically,until their 1983 smash, Sports. Though their roots were visible(blues, Memphis soul, country) on Huey Lewis and the News theyseemed a little too willing to cash in on the late seventies/earlyeighties taste for New Wave, and the album—though it's still asmashing debut—seems a little too stark, too punk. Examples ofthis being the drumming on the ɹrst single, "Some of My Lies AreTrue (Sooner or Later)," and the fake handclaps on "Don't MakeMe Do It" as well as the organ on "Taking a Walk." Even thoughit was a little bit strained, their peppy boy-wants-girl lyrics andthe energy with which Lewis, as a lead singer, instilled all thesongs were refreshing. Having a great lead guitarist like ChrisHayes (who also shares vocals) doesn't hurt either. Hayes' solosare as original and unrehearsed as any in rock. Yet thekeyboardist, Sean Hopper, seemed too intent on playing theorgan a little too mechanically (though his piano playing on thesecond half of the album gets better) and Bill Gibson's drummingwas too muted to have much impact. The songwriting also didn'tmature until much later, though many of the catchy songs hadhints of longing and regret and dread ("Stop Trying" is just oneexample).Though the boys hail from San Francisco and they share somesimilarities with their Southern California counterparts, the BeachBoys (gorgeous harmonies, sophisticated vocalizing, beautifulmelodies—they even posed with a surfboard on the cover of thedebut album), they also carried with them some of the bleaknessand nihilism of the (thankfully now forgotten) "punk rock" sceneof Los Angeles at the time. Talk about your Angry Young Man!—listen to Huey on "Who Cares," "Stop Trying," "Don't Even TellMe That You Love Me," "Trouble in Paradise" (the titles say itall). Huey hits his notes like an embittered survivor and the bandoften sounds as angry as performers like the Clash or Billy Joel orBlondie. No one should forget that we have Elvis Costello tothank for discovering Huey in the ɹrst place. Huey playedharmonica on Costello's second record, the thin, vapid My AimWas You. Lewis has some of Costello's supposed bitterness,though Huey has a more bitter, cynical sense of humor. Elvismight think that intellectual wordplay is as important as having agood time and having one's cynicism tempered by good spirits,but I wonder what he thinks about Lewis selling so many morerecords than he?Things looked up for Huey and the boys on the second album,1982's Picture This, which yielded two semihits, "Workin' for aLiving'" and "Do You Believe in Love," and the fact that thiscoincided with the advent of video (there was one made for bothsongs) undoubtedly helped sales. The sound, though still tingedwith New Wave trappings, seemed more roots-rock than theprevious album, which might have something to do with the factthat Bob Clearmountain mixed the record or that Huey Lewis andthe News took over the producing reins. Their songwriting grewmore sophisticated and the group wasn't afraid to quietly exploreother genres—notably reggae ("Tell Her a Little Lie") and ballads("Hope You Love Me Like You Say" and "Is It Me?"). But for allits power-pop glory, the sound and the band seem, gratefully, lessrebellious, less angry on this record (though the blue-collarbitterness of "Workin' for a Livin'" seems like an outtake from theearlier album). They seem more concerned with personalrelationships—four of the album's ten songs have the word "love"in their title—rather than strutting around as young nihilists, andthe mellow good-times feel of the record is a surprising,infectious change.The band is playing better than it last did and the Tower ofPower horns give the record a more open, warmer sound. Thealbum hits its peak with the back-to-back one-two punch of"Workin' for a Livin'" and "Do You Believe in Love," which is thebest song on the album and is essentially about the singer askinga girl he's met while "looking for someone to meet" if she "believesin love." The fact that the song never resolves the question (wenever ɹnd out what the girl says) gives it an added complexitythat wasn't apparent on the group's debut. Also on "Do YouBelieve in Love" is a terriɹc sax solo by Johnny Colla (the guygives Clarence Clemons a run for his money), who, like ChrisHayes on lead guitar and Sean Hopper on keyboards, has by nowbecome an invaluable asset to the band (the sax solo on theballad "Is It Me?" is even stronger). Huey's voice sounds moresearching, less raspy, yet plaintive, especially on "The Only One,"which is a touching song about what happens to our mentors andwhere they end up (Bill Gibson's drumming is especially vital tothis track). Though the album should have ended on thatpowerful note, it ends instead with "Buzz Buzz Buzz," athrowaway blues number that doesn't make much sensecompared to what preceded it, but in its own joky way it amusesand the Tower of Power horns are in excellent form.There are no such mistakes made on the band's third albumand ɻawless masterpiece, Sports (Chrysalis). Every song has thepotential to be a huge hit and most of them were. It made theband rock 'n' roll icons. Gone totally is the bad-boy image, and anew frat-guy sweetness takes over (they even have the chance tosay "ass" in one song and choose to bleep it instead). The wholealbum has a clear, crisp sound and a new sheen of consummateprofessionalism that gives the songs on the album a big boost.And the wacky, original videos made to sell the record ("Heartand Soul," "The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll," "If This Is It," "Bad IsBad," "I Want a New Drug") made them superstars on MTV.Produced by the band, Sports opens with what will probablybecome their signature song, "The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll," aloving ode to rock 'n' roll all over the United States. It's followedby "Heart and Soul," their ɹrst big single, which is a trademarkLewis song (though it's written by outsiders Michael Chapmanand Nicky Chinn) and the tune that ɹrmly and forever establishedthem as the premier rock band in the country for the 1980s. If thelyrics aren't quite up to par with other songs, most of them aremore than serviceable and the whole thing is a jaunty enterpriseabout what a mistake one-night stands are (a message the earlier,rowdier Huey would never have made). "Bad Is Bad," writtensolely by Lewis, is the bluesiest song the band had recorded up tothis point and Mario Cipollina's bass playing gets to shine on it,but it's really Huey's harmonica solos that give it an edge. "IWant a New Drug," with its killer guitar riʃ (courtesy of ChrisHayes), is the album's centerpiece—not only is it the greatestantidrug song ever written, it's also a personal statement abouthow the band has grown up, shucked oʃ their bad-boy image andlearned to become more adult. Hayes' solo on it is incredible andthe drum machine used, but not credited, gives not only "I Wanta New Drug" but most of the album a more consistent backbeatthan any of the previous albums—even though Bill Gibson is stilla welcome presence.The rest of the album whizzes by ɻawlessly—side two openswith their most searing statement yet: "Walking on a Thin Line,"and no one, not even Bruce Springsteen, has written asdevastatingly about the plight of the Vietnam vet in modernsociety. This song, though written by outsiders, shows a socialawareness that was new to the band and proved to anyone whoever doubted it that the band, apart from its blues background,had a heart. And again in "Finally Found a Home" the bandproclaims its newfound sophistication with this paean to growingup. And though at the same time it's about shedding their rebelimage, it's also about how they "found themselves" in the passionand energy of rock 'n' roll. In fact the song works on so manylevels it's almost too complex for the album to carry, though itnever loses its beat and it still has Sean Hopper's ringingkeyboards, which make it danceable. "If This Is It" is the album'sone ballad, but it's not downbeat. It's a plea for a lover to tellanother lover if they want to carry on with the relationship, andthe way Huey sings it (arguably the most superb vocal on thealbum), it becomes instilled with hope. Again, this song—as withthe rest of the album—isn't about chasing or longing after girls,it's about dealing with relationships. "Crack Me Up" is thealbum's only hint at a throwback to the band's New Wave daysand it's minor but amusing, though its anti-drinking, antidrug,pro-growing-up statement isn't.And as a lovely ending to an altogether remarkable album, theband does a version of "Honky Tonk Blues" (another song writtenby someone not in the band, named Hank Williams), and eventhough it's a very diʃerent type of song, you can feel its presencethroughout the rest of the album. For all its professional sheen,the album has the integrity of honky-tonk blues. (Aside: Duringthis period Huey also recorded two songs for the movie Back tothe Future, which both went Number One, "The Power of Love"and "Back in Time," delightful extras, not footnotes, in what hasbeen shaping up into a legendary career.) What to say to Sportsdissenters in the long run? Nine million people can't be wrong.Fore! (Chrysalis; 1986) is essentially a continuation of theSports album but with an even more professional sheen. This isthe record where the guys don't need to prove they've grown upand that they've accepted rock 'n' roll, because in the three-yeartransition between Sports and Fore! they already had. (In factthree of them are wearing suits on the cover of the record.) Itopens with a blaze of ɹre, "Jacob's Ladder," which is essentially asong about struggle and overcoming compromise, a ɹttingreminder of what Huey and the News represents, and with theexception of "Hip to Be Square" it's the best song on the album(though it wasn't written by anyone in the band). This is followedby the sweetly good-natured "Stuck with You," a lightweightpaean to relationships and marriage. In fact most of the lovesongs on the album are about sustained relationships, unlike theearly albums, where the concerns were about either lusting aftergirls and not getting them or getting burned in the process. OnFore! the songs are about guys who are in control (who have thegirls) and now have to deal with them. This new dimension in theNews gives the record an added oomph and they seem morecontent and satisɹed, less urgent, and this makes for their mostpleasingly crafted record to date. But also for every "Doing It Allfor My Baby" (a delightful ode about monogamy and satisfaction)there's a barn-burning blues scorcher number like "Whole LottaLovin'," and side one (or, on the CD, song number ɹve) ends withthe masterpiece "Hip to Be Square" (which, ironically, isaccompanied by the band's only bad video), the key song onFore!, which is a rollicking ode to conformity that's so catchymost people probably don't even listen to the lines, but with ChrisHayes blasting guitar and the terriɹc keyboard playing—whocares? And it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and theimportance of trends—it's also a personal statement about theband itself, though of what I'm not quite sure.If the second part of Fore! doesn't have the intensity of the ɹrst,there are some real gems that are actually quite complicated. "IKnow What I Like" is a song that Huey would never have sung sixyears back—a blunt declaration of independence—while thecarefully placed "I Never Walk Alone," which follows, actuallycomplements the song and explains it in broader terms (it alsohas a great organ solo and except for "Hip to Be Square" hasHuey's strongest vocals). "Forest for the Trees" is an upbeatantisuicide tract, and though its title might seem like a cliché,Huey and the band have a way of energizing clichés and makingthem originals wholly their own. The nifty a cappella "Naturally"evokes an innocent time while showcasing the band's vocalharmonies (if you didn't know better you'd think it was the BeachBoys coming out of your CD player), and even if it's essentially athrowaway, a triɻe of sorts, the album ends on a majestic notewith "Simple as That," a blue-collar ballad that sounds not a noteof resignation but one of hope, and its complex message (it wasn'twritten by anyone in the band) of survival leads the way to theirnext album, Small World, where they take on global issues. Fore!might not be the masterpiece Sports is (what could be?), but in itsown way it's just as satisfying and the mellower, gentler Huey of'86 is just as happening.Small World (Chrysalis; 1988) is the most ambitious, artisticallysatisfying record yet produced by Huey Lewis and the News. TheAngry Young Man has deɹnitely been replaced by a smoothlyprofessional musician and even though Huey has only reallymastered one instrument (the harmonica), its majesticDylanesque sounds give Small World a grandeur few artists havereached. It's an obvious transition and their ɹrst album that triesto make thematic sense—in fact Huey takes on one of the biggestsubjects of all: the importance of global communication. It's nowonder four out of the album's ten songs have the word "world"in their titles and that for the ɹrst time there's not only one butthree instrumentals.The CD gets oʃ to a rousing start with the Lewis/Hayes-penned"Small World (Part One)," which, along with its message ofharmony, has a blistering solo by Hayes at its center. In "OldAntone's" one can catch the zydeco inɻuences that the band haspicked up on touring around the country, and it gives it a Cajunɻavor that is utterly unique. Bruce Hornsby plays the accordionwonderfully and the lyrics give you a sense of a true Bayou spirit.Again, on the hit single "Perfect World," the Tower of Powerhorns are used to extraordinary eʃect. It's also the best cut on thealbum (written by Alex Call, who isn't in the band) and it ties upall the album's themes—about accepting the imperfections of thisworld but still learning to "keep on dreamin' of livin' in a perfectworld." Though the song is fast-paced pop it's still moving interms of its intentions and the band plays splendidly on it. Oddlythis is followed by two instrumentals: the eerie African-inɻuencedreggae dance track "Bobo Tempo" and the second part of "SmallWorld." But just because these tunes are wordless doesn't meanthe global message of communication is lost, and they don't seemlike ɹller or padding because of the implications of their thematicreprise; the band gets to show oʃ its improvisational skills aswell.Side two opens smashingly with "Walking with the Kid," theɹrst Huey song to acknowledge the responsibilities of fatherhood.His voice sounds mature and even though we, as listeners, don'tɹnd out until the last line that "the kid" (who we assume is abuddy) is actually his son, the maturity in Huey's voice tips us oʃand it's hard to believe that the man who once sang "Heart andSoul" and "Some of My Lies Are True" is singing this. The album'sbig ballad, "World to Me," is a dreamy pearl of a song, andthough it's about sticking together in a relationship, it also makesallusions to China and Alaska and Tennessee, carrying on thealbum's "Small World" theme—and the band sounds really goodon it. "Better Be True" is also a bit of a ballad, but it's not adreamy pearl and its lyrics aren't really about sticking together ina relationship nor does it make allusions to China or Alaska andthe band sounds really good on it."Give Me the Keys (And I'll Drive You Crazy)" is a good-timesblues rocker about (what else?) driving around, incorporating thealbum's theme in a much more playful way than previous songson the album did, and though lyrically it might seemimpoverished, it's still a sign that the new "serious" Lewis—thatHuey the artist—hasn't totally lost his frisky sense of humor. Thealbum ends with "Slammin'," which has no words and it's just alot of horns that quite frankly, if you turn it up really loud, cangive you a fucking big headache and maybe even make you feel alittle sick, though it might sound diʃerent on an album or on acassette though I wouldn't know anything about that. Anyway itset oʃ something wicked in me that lasted for days. And youcannot dance to it very well.It took something like a hundred people to put Small Worldtogether (counting all the extra musicians, drum technicians,accountants, lawyers—who are all thanked), but this actuallyadds to the CD's theme of community and it doesn't clutter therecord—it makes it a more joyous experience. With this CD andthe four previous ones behind it, Huey Lewis and the News provethat if this really is a small world, then these guys are the bestAmerican band of the 1980s on this or any other continent—andit has with it Huey Lewis, a vocalist, musician and writer whojust can't be topped.
