DAVID ROBERTS – All Dressed Up… [Japan SHM-CD remastered] Out Of Print

This was requested many times, DAVID ROBERTS‘ Wescoast AOR classic “All Dressed Up…”, released as part of the Warner Music Japan ‘AOR Best Selection 1300‘ reissue series. This ‘AOR Best Selection 1300’ campaign – out of print now – featured the best titles from the label’s catalog being sold at the affordable price of 1300 Yen (around $10), all remastered and pressed on high quality SHM-CD.

David Scott Roberts was born in Boston and raised in Toronto, Canada, writing and recording songs for over 30 years. In his luggage songs recorded by Diana Ross, Starship, Bad English, Jimmy Barnes, John Waite, House Of Lords, Ramsey Lewis, Nancy Wilson, etc.
In the late 70’s Roberts sent a demo to a radio contest, received a prize – a recorded 3 songs in the studio. And this tape fell into the hands of representatives of the Canadian company A&R WEA, bringing with David signed a contract to record a LP.

In 1982, “All Dressed Up” released. Alongside the excellent songwriting (all by Roberts) this album is remembered for the people who contributed on it. The cream of the LA Session crew is here, including the unique Steve Lukather (guitars), Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Mike Porcaro (bass) of Toto, Bill Champlin (Chicago), David Foster, Jay Graydon (Airplay), keyboardist Greg Mathieson (who also produced with a pristine sound) and more.

‘All In The Name Of Love’ kicks things off, an upbeat pop-rock anthem with a catchy chorus with Steve Lukather’s chugging guitar driving the track along. It’s followed by the smooth mid-tempo ‘Too Good To Last’, complete with another big chorus.
Although Roberts wrote and arranged all of the tracks, there’s a big Toto feel to a few of them, such as the classy ‘Never Let You Go’ and ‘Wrong Side Of The Tracks’, and when you hear the staccato piano of ‘Someone Like You’ you will immediately think of ‘Hold The Line’!

“Boys Of Autumn” is a beautiful midtempo AOR tune, where the drums give the subject a delightful cadence and the melody is like a river flowing peacefully on the ear canals. “She’s Still Mine” is one of the album’s highlight close to same line as “All In The Name Of Love”, with a powerful, catchy chorus and a harmony rhythm to played loud.

There’s an elegant ballad in “Midnight Rendezvous” ,while “Anywhere You Run To” is another beautiful piece in ballad form with certain air of Chicago and Christopher Cross, especially in the vocal work. The chorus is catchy with a sense of commerciality. The song was covered by Diana Ross later.
The album end with “Another World”, a sweet and pleasant song in the slow style of Ambrosia, with stupendous intrumentation / arrangements.

DAVID ROBERTS’ “All Dressed Up…” is an ’80s AOR classic, considered one of the masterpieces of the Westcoast sub-genre. The who’s who play here, and if you love classic Toto you need this gem in your collection.
This quite hard to find Japanese release on SHM-CD is a collectors piece, where the sound quality is awesome. The remaster is not the same of the European reissue from some years ago.
A CLASSIC

You’ve seen it first here, at 0dayrox

Warner Music Japan ～ 【ＬＴＤ ＳＨＭ－ＣＤ | WPCR-17475】
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01 – All in The Name of Love
02 – Too Good To Last
03 – Someone Like You
04 – Boys Of Autumn
05 – She’s Still Mine (That’s My Girl)
06 – Wrong Side of the Tracks
07 – Midnight Rendezvous
08 – Anywhere You Run To
09 – Never Gonna Let You Go
10 – Another World

David Roberts – Vocals, Keyboards
Steve Lukather – Guitars
Jay Graydon – Guitar Overdubs
Mike Porcaro – Bass
Greg Mathieson – Keyboards, Synthesizers
Jeff Porcaro – Drums, Percussion
Mike Boddicker – Syntheiszers
David Foster – Synthesizer Overdubs
Gary Herbig – Saxophone
Paulinho Da Costa – Percussion
David Leonard Linn – Drum Machine
Bill Champlin, Joe Chemay, Tom Kelly, John Joyce, Jimmy Haas – Backing Vocals

Out Of Print
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/WPCR-17475
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