EDDIE MONEY – Eddie Money [Rock Candy remaster] *0dayrox Exclusive*
Many of you have been asking for missing Rock Candy reissues to complete collections, and here’s as requested EDDIE MONEY‘s most famous album, his self-titled debut fully remastered including the hits ‘Two Tickets To Paradise’ and ‘Baby Hold On’.
After signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Eddie Mahoney burst onto the scene with his eponymous debut album in 1977. Fans immediately fell in love with Money’s sound, and the album went double platinum.
“Eddie Money” was produced by former Doors alumni Bruce Botnick, with able assistance from famed engineers Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin) and Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses). It also featured musical support from members of the Steve Miller Band and introduced guitarist Jimmy Lyon, a man who would act as the perfect foil for Eddie’s instantly identifiable voice.
The album opens with a bopping Rock winner : “Two Tickets To Paradise” – an EM original about waiting to talk his gal on a trip – get away from the grim reality of the big city choke. His Soulful cover of the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles classic “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” is a fantastic groove brought to life by a trio – his passionate vocals, and Jimmy Lyons on guitar fire.
Songwriter Chris Solsberg would co-write a lot with Eddie on the 1979 “Life For The Taking” LP – for the debut he throws in another cracking ‘rocker’ – the mission statement “Wanna Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star”. It’s garage vocals and guitars sound brill on the Remaster.
“Save A Little Room In Your Heart For Me” is the big ballad – a keyboard led pleader which hit you with a ‘touching’ melody. Then there’s a wicked co-write with Jimmy Lyon – the dancing castanets of “So Good To Be In Love Again” – a hugely likeable song that could easily have been another radio hit.
We have the album’s other winner – the catchy “Baby Hold On”. It entered the US singles charts in April 1978 eventually rising to No. 11 – staying on the charts for eleven weeks (“Two Tickets To Paradise” followed in July 1978 peaking at No. 22).
The next EM/Jimmy Lyon song “Don’t Worry” sounds like a different band in ways, while the wrongly-spelt “Jealousys” gets back to hooky business in a big way. Eddie goes all Jimi Hendrix with the doubled-vocal and guitar opening of “Got To Get Another Girl” – another song about a Rock ‘n’ Roller who can’t control her (oh dear).
“Gamblin Man” is co-written with Dan Alexander of The Rockets and ends the album on an upbeat Rock pump.
Although released in the autumn of 1977 – “Eddie Money” didn’t dent the US Top 200 until the first week of July in 1978 where it began a slow climb to eventually peak at No. 39 – staying on chart for an impressive 46 weeks. It was the beginning Eddie needed because the second platter “Life For The Taking” would go Top 20 in 1979 – peaking at No. 17.
Fans will also know that less than a handful of tracks from “Eddie Money” have been available on a ‘Greatest Hits’ set as Remasters and that this is the first time the entire album has been remastered in full (ditto for the other three).
Experienced Audio Engineer Jon Astley (The Who, Pete Townshend, Tears For Fears, The Boomtown Rats, Bad Company and more) has handled the 24-bit Digital Remaster from original tapes at ‘Close To The Edge’ Mastering in Twickenham, England – and this sucker ‘rocks’ for all the right reasons.
Highly Recommended (contributors get lossless)
01 – Two Tickets To Paradise
02 – You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me
03 – Wanna Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star
04 – Save A Little Room In Your Heart For Me
05 – So Good To Be In Love Again
06 – Baby Hold On
07 – Don’t Worry
08 – Jealousys
09 – Got To Get Another Girl
10 – Gamblin Man
Eddie Money – vocals, keyboards, harmonica, saxophone
Jimmy Lyon – guitars
Gary Mallaber – drums, percussion
Lonnie Turner – bass
Gene Pardue – drums
Bob “Pops” Popwell – bass
Tom Scott – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
Alan Pasqua – keyboards
Randy Nichols – keyboards, synthesizer, background vocals
Freddie Webb – keyboards
Kevin Calhoun – percussion
Jo Baker – second vocal on “Baby Hold On”
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www.amazon.com/EDDIE-MONEY/dp/B00AB7B2FO