Saturday 20 August 2022

Rock Me Baby - DAVID CASSIDY***

Rock Me Baby/Lonely Too Long/Two Time Loser/Warm My Soul/Some Kind Of Summer/(Oh No) No Way/Song For A Rainy Day/Soft As A Summer Shower/Go Now/How Can I Be Sure/Song Of Love

By late 1972 when Rock Me Baby was released teeny bop girl mania for David Cassidy was reaching a peak in the UK, although back in the USA his appeal was starting to wane. Features his British chart topping cover of How Can I Be Sure with the title track doing less well reaching No. 11. (US:41 UK:2)

Rock Me Baby launched a heavier sounding Cassidy on to the world market with great success. The title track is a great rocking number. Some pundits have even gone as far to say that if the song had anyone's name on the recording other than Cassidy's, it would be regarded as one of the best rock songs of the early 70s.”

“This music is great but still very pop as the music was largely controlled by record executives; David had very little input.”

“With Rock Me Baby Cassidy seems to have got his way with his insistence that he goes towards a more blatant rock sound. That may have worked if the rock songs were more tuneful, but Rock Me Baby is not a good song. How Can I Be Sure charted, and is a great song, another cover, many of which Cassidy nearly always performs well. The stand-out tracks for me are Some Kind Of Summer and Soft As A Summer Shower which are performed and produced beautifully.”

“If only Cassidy had come up with better tunes for the drier rock sound and direction at this critical juncture, then maybe Cassidy might have completely transitioned from teen-star to desired lead solo singer. The talent and drive were there, but easier said than done. It's not that Rock Me Baby is a bad album, it's just that those of us who loved David Cassidy expected great tunes for every track. Rock Me Baby did not provide any one great new original tune in this more desirable mature direction.”

“Superb quality recording; it is peaceful listening to the beautiful voice of David Cassidy, and tunes from once upon a time. Recommend to anyone who likes smooth music, some with some kick in them.”

“Former teen idol David Cassidy's second solo album is an attempt at blue-eyed soul that, for the most part, works well. Rock Me Baby was more expressive than anything he was allowed to record on the Partridge Family sessions. These tracks show off Cassidy's vocal range but there's nothing as catchy as on the Partridge Family albums.”

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