The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 735

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Number 735 - Huey Lewis

Number 735

Huey Lewis

"Do You Believe in Love"

(1982)

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................Genre: Rock...............

Another entry in the charts for Huey Lewis (See Number 852). This song is a doozy for capturing the early 80's in sound. It's still a nice sounding song and really hasn't aged that badly considering its 25 + years old!
All aboard !

Huey Lewis and the News sound considerably more focused on their second album, Picture This. By incorporating stronger elements of R&B and doo wop (their cover of "Buzz Buzz Buzz" is first-rate) and embracing pop to a much greater extent, the News find their own distinctive sound -- clean-cut, steady middle-class rock & roll. They still suffer from uneven material, but "Do You Believe in Love" is a stunner, a tight set of polished, anthemic hooks that is one of the best mainstream pop singles of the early '80s. ~ [Stephen Thomas Erlewine]

What does RS Magazine think about Huey Lewis? On their second LP, Huey Lewis and the News prove they can cut loose when they feel like it, but more often they make nice with a brace of soulful pop confections designed to subliminally tweak the ears of today's half-tuned-in Walkman and -woman. Which is not to detract from the considerable achievement here: these guys have managed to gather together so many competing currents in one place that Picture This is a virtual sampler of musical fashion. In the same tune you'll hear everything from Graham Parker to Pat Benatar ("Change of Heart"), from the Doobie Brothers to Squeeze ("Tell Me a Little Lie"). Oh, and not forgetting the Southside Johnny-meets-ELO of "Do You Believe in Love," the band's Top Ten single.
Really, though, Huey Lewis buries his best intentions at the end of each side. "Workin for a Livin" is a boot-stomping blue-collar anthem and "Buzz Buzz Buzz" an authentic piece of the rockabilly. A little more of that kind of straight-ahead rocking would serve this upscale journeyman well. ~ [Source: RS 370] By the way even after a glowing review from RS they only gave it a 2 measily stars.

For more Huey Lewis see #852
For Graham Parker see #976

For Pat Benatar see #615, #832

For Doobie Brothers see #776, #868

For ELO see #384, #790

For UK Squeeze see #444

Need more information on the song "Do You Believe In Love"? Here are some SongFacts for you to ponder over! Click here > Fact Stuff [don't say you wern't warned]