JohnFB
She was born to belong to the lines of a song...
It depends what you mean by “4 good songs”. ‘If I Had You’ has turned up time and again in many articles and reviews of Lovelines and Karen’s album as being the standout track - something I’ve shared here many times. Even Richard described it as the “possible exception” from the album as being the one that could have launched a solo venture for her in 1980 (something I always thought was a begrudging acceptance that she’d come up with a hit).
Overall, I prefer IF WE TRY - great song, great vocal, great arrangement, great smooth jazz feel - just a perfect recording!
I really like IF I HAD YOU - great everything too - the only thing that bothers me a little is the lengthy multi-layered background vocals at the end - I think it should have had a cleaner, shorter ending like TRY - but I know some of you good people enjoy that, and that's just fine...
Yes, the 2 IF songs and MAKE BELIEVE...too bad there wasn't more like them on there...but then there are, at this point, too many "too bads", and it's frustrating and maddening...At the very worst, that applies to this album, I believe. Were there half a dozen hit singles on it? No. Was there any material on there worthy of a shot at the Billboard Top 100, compared to what else was out there at the time…and compared to ‘Goofus’? I’d bet any money there was.