Album of the Week #312.5: Billy Squier - Emotions In Motion (1982)

[Scott]

by "it was my plan the whole time" Scott

So if some people were a bit more patient they would see how this weeks AOTW was going to play out.  Its a two-fer!!  And was always always always my original intent to post it this way, and I had no other thoughts about how this was to be done this week, so it seemed logical and reasonable to post the 2010 remaster of Don't Say Know since the other post was a vinyl rip and that by adding the aforementioned 2010 remaster to the mix this could be a higher quality listening experience, and then add the wonderful follow up, Emotions In Motion, as a moving tribute to this dual threat artist who killed it in '81 and '82.  Yup that's what I meant to do the whole time ...

Click the Album Cover and Enjoy!!...

1. Everybody Wants You
2. Emotions In Motion
3. Learn How to Live
4. In Your Eyes
5. Keep Me Satisfied
6. It Keeps You Rockin'
7. One Good Woman
8. She's a Runner
9. Catch 22
10. Listen to the Heartbeat

Emotions in Motion, the excellent follow-up to Billy Squier's sophomore outing Don't Say No, saw Squier rise from theater headliner to bona fide arena rock sensation by delivering his most consistent solo record to date. Or at least one just as good as its predecessor. On this slice of AOR heaven, Squier expands on the Led Zeppelin-influenced exploits of Don't Say No. Right off the bat, Squier delivers an immediate blow to the head on the album's opening triumvirate Everybody Wants You, Emotions in Motion (a distant cousin of Queen's Get Down Make Love no doubt), and the moody Learn How to Live. Backed by longtime cronies -- drummer Bobby Chouinard, guitarist Jeff Golub, and keyboard player Allan St. John -- Squier effortlessly leads his ace band through the boogie-woogie of future concert staple Keep Me Satisfied. Squier also takes a few chances by veering into Rolling Stones territory on the horn-laced Catch 22. Borrowing heavily from Tumbling Dice, Catch 22 foreshadows a style that would become more prevalent on future records like Enough Is Enough and Creatures of Habit. Emotions in Motion saw Squier establish himself as a major rock star, embarking on a tour as Queen's support act on their U.S. Hot Space tour. As Queen's popularity in America began to wane, Squier would steal their thunder resulting in a huge headline tour of his own shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, for the Boston rocker, 1984's follow-up Signs of Life would yield the career-suicidal video for Rock Me Tonite (which features Squier rolling around pink satin sheets) eclipsing the many merits of his earlier works. Interesting side note is the album's cover art. It was commissioned by legendary artist Andy Warhol.

[Jon]

I listened to this within the last three months, so you need to try again. It has to be an album I haven't listened to in at least a year.

Oh, and it's "Don't Say No" not "Know". I AM RIGHT.

[Jon]

Not only that, but this album has ALWAYS started with "Everybody Wants You", not "Listen To The Heartbeat". You have ruined the flow of the album.

Now is the perfect time for some head crushing, but I'm just, well, not mad, but very disappointed and not in the mood.  

[Scott]

no idea how that happened, the order thing anyway...  being not in the mood, well that's a personal issue...

[Niels (Mod)]

It's not bad, but it's not where I want to be now. Maybe I would had liked it back then, maybe not. Now it's another waste of my listening-time, I'm affraid. "AOR-Heaven" is not a "word" I'm familiar with. But I do know AOR-Hell.

His voice reminds me a bit of Robert Plant's, maybe a cross between Plant and Rod Stewart.

It's difficult to say, if I prefer this album to the other one....the production is much better, but it's still an 80's-production, which sucks.

"Learn How To Live" isn't bad, for it's time.

In a way, this album might be the better one? But obviously not good enough for me in 2016.

Interesting listening to BS, but it kind of sounds like I would had guessed. I don't think I missed that much.

[Scott]

this was an album that played repeatedly on radio and my high school parking lot in every other car that pulled in.  it becomes part of you when that happens everyday for an extended period of time. this alone makes it a must have for me, the fact that it still sounds and feels like a great album is a bonus...

[Jon]

Those first three songs are absolute killer. The next track kinda loses me but the next three bring me back in. The rest is ok I guess, but it's a slight letdown. Overall, I like this album especially tracks 1-3. Really nice followup to "Don't Say NO" and the followup to this is, well, you know. He did get back on track with "Enough Is Enough" and his remaining albums were pretty good. His last, "Happy Blue" is in a different universe, but in a very interesting way.   

For some reason, now I wanna listen to more Billy Squier. Hmmm.....

[Scott]

Id like to hear Enough is Enough someday

[Jon]

It was posted on that site that shall not be named. Should I post it again? What a dilemma!

[Scott]

Yes