Stepping out of my favorite decade and back into the 90's a bit with this post. You may not have ever heard the name 'Clark Datchler' before, but pop music lovers—especially those who were up on the music scene in the 80's—most certainly have heard his voice! If hits like "I Don't Want To Be A Hero", "Shattered Dreams" and "Turn Back The Clock" don't ring a bell, then maybe the name of the England band that Clark was once a member of will—JOHNNY HATES JAZZ. I still consider them to be one of the premiere pioneers of the sophisti-pop movement, even though they would only go on to release a couple of albums before splitting up. And if I had to choose, they're my favorite of all the sophisti-pop artists. So why hadn't I known that Clark had departed the group to pursue a solo career? First time I ever knew of the existence of 1990's "Raindance": I'd seen it listed as one of the music entries in the personal music database of my good friend Frank. Thought tonight would be a good time to check it out, as jazz continues to stay on my mind. I was really curious to see if Clark had retained the jazz-pop sound before I even played it.....more like expecting it to be. Midway through the opening track, "The State Of Play", I got a resounding answer loud and clear; the happy trumpet melody accompanying "Drowning My Sorrow" reinforced it. I'd always thought Clark had a good voice when he performed alongside his former bandmates—above average at the very least. But the voice isn't just good on these songs—it's absolutely great! Somehow, I think him getting to be the star of his own show has a lot to do with that; now I can see why he decided to go solo. And speaking about stars, but of a different type—I could draw a gold one next to each of the following: "Crown Of Thorns", "Close To The Edge", "True Confession", the title track, "Heart Of Hearts", "True Confession" and "Autumn Years". That's basically the whole album, I know, but I wanted to make sure every one of those deserving songs was mentioned. "Crown Of Thorns" is surely Clark's best performance; if not that one, then either one of the other two beautiful ballads, "Heart Of Hearts" and "Autumn Years". Don't miss on this music gem, or you just might find yourself standing outside in the rain instead of dancing in it:
1. The State Of Play
2. Drowning My Sorrow
3. Crown Of Thorns
4. Close To The Edge
5. It's Better This Way
6. The Last Emotion
7. Raindance
8. Heart of Hearts
9. True Confession
10. Autumn Years
11. Widow
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