Search - Melissa Manchester :: Emergency

At Long Last! Her Swan Song For Arista.

J. Thng | Singapore | 08/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first time EMERGENCY is EVER released in CD, and together with her rare and OOP Japanese press CDs (if you can ever get one), and the rare release of the some of her best albums on Arista by Wounded Records, my search for her complete catalogue for more than 15 years have at long last ended. (Granted, I'm still awaiting for her MCA Mathematics album to be released on CD).



EMERGENCY is produced by Arif Martin after her successful collaboration for her 2nd highest charted HEY RICKY album that spawned her highest Billboard singles chart with the No. 5 disco hit "You Should Hear How She Talks About You," which also won her a Grammy for Best Female Vocal Performance. It was Melissa's last album for Arista and continued the "Disco" sound of Hey Ricky though it did not fare as well. There was however a minor hit - "No One Love Me More Than You Do" - Pop #78/AC #34 and another club favorite, the delicious track "City Lights" that when remixed for Hot Tracks, climbed high on the club charts. But no 12" was released of "City Lights" and her contract with Arista lapsed.



It is however a through and through enjoyable album despite the poor charting. There are some fab song writers - Robert Palmer and Bernie Taupin (Elton John's long time song writing parter) contributed the upbeat "Johny & Mary", Tom Snow wrote the charming "I Don't Care what People Said" and Melissa wrote the wonderful ballad "Time" with Carole Bayer-Sager and Burt Bacharach. Terry Britten a prolific Australian singer/songwriter who has written songs for Tina Turner (What's Love Got To Do) and Olivia Newton-John (Love Made Me Strong from Physical), contributed the hit "No One Can Love". Melissa, a fantastic songwriter herself, contributed the touching "White Rose" and danceable "City Lights". The only song I personally did not like was the title track.



Following her success in the disco market her first release with her new label MCA records spawned two 12" singles, "Mathematics" and "Energy." Both failed miserably and she fled back to her beloved MOR audiences. Throughout the remainder of the 1980's and 1990's, Manchester alternated occasional recording with scriptwriting and acting, appearing with Bette Midler in "For The Boys" and on the television series "Blossom" as the title character's birth mother. In the spring of 2004 she released her first new album in over 10 years."

Superb album that got less attention than it deserved

DVD buff | Austin, TX USA | 08/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Let's get one fact out of the way -- Melissa Manchester is one of the best there is. Tremendous songwriting skills, amazing vocal talent. EMERGENCY remains one of my very favorite of her albums. It didn't produce any hit singles, but that seems to have more to do with a lack of promotion than with a lack of good songs.



The album certainly fit its time period. It is an album full of '80s pop songs. Melissa Manchester had made the transition from the '70s and had adapted well to the synthsizer- and drum-machine-driven pop of the early '80s. But beyond the slick production were some really GOOD songs. "White Rose" and "Time" certainly rank with Ms. Manchester's best ballads.



Arista Records should be ashamed of the way Melissa Manchester has been treated -- both then and now. Not only did this album not get the attention it deserved when it was released, but it's taken 23 years for us to get it on CD! Wounded Bird Records didn't go to any trouble (the CD cover looks like a poor scan of an album cover and there are almost no liner notes to speak of), but at least we have the album on CD.



So while this may not be the BEST Melissa Manchester album ever, it's certainly one of the better ones. Fans of early '80s pop will definitely enjoy it."

Thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa thumpa thump clap clap cl

John L. Hughes, Jr. | Nashville, TN | 11/20/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"After the success of 1982's HEY RICKY and the Grammy winning smash "You Should Hear How She Talks About You", Melissa Manchester and producer Arif Mardin decided to continue on the "Flashdance" tip for EMERGENCY. Manchester wraps her golden throat around quirky Fairlight synths, screaming guitar solos and thundering Linn Drum programming on such mid to uptempo raves as the title track, the minor hit "No One Can Love You More Than Me", the cute, girl group-like "That Boy", and the 80's video-ready "City Nights". Things slow down a bit towards the end of the album with the beautiful ballads "White Rose" and "Time". On these smoothies, the drum machines and scorching guitar leads take a break to allow Melissa's voice to really shine. EMERGENCY is not Manchester's best, but it's an interesting 80's timepiece."