Search - Roger Daltrey :: Parting Should Be Painless

Some very good songs and some wrong ones.....

luco | Panama | 12/27/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a cd Roger Daltrey did after THE WHO "broke up in 1983" and the title track refers to it: Parting should be painless"..

It contains some great songs such as "How does the cold wind cry" where Roger sings his heart out and also a ballad like "Would a stranger do?". He tried to promote "Walking in my sleep" as a single with a video. "Going Strong" is also a very good song. In the rest of the songs he does not sound confortable, so it seems somebody did some wrong choices.



It is clear that the excelent songs here are: "How does the cold wind cry", "Going Strong", "Would a Stranger do" and also good are the title track and "Walking in my sleep". The rest...we can forget about them."

Hit and miss

Anyechka | Rensselaer, NY United States | 05/01/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While I have come to the conclusion that Roger's solo work isn't as bad as it's often said to be, this album is definitely not one of the ones that should be used as an example of what Roger was capable of in his solo career. Exactly half of the songs (the title track, "Walking in My Sleep," "Would a Stranger Do?," "How Does the Cold Wind Cry?," and "Going Strong") are excellent, and the other half are dull, unforgettable, out of character for Roger's usual style. Not even my usual sentimentalism for Eighties music could save this one for me.



The title track and "Walking in My Sleep" are wonderful Eighties pop-rock songs, and thankfully they are the first two songs on the album, starting it off on a very good note. "Is There Anybody Out There?" has some moments, but overall isn't one of the album's key tracks. "Would a Stranger Do?," dealing with the familiar theme of two lonely strangers reaching out to one another and coming together for a night of emotional comfort and love, is a really beautiful ballad. Roger truly puts his heart and soul into singing this one. I think it's my favorite track on here. "Going Strong," while not one of my favorites, is one of the album's standout tracks, and was really tailor-made for Roger. All of the rest of the songs, bar the beautiful haunting ballad "How Does the Cold Wind Cry?," are milquetoast, dull, and forgettable. I agree that Roger does sound a bit uncomfortable singing these songs, since they're so out of his usual mold. Anybody could have sung these songs; they're missing his unique stamp.



In spite of half of the songs being great, I'd only recommend this album for completists or people who are far enough along in their exploration of Roger's solo work that they're not likely to be turned off and get the wrong impression by this album. The one word I would use to sum up this album is "unmemorable." At least, as always, he did the best he could with lousy material."