Review Summary: Want a new drug?
Some people will never truly know the power of Huey Lewis and the News beyond their contributions to the
Back to the Future soundtrack and
American Psycho. While the songs highlighted during those films may be fantastic in their own right, nothing can compare to the bliss of listening to their sensational magnum opus:
Sports. A title like that would normally suggest very one-sided connotations against the record as a whole, but thankfully the bandmates know exactly how to subvert expectations. Not a single sport is mentioned across the entire album (whether it be a team, player, stadium, the whole nine yards). The record may be simple enough to satisfy, though (often times) the simplest of things can summon happiness in even the coldest of hearts and souls.
For starters,
"The Heart of Rock & Roll" is a refreshingly optimistic opener that puts a positive perspective on the future to come for rock 'n roll music. Following that comes
"Heart and Soul", the highest-charting single off the record (which skyrocketed the band to obtaining a whopping 7 Platinum certifications), arguably the finest song featured, the song heavily benefits from having a sudden slam-bang of an intro (as opposed to the slow, but similarly abrupt, build-up which opened the former track) and a gripping chorus featuring irresistible guitar licks to boot.
"I Want a New Drug" may be recognized immediately by fans of the outstanding comedy series
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (
"The Gang Hits the Slopes") for the opening riff alone, but the song is just as awe-inspiring as the title for it suggests, highlighting the desire for
"a new drug" without the negative effects of all the bad ones, some kind of
"one that makes [Huey] feel like [he] feel[s] when [he's] with you". Pure, unbridled euphoria.
"If This Is It" and
"You Crack Me Up" are the one-two punch climaxes before the bitter end arrives. The former is a lighthearted plead with a lover amidst a relationship on the rocks, while the latter is a scatterbrained critique of a big-shot lady who Huey warns
"better listen to [his] suggestion before [she] wind[s] up in somebody else's song". Neither of these songs are top-notch in any regard, though they are both undeniably addicting and charismatic at the very least.
"You Crack Me Up", in particular, stands out while comparing the two because of the rollicking guitar-work throughout, all while Huey uses his vocal range to full-effect. If only they ended it there....
Where every great album features a wealth of gems, there will always be room for the unnecessary stinkers to spoil the riches. In this case,
"Honky Tonk Blues", a cover of Hank Williams, is an absolutely absurd addition. With a near-perfect array of songs before it,
"Honky" bounces around like an attention-seeking brat during Thanksgiving dinner and tries too hard to be catchy in the process. It is loud, repetitive and right up the alley of either Billy Ray Cyrus or Kenny Chesney. Easily the worst song ever recorded by the band, as it ranks highly among the worst album closers of all-time; especially when contemplating how wonderful the rest of the album is in retrospect.
Had it not been for the inclusion of the final song, this record would have been an instant classic from start-to-finish. All eight songs before the dismal finale are first-rate, happy-go-lucky masterpieces. With the combination of enticing vocal deliveries and groovy instrumentals throughout, this is unquestionably a joyous album which is constantly eager to please. The world could use another band such as this in-order to make our pop-rock stations more susceptible to uplifting, delightful melodies over meddling tracks with no heart and soul held within. All the same, Huey Lewis and the News are here to stay and their additions to the genre will forever be appreciated.
