Eddie Money – Where’s the Party
Rock Candy Records
http://www.rockcandyrecords.com/store/?letter=E

Rating: C-

Eddie Money’s career was on fire, as three of his first four albums attained Platinum status in the USA.  He was all over FM radio and a major concert draw... life was for the taking.  In 1983, Money released what he could have only assumed would be another top selling album that would feature several more hit singles.  Little did he know his career was headed for the big crash!  Where’s the Party, upon release, tanked at #67 on the album charts with only one song even coming close to being a hit single.  The Money Man was thrown for a loop, and it would take three years before his comeback, which came in the form of the smash hit “Take Me Home Tonight” off of his next studio album, titled Can’t Hold Back. For now, things were bleak. 

There were statements of ‘health issues’ from his management and rumors of substance abuse from his peers, either way, the gravy train was over for Money.  The album was panned in the press as a flop, and not even the man who produced Money’s last Platinum release (the previous years No Control), Tom Dowd, could save the day.  Truth be told, there are not necessarily bad songs on this one, but they lack that special melodic-something that Money had in older tunes like “Baby Hold On,” “Two Tickets to Paradise” and “I Think I’m in Love.” This one only had two solid tracks.  FM radio came close to making “The Big Crash” a hit, and the title track was a natural show opener, but the rest of the tracks did not demand they be played again and again.  The album came and went without much notice. 

Rock Candy Records has included Where’s the Party in their current re-release series of Eddie Money albums.  Time has been kind to this one as the songs, while not his best, are better than history remembers them.  This is a nice, safe and pleasant effort.  Rock Candy did their usual remastering of the sound and they beefed up the CD booklet with new interviews and rare photos.  All in all, if you’re a fan of Edward Mahoney, then pick this one up for “The Big Crash” alone. 

Track Listing

1. MAYBE TOMORROW
2. BAD GIRLS
3. CLUB MICHELLE
4. BACK ON THE ROAD
5. DON’T LET GO
6. THE BIG CRASH
7. WHERE’S THE PARTY?
8. LEAVE IT TO ME
9. BACKTRACK

By Jeb Wright