This should have been the launching point for a superstar run of albums to the end of the decade. Instead, Nilsson Schmilsson stands as the idiosyncratic peak in the reluctant career of a pop star who seemed to wallow in self-sabotage far more than most in this line of work. That same trait is nothing more than an charming undercurrent to the more composed mainstream notes that Nilsson consistently hits throughout. "Without You" and "Coconut" were deserved international hits; both presenting the extremes within the artist - the sheer talent and sensitivity vs. a sense of humor gregarious enough for three people. The trap really springs shut once you get to "Jump Into The Fire", which is nothing more than a vamp, but oh what a vamp. There is still a bit of an outsider feel which is not going to connect with everyone, but out of all of the Nilsson albums this is the one where talent, songcraft, production, etc - all come together to form a very serious and solid record.
Essentially, Cameo gets back to what they always did best - make vapid dance-floor anthems sound cool, intelligent, and even somewhat innovative. The only difference now is, they are fully updated for the mid-1980's, but then again, the title track may well be one of those party grooves that stands the test of time. Certainly, as far as pure catchiness goes, it's hard to top "Word Up". They backed it up with six more songs that all had radio potential. Two of them were bona-fide hits ("Candy" and "Back and Forth"). Overall, despite some lingering questions, Cameo had definitely risen their game a few levels with this outwardly mainstream yet intriguing effort.
Years ago, I used to have to sneak around to friends' houses to watch this show, and got a rush out of watching it. The 1980s saw a revival of thriller anthology shows and Tales Of The Darkside was very much an 80s twist on a tried-and-true formula. That said...after revisiting the series, I have to say a good majority of these episodes do not hold up. A big part of the charm here is the memorable opening and narration by Paul Sparer, but it's a real hit-and-miss proposition otherwise.
The first two tracks are definitely a cut above anything the group had put out since the start of the decade, but overall they can't sustain the momentum throughout the entire album. Generally, you can gauge the lack of quality control by the uptick in seriousness (the back-to-back schmaltzy ballads "A Good-Bye" and "I'll Never Look At Love"), and there's still these silly reggae tangents (the sub-standard taunt "Little Boys - Dangerous Toys"), making this another mixed bag overall.
