Music Review by Bill Rendall
Reckless - Bryan Adams
Genuine rocker or schmaltzy balladeer? Bryan Adams is both. This has earned him a wide audience but also more than his fair share of detractors.
Reckless is a shining light from a dark time in the history of rock. Bryan Adams and his cowriter Jim Vallance penned an album full of rock classics. It contains the nostalgic rock anthem 'Summer of 69', the power ballad 'Heaven', and the powerful duet with Tina Turner 'It's only Love.'
A lesser known but significant song is 'Kids Wanna Rock.' This song is an anachronism and convinces me that Adams is a genuine rocker. The musical style and the lyrics both staunchly support rock against the musical trend of the time epitomised by "weird haircuts" and "computerised crap."
Reckless sold well considering it was released at a time when anything that sounded like seventies rock was shunned by many people. However, it wasn't until several years later that Adams was to become a really big record seller.
In 1991 Bryan Adams got the chance to provide a song for the movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He provided the ballad '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You' with some contribution from the movie composer Michael Kamen. The song was a massive hit.
Bryan Adams followed up with a number of successful power ballads. After years of hard grafting I am pleased that Adams got the recognition he deserved. However, I tired of his formulaic power ballads and I can understand where his critics are coming from.
Regardless of the musical direction that Adams took in the nineties I look back fondly on Reckless as a true rock album in a time when the future of rock was under threat.
The no-frills traditionalism of the Reckless album cover matches the music within.
Band Members:
Bryan Adams - Guitar, Vocals
Jim Vallance - Bass