The mellow sound of 80s funk-soul-disco, accented by the slight rasp in Richie’s voice. This music should only be listened to once twilight has set in—at the very least—and it absolutely must be warm outside.
Naturally, it’s glam in the tradition of Bowie and Bolan. A bit of Elton John. And, at times, a touch of "glam-Dylan." There’s more control over this particular style than before. And, of course, there are those epic, haunting songs.
A powerful Ice-T, paired with a strange, muffled-sounding instrumental track—as if it had been lifted from an entirely different recording. It’s neither the best rap nor the best metal; the ingredients were blended with only mediocre skill.
A glam-rock Bob Dylan. With "Mr Soft," things get genuinely interesting and original—evoking both Bowie and Slade right off the bat. "Ritz" features a wonderful, expansive, cosmic acoustic sound. The closer they lean toward conventional glam, the duller things get. "Cavaliers" is dreadfully long-winded, yet you find yourself waiting for that brilliant chorus every single time. "Sling It" has an insistent, buzzing quality—the kind you’d actually want to let into your home. While it drags in places, it’s certainly never boring; it’s frequently original, yet never feels forced or contrived. A worthy representative of the era.
The spirit of the Beatles—and the British Invasion in general—lives on in the early 80s material here. Jeff Lynne brought synthesizers to the track "Life Goes On," and the band essentially moves chronologically from the beginning of the album to the end. There are touches of solo McCartney and even Ringo. As for the main downsides, I’d point to Rundgren’s rather unpleasant vocal timbre. Ultimately, the result evokes "Magical Mystery Tour". It’s not bad, but it feels more like an homage than a fresh innovation.