Purest Westcoast Sound

[Marl Vito Ferenal]

My first taste of westcoast sound was when I heard the Nielsen Pearson Band. That was before I knew about the many other bands and musicians who play that peculiar westcoast sound. So if someone asks me what is the first song that comes to mind if I want to describe the purest westcoast sound, it is "If you should sail". After that, I heard Peter Allen's "Fly Away", then I decided that I have to set out on a quest for westcoast music.

How about you? What is the first song comes to your mind?

[Simon Persson]

I would say that Marc Jordan (Blue Desert) & Pages have the real "westcoast-sound". Also Al Jarreau had a very Westcoastish sound during the 80-85period.

[Uptown79]

I totally agree with all of these and would also suggest Dionne Warwick's 'Friends In Love' album - stellar personnel and the tightest Jay Graydon production.

[Kristian]

Not to forget Maxus :) One of my first encounters with westcoast would probably have been Wild Horses with Vannelli and Pamela with Toto.

"You Need a Hero" with Pages is one song that always comes to mind when talking about "pure" westcoast.

Ps. I have a cool song with Vince Di Cola in my playlist, last 1.30 or so is just soo addictive Ds.

[Marl Vito Ferenal]

My new pure westcoast favorites are:

Bill Champlin's Gotta Get Back To Love
Pages' Who's Right Who's Wrong
Frank Stallone's Moody Girl
Marc Jordan's Margarita
Average White Band's For You, For Love

All of these songs have similar arrangements that I consider pure Westcoast sound.

[Ludvig Olsson]

The first bands my dad intodruced me to was Toto (the seventh one) and Mr. Mister so i gonna go with either "Broken Wings" or "Stop loving you" :)

[Marl Vito Ferenal]

Hi Ludvig,

I'm glad to know that you have acquired the taste of your dad for Westcoast music. Unfortunately my son didn't. I wonder what your father considers his first pure westcoast sound in mind if confronted with the inquiry.

Marl

[sven86]

I would like to add Greg Guidry's album Over the Line is one of the purest Westcoast albums out there, it's also my favorite :)

[sven86]

Uptown79 said:

I totally agree with all of these and would also suggest Dionne Warwick's 'Friends In Love' album - stellar personnel and the tightest Jay Graydon production.

I agree that 'Friends in Love' album is her purest Westcoast album, but I thought that what came a close second was her 'No Night So Long' album. It was a better album than her revival album that she did with Barry Manilow, yet it wasn't as popular. It's hard to find a CD version of it.

[Jez]

I'd go with

Airplay - S/T
Greg Guidry - Over The Line
Player - S/T
Chicago - 16-19
Nielsen/Pearson - S/T & Blind Luck
John O'Banion - Danger
John Valenti - S/T
Pablo Cruise - Part Of The Game
David Roberets - All Dressed Up
Toto - Seventh One

[Marl Vito Ferenal]

Hi Jez,

I am quite familiar with most of the albums you mentioned except Pablo Cruise Part of the Game and John O'banion Danger. What are the outstanding songs in these albums that best represent the purest westcoast sound?

Marl


Jez said:

I'd go with

Airplay - S/T
Greg Guidry - Over The Line
Player - S/T
Chicago - 16-19
Nielsen/Pearson - S/T & Blind Luck
John O'Banion - Danger
John Valenti - S/T
Pablo Cruise - Part Of The Game
David Roberets - All Dressed Up
Toto - Seventh One

[Michel]

Nice discussion here. I come from a more AOR background, so I had to 'discover' lots of westcoast-albums many years after their release. So I guess listening to bands like Chicago, Toto, i-Ten, Maxus and Airplay (bands that bridge WC and AOR perfectly) are the ones who got me more and more interested in westcoast. Up til now I'm still learning new things about this genre tho.

[Jez]

Marl

Pretty much all of the Pablo Cruise and John 'O Banion CD should suit most Westcoast fans. As usual, they are both Japanese only releases, so aren't the easiest to track down, especially the John O'Banion one, which I am still trying to get hold of. A great review of the Pablo Cruise is here http://www.glorydazemusic.com/articles.php?article_id=3164

John O'Banion's covers CD 'Hearts' is also a great one to get if you see it around.

Marl Vito Ferenal said:

Hi Jez,

I am quite familiar with most of the albums you mentioned except Pablo Cruise Part of the Game and John O'banion Danger. What are the outstanding songs in these albums that best represent the purest westcoast sound?

Marl


Jez said:

I'd go with

Airplay - S/T
Greg Guidry - Over The Line
Player - S/T
Chicago - 16-19
Nielsen/Pearson - S/T & Blind Luck
John O'Banion - Danger
John Valenti - S/T
Pablo Cruise - Part Of The Game
David Roberets - All Dressed Up
Toto - Seventh One