Love it ()

I still play this...instead of getting tired of it, it just gets better with repeated listenings...wish it was on CD, I've about worn it out...

Great Time On The Road Promoting This Classic! ()

This album "Micheal Smotherman" was a hit in 1982 and it is still a hit. As Smotherman's synth player on the road (from Los Angeles to NY) while helping promote this exciting record for Epic Records when it was first released, I can attest to Smotherman's amazing ability to write hit songs and arrange music. Smotherman and his hand-selected group of musicians who comprised his live band were as exciting back then as the recording was. All these years later, as a New Orleans piano player and entertainer at the Ritz-Carlton, I perform my own songs now but I always make space in my shows to cover Smotherman's amazing classic "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" which is featured on this masterful recording.

What a Great CD ()

Man, I have been looking everywhere for this CD! I remember seeing these video's from this CD on HBO's Video Jukebox and just totally falling in love with all these songs (I will always remember the lady in the red dress moving from side-to-side in "Crazy in Love"...man, what a knock out).

Love this album ()

Do I ever cross your mind is the best . I remember seeing about this record on USA Network late at night. I wish it was on CD

I wish I could find this on CD ()

It is true greatness. I bought the album after seeing an early video (pre-MTV) for Freedom's Legacy (which I also wish I could find a copy of). Some of the finest music I've heard anywhere.

Better than his 1977 effort but still not great ()

This 1982 selftitled effort is better than Smotherman's 1977 selftitled album but really only in style and even then, it doesn't blow one away. Billy is listed as guitars and vocals on "Cold burn" which is the album's best track, a useful dancy rocker which you can take seriously unlike much material here but I wouldn't say Billy stands out that much here but it makes a good addition to his discography bringing out more modern sounding (of 1982 anyways) rock textures than what is mostly in his cannon currently. He also co wrote the song with MS along with "Do I ever cross your mind" which is the album's best ballad and it's performed here with a smooth keyboard arrangement which though there is more of later in the album, it makes a good change of pace when listening to it in full and as Billy has performed this song live in a more country styled croon, it's a good way to hear it if you're not familiar with this version but you are with Billy's live renditions. Other ballads work OK here like the fair piano/clave featured fare of "Magic wishes" and the soft, plinky but silky closer "Freedom's legacy". As for the other up tunes that work besides CB, there's really only one, which is the more rock sounding funk of "(Would you love me) All the way down". There is another funk attempt here called "Fais do do" but it sounds rather trite now due to it's lightweight chirpy keyboards and obvious displays of "trying to sound hip" (but failing of course). The rest I couldn't really take seriously like the peppy clapping opener "Crazy in love", "Green eyes" which to me sounds like a rip off of David Bowie's "Young Americans". the frentic rhythm guitar piffle of "Matter of time" and the fast "If you think you're hurtin' me (Girl you're crazy)" which sounds like it's trying to straddle the new wave and rockabilly fences with it's electric horn bursts. As I say though this is the better of the two albums by quite a margin but one that you can still wait to get.

I wish I could find this on CD ()

This is true greatness. I bought this album after seeing an early video (pre-MTV) for Freedom's Legacy (which I also wish I could find a copy of). Some of the finest music I've heard anywhere.