Cuts Like a Knife

by

Bryan Adams

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Bryan Adams definitely found his sound in this recording. He had experimented with some different styles on his first album, YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT IT, including New Wave (he doesn't even sound like himself on that album's "One Good Reason"). This album abandons all experimentation in favor of two predominant styles: hard rock and ballad. On CUTS LIKE A KNIFE, we do get more hard rock than anything else. I bought this on vinyl back in the summer of '83, and it has always been one of my favorite records from that period.

The first track, "The Only One," is sort of a hard-pop song that is fairly forgettable (put it to you this way, when was the last time you ever heard this song, much less played it on your own?). But then things get busy: we get the wonderful "Take Me Back" which has a bluesy-keyboard tune which is slightly reminiscient of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, with some soulful screaming on Bryan's behalf. "This Time" is a straightforward hard rock/pop song which easily made the Top 40 at the time (it even sounds like a single), but is nevertheless a catchy tune with enough heartfelt singing from Bryan to ensure it never reaches bubblegum status. "Straight From The Heart" is the first of two ballads on this record, and is very good. Interestingly enough, later that same year (1983), Bonnie Tyler did a version of that song on her explosive FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF NIGHT, and while I do like her slightly harder take on the song, I think that the Bryan Adams original is more memorable.

Of course, after this song we get the most memorable song on here, the wonderful title track which caused me to sing "na-NA-na-na-na-NA-na-NA" for the better part of that year! After "Cuts Like A Knife," you would expect the rest of the CD to pale by comparison, right? Wrong! The very next track is "I'm Ready" which is the greatest keyboard-hook-and-guitar-lick-laden hard rock track that Bon Jovi never recorded. Bryan Adams screams with authority "I'm ready!" and he sure sounds like he is ready...to rock us REAL good! :)

The next three songs "What's It Gonna Be," "Don't Leave Me Lonely," and "Let Him Know" are all good, but not very memorable. However, just as was the case on his debut album, this record ends with another very good piano-driven ballad. This one is called "The Best Was Yet to Come." It is a heartfelt, plaintive song dealing with the breakup of a relationship that the protagonist felt was strong and would have gotten even stronger, that is, until his girl broke up with him. Having experienced this same type of thing myself, and crying myself to tears listening to this song at the time, I must say that this song hit a particularly strong chord with me. Of course, it is because of this that I have not played the song since-- it's just too depressing for me now.

Overall, this is a great Bryan Adams CD that no one who likes him should ever be without! It's definitely one of his very best. :)

Even the hits "Cuts Like a Knife" and "Straight From The Heart" seem to be long forgotten by this time, it was the track called "Take Me Back" that takes me back to Hickam AFB in Hawaii back in the early eighties.

So, to dwell reminiscently about my early innocent Air Force days, let's go back:

Summer 1982. I'm just passed out on the sand. I guess I missed the last bus back to the base, and the girl I was with was gettin' hit on by another girl at the Club Rose on Piikoi Drive in Waikiki, so they left together. So basically, I spent all my money on beers and drinks for myself and the girl I went there with, whom which I can't remember her name, but I know her smell and I know her favorite hang-out so I'll see her again on base, back in uniform. This chick was hot when she was out of uniform and just lets her hair down. She might have even been an officer, for all I know.

Boy, what I wouldn't do to go back!

When I play this CD, I am reminded of my loss of innocence, but with ambitious desire to fulfill to rite of passage for my age, of my youthful early twenties.