Go West

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Go West

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Before turning more toward pop-soul pursuits in 1992's comeback, "Indian Summer," Go West was a great rock band with a soul feel. Peter Cox's vocals are still unique in popular music, and there's some superb instrumentation, too, courtesy of Richard Drummie and the session players.

"We Close Our Eyes" was the hit, but "Don't Look Down," "S.O.S.," and "Haunted" are the hardest-rocking tracks. Go West also manages to turn in fine versions of 1980s standard song-types: "Goodbye Girl" is the fallen-out-of-love ballad, "Don't Look Down," the let's-not-question-love rocker.

But it's the instrumentation -- and Cox's soulful voice counts as an instrument here -- that makes the songs. Alan Murphy turns in great guitar solos, and check out the sax riff from Mel Collins near the end of "Eye to Eye." Go West would return to the featured sax solo on "Indian Summer," with Kirk Whalum taking over duties (the beginning of "Still in Love" is a classic).

The album as a whole has a quirky sensibility, from the hard-to-decipher lyrics to the small sketches on the liner that seem to mirror the songs. Who really has any clue what Cox is singing about on "Missing Persons"? What the heck is happening to Cox and Drummie in the cover photos? What does it all mean anyway? Who cares, just buy the album. It's the most consistently superb of Go West's regular albums, and Cox's voice alone makes it worth the trip.

Clocking in at almost 38 minutes, this self-titled debut album from Go West was released in 1985. The material is in a pop musical direction. Nine tracks are contained. The songwriting is tight, the musicianship is solid, and the sound quality is gratifying. Peter Cox does a nice job with the singing. My favorite songs are "Call Me," "Goodbye Girl," and "Missing Persons." "Call Me" is a gem that exhibits smooth, engaging keyboard work--especially on the intro--and a first-rate chorus. The pretty ballad "Goodbye Girl" features an attractive refrain, while the relaxed "Missing Persons" provides nice, breezy-sounding guitar playing. The CD booklet includes the song lyrics, a black-and-white photo of the band, and nine black-and-white drawings. This is a recommendable piece of work.