Could there be a bigger Player fan base than the Glory Daze readership? I am certain that this band’s popularity is already at an all time high, the band were on a high during the 1976-1978 era, and ‘Danger Zone’ the sophomore effort slipped into the 1978 stream of consciousness as easy as a Leon Spinks left hook!
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Player
ALBUM: Danger Zone
LABEL: RSO
SERIAL: RS-1-3036
YEAR: 1978
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Peter Beckett – vocals, guitars * J.C Crowley – vocals, guitars * Ronn Moss – vocals, bass * John Friesen – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Love In The Danger Zone * 02 Silver Lining * 03 I Just Wanna Be With You * 04 Forever * 05 I’ve Been Thinkin’ * 06 Prisoner Of Your Love * 07 Join In The Dance * 08 Wait Until Tomorrow * 09 Let Me Down Easy
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Could there be a bigger Player fan base than the Glory Daze readership? I am certain that this band’s popularity is already at an all time high, and I, as Editor of this website certainly don’t need to preach to the converted! Even our resident writer DangerZone will be smacking his lips that our team have finally gotten around to this little beauty from 1978.
When we wind the clock back to this year, the success generated from Player’s 1977 debut was still filtering through with gay (and I use that term in the most appropriate of situations) abandon!. ‘Baby Come Back’ was fresh on everyone’s minds as was ‘This Time I’m In It For Love’. The band were on a high, and ‘Danger Zone’ the sophomore effort slipped into the 1978 stream of consciousness as easy as a Leon Spinks left hook!
There was a point of difference though. The debut was quite a west coast, summery and happy sort of album. ‘Danger Zone’ however, goes in deep, the rockier and some would say near ‘progressive’ elements of the band came home to roost on this one.
The Songs
Leading off with ‘Love In The Danger Zone’, this starts out as smooth west coast before their rock intentions tell all on the chorus. The strength of the band lies in their huge harmony vocals, to be heard all the way through the album.
One of my favourite Player songs of all time is ‘Silver Lining’. Bedecked with massive vocal harmonies and more hooks than a weekend fisherman, this one features great guitar/keyboard interplay, plus of course that famous synth solo through the middle! Aah classic stuff!
It’s followed by the easy-on-the-ear ‘I Just Wanna Be With You’, with holds a quasi disco-funk vibe intertwined with a straight-ahead 70’s pop approach. ‘Forever’ is one of the rockiest songs here, complete with hard riffing guitars and Supertramp like Wurlitzer keys propping up the arrangement.
Taking the wistful and poetic angle is ‘I’ve Been Thinking’, the vocal harmonies are as rich as the Federal Reserve coffers, and though it’s a ballad, it fires up with guitar fuelled delight by songs end. ‘Prisoner Of Your Love’ is one of the better known songs from the album, released as one of two singles off the album (the other being ‘Silver Lining’), reaching #27 in the Billboard charts .
‘Join In The Dance’ is less about west coast and more about pure AOR, and gives us some indication toward their next two fantastic albums, whereas ‘Wait Until Tomorrow’ IS indeed about west coast, a breezy summery effort in the vein of similar era Jay Ferguson. Those big vocals return for the sing-a-long ‘Let Me Down Easy’, a great way to ease up on this superb release.
In Summary
DZ, in his review of the Player debut (click Player tag below), mentioned that the recipe was laid for more goodies to come on their next three albums. The ease in which this band migrated to greatness (IMO at least) through this period was evident as early as this album. I recall buying this way back in my school days and it still remains a firm favourite decades later. Read more about the history of the band through the late 70’s and early 80’s through the album reviews below (click the tag).
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