(Arista, LP & CD, 1989)
Those of us who have a bit higher mileage on our life odometers, say, enough to remember the heyday of Top 40 radio, should remember Dion. Dion (DiMucci) exploded out of the Bronx in the late 1950’s to become one of the most popular performers of rock-pop music of the day. With his first group, the Belmonts, then with the Del-Satins, and then solo, he racked up no less than 39 Top 40 hits in the late 50’s and 60’s. Though he continued to perform and record, his popularity waned in the 70’s. In the 1980’s his muse got religion and he came out with a number of Christian music albums which were well-received in that field but not what you would call commercially successful.
Then in 1989 he returned to his secular roots with this album, which, in my not-so-humble opinion is nothing less than a glorious rock’n’roll achievement. And this is a rock’n’roll album, no mistake about that. If your taste in music does not extend to that genre, this album and this review may not be of much interest. But if that is indeed the case, you have my sympathy.
Here we have that wonderful, Bronx-flavored voice, with powerful backing by some of the best talents in rock music. What talents, I hear you ask? All but one of the cuts were produced by rock guitar master/producer luminary Dave Edmunds, who also plays on and sings background on many of the numbers. Also contributing here and there are other major names who cite Dion as an influence, including Lou Reed (who did the honors inducting Dion into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989), K.D. Lang, Paul Simon, Patty Smyth, Bryan Adams, and other very talented if lesser-known musicians.
The album kicks off strongly with, “King of the New York Streets.” This song, while a look back at Dion’s early years in pop and rock, is also a declaration in no uncertain terms that he has survived, he has triumphed, and he has returned to the music that made him famous. And that’s just for openers. Some reviewers cite this as the best song on the album, and the Rolling Stone reviewer called it “riveting.” It ain’t my favorite, but it is decidedly intriguing. It ends with the admission, “I was wise in my own eyes. I awoke one day and I realized, You know this attitude comes from cocaine lies.”
The tempo picks up a notch with “And the Night Stood Still,” a love song with some wonderful guitar work that I assume must be Edmunds. Next up is the title cut, “Yo Frankie,” another but different kind of love song, with a keyboard backing that gives it an almost honkytonk vibe. I will admit that, as on most albums, there are a couple of lesser cuts here, however there are other killer songs that more than compensate. Such as:
“Written on the Subway Wall/Little Star” leads with a rocking remembrance of teen life in the city, and then slips in a brief lead vocal part by Paul Simon. “Drive All Night” is another up-tempo song, co-written by Bryan Adams who sings background and plays rhythm guitar on it. “Loving You is Killing Me” is a non-stop, move-it-out song with a heartfelt plea: “It's life or death, girl, can't you see! So if you love me then set me free.”
Not that it’s all hard-driving R-n-R, mind you, but even those songs that aren’t are really well done and listenable. “Always In the Rain” is a rather touching story (said to be) about meeting a girl in a drug treatment center. And the album closes with “Serenade,” a slower and quite moving tune: “I never saw the sunshine 'til you turned out the light. I never saw my hometown until I stayed away too long. I never heard the melody until I needed the song.”
So not all hard rock’n’roll, by any means, but all of it – each song – is very well done. Some might quibble and suggest that, like so many popular albums of the 1980s, it is over-produced. Unless your system leans into a bright or hard-edged sound, I don’t think you’ll find it so – I don’t. For the most part this is great music, basically a triumph of a major talent supported by other talents. It deserves a spot in the collection of anyone who has any affinity for rock music. I definitely place it in the class of those worthy albums from the past that should not be forgotten.
On its release the album was positively received by the critics, who for the most part praised Dion’s vocals, his return to his pop/rock roots, and the backing and production. It was called a high point of his extraordinary career. That fickle body of record buyers known as “the public” somehow failed to... well, fully appreciate it, and it peaked at only #130 on the Billboard 200. It is available for cheap, both LP and CD, on Discogs. And I suspect that it is available on most streaming services.