Belinda Carlisle Album: “Belinda”

Finally! Belinda Carlisle's solo debut in magnificently remastered form! Never have the hits "Mad About you" and "I Feel The Magic" sounded so vibrant!

While not all the material stands the test of time ("From The Heart," "Shot In The Dark"), the majority of the album is solid as an adorable, fun nod to the girl groups of the '60s, mixed with the lush pop sounds of the '80s.

Carlisle's finest moments are her stunning, loving cover of Freda Payne's "Band Of Gold," "I Never Wanted A Rich Man," and the album's ode to the ephemeral nature of romantic love "Stuff and Nonsense."

Also, this album sounds more akin to the Go-Go's work than any of Carlisle's other solo work, so most Go-Go's fans should enjoy this collection.

Sadly, the bonus material rings more than a little redundant, with three additional versions of "Band of Gold," and all of them inferior to the album version. However, the extended version of "Mad About you" is pure pop Heaven.

Bottom line: Belinda Carlisle fans and Go-Go's fans should find this CD wonderful listening.

Out of the ashes of the Go-Go's, came Belinda Carlisle, fresh from rehab and ready to conquer the pop music world with the opening bass beats in "Mad About You". Result? An unqualified success.

When I first saw her in the "Mad About You" video, I'd never even heard of the Go-Go's. Fortunately, I was able to catch up in time. Now there was a woman I found unimaginatively beautiful! Anyway, those opening basslines. And that's Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor doing that guitar solo in the song's middle.

The bouncy "I Need A Disguise" is another singleworthy song, co-written by Susanna Hoffs that's got a tight slick beat. "Shot In The Dark" is another song that's an even better candidate for the dance floor.

Case of singles chart injustice No. 103039: "I Feel The Magic" is another one of those singles that deserved to enter the Top Ten, much less the Top Forty. As it turns out, it didn't. This despite a familiar and welcome sugary voice on background vocals: Susanna Hoffs. Sheesh!

In watching a documentary on the making of this album, bandmate Charlotte Caffey remarked on Belinda's perceptive ability to notice song similarities. According to her, "I Never Wanted A Rich Man" sounded like something Rod Stewart would do. Yes, Belinda, it sure does.

She does a tasteful cover of Freda Payne's 60's classic, "Band Of Gold" As for ballads, she does best on "Since You've Gone" and "Stuff And Nonsense".

Belinda gets a lot of help from a lot of big names. Much of it comes in songwriting credits. Her ex-bandmates, Charlotte Caffey and Paula Brown (Jane Wiedlin's Go-Go's successor), come to the rescue here, as does Susanna Hoffs. All three help out on backing vocals as does Jane Wiedlin.

So, is this CD great? Hey, I ended up not speaking to a then-good friend because he dissed it. That was back in 1986, and this album has survived its potency with age.

I bought this in 7th grade after I'd collected her other 2 albums from that time, Heaven On Earth and Runaway Horses. It was different from her other 2 albums and I fell in love with it. Her voice is awesome and so is the wind instruments and keyboards. I took Belinda with me to the Oregon Coast camping that summer and I'd play it in my walkman on the way down there, and in the camper sleeping that night. Awesome!

Belinda is thirty-seven minutes and eight seconds long and was released on June 3, 1986. Belinda reached #13 on the Billboard 200 Album charts and went Gold. The cassette released three singles from it and only two hit the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. If you are looking for the Go-Go sound in this cassette, it is not there. This is truly Belinda Carlisle doing her own music. So some of the songs don't have that pop beat to it. Still this is a great cassette to listen to. Belinda gets a B+.

Side One

Mad About You

#3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles

#29 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary

#21 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play

#19 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales

I Need A Disguise

Sine You've Gone

I Feel the Magic

#82 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles

I Never Wanted A Rich Man

Side Two

Band of Gold

#26 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play

#38 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales

Gotta Get To You

From the Heart

Short In the Dark

Stuff and Nonsense

Well it's about time they re-mastered Belinda's first album!! The sound is crystal clear!! The company should really release this in the US...there are so many Belinda Carlisle fans that have to have this album!!

Although the mid-80s songs sound a bit dated, the cd sounds great!! The extra tracks featured on the CD are great..its so great to hear the extended version of 'Mad About You' on a CD.

This is a must for all Belinda fans!!