What a tremendous pleasure to see albums like this available on iTunes Plus. Once available on CD in Japan but then VERY scarce and pricey - aren't they always? - this can now be downloaded at a very reasonable price, and no twiddling thumbs waiting for Postman Pat and Jess to get around to you either. I rate this set as their best and certainly most consistent set for Capitol. Perhaps not reaching the heights of their '70s Warners output, the album is definitely one that should be in your collection. Their chemistry is such that love, tenderness and devotion simply oozes from the speakers - without any unnecessary cheesiness or too much syrup. "Street Opera" was something of a concept album and frowned upon at the time. As far as I concerned it was another set which had it's high points and low points, but the highs are certainly enough to wave flags for them on here.Take the brassy "Love It Away" for starters - what a quality cut if ever there was one, and easily on par with anything you will find on "A Musical Affair". The string-infested ballad "I'll Take The Whole World On" contains some seriously tight harmony between Nick and Val, and this carries over into the brilliant early 80s midtempo stepper "We Can Make It Work Again". For dancers the uptempo "Street Corner" will be on the one, and I am certain it can also be found on the recent "Capitol Disco" album too. Some nice bass guitar and brass on here and warm 80s keyboards too. It is warming to the very cockles that albums like this can be found on the once-barren iTunes. But what else is lurking on there? Why don't they champion or advertise these things? Take a browse and you may find some real gems and surprises. This certainly made me smile and the more I see of this sort of material the better.
Barry Towler,
The Vibe Scribe.
