David Roberts - All Dressed Up (1982/2014) [Hi-Res]

In 1982, Canadian session vocalist David Roberts decided to release his own album, receiving some pretty hefty production help from Greg Mathieson, known for his work with Barbra Streisand and Olivia Newton-John, among others. Two singles came off of Robert's All Dressed Up album, with the placid, afternoon feel of "Boys of Autumn" getting a bit of air time on mainly easy listening radio stations. The other single, styled much in the same fashion was "Anywhere You Run To," which sounded like something that England Dan & John Ford Coley or Seals and Croft would have put out. With Toto musicians Steve Lukather on guitar, Jeff Porcaro on drums, and brother Mike Porcaro playing bass guitar, All Dressed Up initiated a sturdy enough soft rock feel, but the tracks suffer from shallow lyrics and an overflow of Barry Manilow-like balminess. "Never Gonna Let You Go" and "All in the Name of Love" are tuneful enough and are easily the second best set of songs as far as melody is concerned, and they prove that Roberts harbors some talent in his singing. This was the only album that David Roberts ever made, which was deleted by the end of the decade. ~ Mike DeGagne