Odyssey - Hollywood Party Tonight (Expanded Edition) (1978)

Tracklist

01. Single Again / What Time Does the Balloon Go Up
02. Pride
03. You Wouldn't Know a Real Live True Love If It Walked Right Up, Kissed You on the Cheek and Said Hello Baby
04. Hey Bill (Last Night Was Really a Thrill)
05. Lilly & Harvey, Late to the Party Again
06. Lucky Star
07. Comin' Back for More
08. I Dare Ya
09. Single Again / What Time Does the Balloon Go Up (Single Version)
10. Lucky Star (Single Version)


Hollywood Party Tonight, the second album by Odyssey, found the New York trio unveiling a new lineup. Lillian and Louise Lopez remained, but Tony Reynolds had been replaced by Billy McEachern. However, Reynolds' departure didn't make much of a difference; Odyssey's soft, laid-back style of soul-pop (which had a subtle Caribbean flavor and occasional hints of jazz) was still distinctive and easily recognizable. Although not as strong or as consistent as Odyssey's self-titled debut album, Hollywood Party Tonight is a generally decent sophomore record. The 1978 LP, which went out of print after only a few years, didn't contain any hits; nonetheless, hardcore Odyssey fans who bought it found tracks like "Hey Bill (Last Night Was Really a Thrill)" and "Single Again" to be pleasant, if unremarkable. From a commercial standpoint, the problem with this album was a shortage of disco - people associated Odyssey with the exuberant disco smash "Native New Yorker," and Hollywood Party Tonight doesn't contain anything as overtly dance-oriented. Not that Odyssey was under any obligation to record disco; most of the tunes on its promising debut album were for listening rather than dancing. And the same thing can be said about this uneven sophomore effort, which isn't a masterpiece but has more ups than downs.

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