Billy Squier Albums (14)
'Emotions in Motion/Signs of Life'
Release Date 3/31/2008
Tracks 20
Label BGO
See Album Tracklist and Review
'From the Front Row...Live!'
Release Date 5/20/2003
Tracks 14
Label Silverline
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Live'
Release Date 5/4/2000
Tracks 10
Label EMI-Capitol Special Markets
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Poor Billy Squier: After four brilliant records, two with Piper and his first two solos (he refers to Don't Say No in "Pursuit of Happiness."), Squier fell victim to record company pressure and, like many '80s rock stars, lacked the business savvy to survive in the big time (at least he never coughed up an awful factory ballad smash). Out from under the limelight, he hides behind nothing on this bare-bones effort: just stark Squier and his guitar up-close and live. But Happy Blue is anything but happy. He still suffers from outside interference, as VH1 forced him to rerecord "The Stroke" for an acoustic performance, inadvertently instigating this project. Actually, his songwriting skills were never questioned, but production set apart most of his hits. Thus, on "Stroke Me Blues" the words don't fit the music. Squier's now a tired victim of "The Stroke," and bitterness peppers the entire album: "I don't wanna be happy/if happy means I got to be like you/wake up in the morning/try to satisfy somebody new." He alters Joni Mitchell's "River": "I've made a ton of money but I can't buy out this scene." Give Squier credit for stripping down, but this release is only for the faithful, which doesn't seem to matter to the Bostonian. He annotates the lyric booklet with wildly pretentious explanatory capsules: "Inferno," of course, sprang from Dante; this cut cascades with Zeppelin flourishes and "Long Way to Fall" drops Buckingham bits. "More than Words Can Say" (not the standard Leo Sayer covered nor the Alias monster ballad), "Grasping for Oblivion," and "If You Would Hate Me Less, I'd Love You More" are stunning and fit the style. Squier is truly talented and this record creeps up on the listener. By the end of Happy Blue, one prays the artist finds the peace he seeks. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide
'King Biscuit Flower Hour'
Release Date 8/27/1996
Tracks 14
Label King Biscuit
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Originally aired on the syndicated radio show of the same name, King Biscuit Flower Hour captures a concert Billy Squier gave in 1983 in Centrum, Massachusetts. At the time the concert was released, Squier was at the peak of his popularity -- he had just released two consecutive Top 10 albums and had been on the airwaves with songs like "Everybody Wants You," "The Stroke," "Emotions in Motion," "In the Dark," and "My Kinda Lover." On King Biscuit Flower Hour, he runs through most of these hits and throws in some album tracks. Squier and his band is energetic and sounds rawer than they do on the studio records and their more powerful live sound makes King Biscuit Flower Hour worthwhile for dedicated fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Tell the Truth, Billy Squier's final album for Capitol Records, proved to be heartbreaking experience for the rocker. Tragically, one can only guess why the label even chose to release this record. The following theories spring to mind. Perhaps the album was a tax write off, a favor to Squier, or, worse, released to fulfill the singer's contractual obligation (which sometimes proves to be a cheaper proposition rather than buying the artist out of his/her deal). Released at a time when Squier's public profile was, shall we say, less than stellar, the label chose to completely overlook the album. To make things worse, in the wake of the Seattle explosion, Capitol had just experienced another changing of the guard. Surprisingly, apart from its god-awful artwork (Squier's concept), Tell the Truth isn't a half bad record. Squier has always had a special place in his heart for the album, claiming it to be one of his proudest artistic achievements. And there's something to be said for that. Produced by Blondie and Pat Benatar knob-man Mike Chapman, the album doesn't sound too dated today. The record also featured some other anomalies for the singer. For one, it was recorded literally all over New York City. Tracking songs at Magic Shop, The Power Station, and Clinton, and later overdubbing them at Electric Lady, RPM, and others, it's clear that a lot of work went into this. Lovingly recorded and mixed by future superstar producer Kevin Shirley, the album definitely has its moments. The melancholic "Lovin' You Ain't So Hard," the AC/DC meets Squier of old "The Girl's All Right," and "Breakdown" are all worthy efforts. "Angry" is self-explanatory, as is "Lovin' You Ain't So Hard." Again, it's a real shame that this record came out a time when bands like Soundgarden were the talk of the town. As a result, the album's timing couldn't have been worse. If you're a Squier fanatic, the ironically named Tell the Truth (perhaps jab at Capitol?) is a bookend worth having. If you're not a die hard, stick with the essential Don't Say No and Emotions in Motion. ~ John Franck, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Squier adds a little bit of keyboard color to his otherwise guitar-driven repertoire on 1984's Signs of Life, his fourth album that comes on the heels of his solid Emotions In Motion release two years prior. His highest charting single, "Rock Me Tonite," is a pulsating array of Squier's pent up energy amidst the cliched candor of bright synth and electric guitar. Although it's well worth its number 15 chart setting thanks to its explosive chorus, the remaining offerings from the artist quickly lose themselves in 1980's pomposity, which could be felt when the album was fresh, and is even more obvious today. His usual thrusts of guitar energy are overlapped with an onslaught of unnecessary production and overly-resilient synthesized rhythms. Songs like "Another 1984" and "Eye on You" try hard to carry out their science fiction motifs, but lose themselves in an overabundance of keyboard wash. "All Night Long" does exemplify Squier's trademarked vivaciousness, reminiscent of his work from his last album or 1981's Don't Say No, but this is where his enthusiasm runs out. What lacks on Signs of Life is the over-the-top approach that Squier usually adds to his music, made up of jump-start riffs and hollow but appeasing guitar loudness. Except for "Rock Me Tonite," this album fails to represent Squier as the bonafide rocker he really is. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide
