A Well Recorded Album that Should Be More Popular with Audiophiles

More Debut Albums of Interest

This is clearly Eddie Money’s best sounding album. Roughly 100 other listings for the Best Sounding Album by an Artist or Group can be found here.

In our opinion, his debut is the only Eddie Money record you’ll ever need. Click on this link to see more titles we like to call One and Done

The average copy is way too compressed, which kills the top end (by making the cymbals aggressive) and the vocals too midrangy. When you’ve got a copy of Eddie Money’s debut that’s doing what it’s supposed to do, you know pretty quickly. The highs are sweet and extended, the vocals are present, but without any spit or strain, and there is solid bass and low end propelling everything forward.

Eddie Money has only made one good record in our opinion — this one. Fortunately, it’s a GREAT one and we don’t have to play any of his others. This guy had so much promise, based solely on his debut here. He lost his brilliant guitarist and arranger, Jimmy Lyon, soon after this first album was made, and that may account for his slide into mediocrity.

But this record is outstanding from first note to last. If at the end of the second track — a cover of You Really Got A Hold On Me — you are not rockin’ out, then Eddie Money is just not for you. I love this album and I played it countless times back in the day.

This album checks off a few of our favorite boxes:

• It’s a Masterpiece of Rock and Pop 
• It’s Part of the Core Collection of Well Recorded Rock & Pop Albums
• It’s a Record We’ve Discovered with (Potentially) Excellent Sound
• It’s a Record that Sounds Best on the Right Early Pressing 
• It’s an Outstanding Debut Album
• It’s Brilliantly Engineered by Bruce Botnick

Side One

Two Tickets to Paradise
You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me
Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star
Save a Little Room in Your Heart for Me
So Good to Be in Love Again

Side Two

Baby Hold On
Don’t Worry
Jealousys
Got to Get Another Girl
Gamblin’ Man

AMG  Review

This strong debut benefits greatly from the expertise of veteran producer Bruce Botnick as well as the likes of former Steve Miller bassist Lonnie Turner and saxman Tom Scott. Guitarist Jimmy Lyon was to Money what Keith Scott was to Bryan Adams. Money, son of a New York City cop, had a rock & roll epiphany en route to following his dad’s career path. The debut album, long on craft but not without inspiration, deservedly shot radio-ready tunes ‘Two Tickets to Paradise’ and ‘Baby Hold On’ up the charts, the latter helped by former Elvin Bishop songmate Jo Baker. The key tune is the spirited ‘Wanna Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,’ which spells out the game plan.

Billboard Review

With much of the same urgency Money stands as perhaps a lighter but still gutsy-voiced Bruce Springsteen. His performance exudes a certain authenticity of main line rock without seeming derivative or repetitious. Part of the credit goes to his backing, a tight and sizzling but not bombastic rock force of musicians that support Money’s vocals, sax and keyboards.

Best cuts: “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me,” “Wanna Be A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star,” “Got To Get Another Girl.”

– Billboard, 1977.