Martin Briley – One Night With A Stanger (1983)
Perhaps feeling the influence of the new wave, Martin Briley simplified the guitar lines and sped up the tempos on his second album. He also simplified his lyrics, which may have helped him get his first and only Top 40 hit with the lead-off track, a characteristic put-down song called “The Salt In My Tears” (as in “you’re not worth…”) Still complaining about love gone wrong, Briley was more often casting his tales of romantic wrongdoing in the third person and increasing the humor content on songs like “She’s So Flexible” and “Dumb Love,” which recount unusual, if not unlikely encounters, as well as the story song “One Night With A Stranger,” which revealed the dangers of one-night stands. Briley still wasn’t creating a distinctive musical persona — sometimes he sounded like Sting, sometimes like Phil Collins — but his writing showed enough promise that you hoped he would yet do so. And the surprise hit seemed to give him the opportunity.
OK, so the first album didn’t shake up the world like it should have, so here he is with the two punch….and it damn near worked. Briley is a master of rock melody and this album is like a palette of all the hues that make up the best colors in AOR/PowerPop/Rock – why Briley isn’t held in higher regard is beyond me, the man is a brilliant writer/musician/singer. If you like The Babys or Rick Springfield or Cheap Trick or any of the artists that are often linked to those, then this is an essential future purchase for you. For me it’s up there with warm woolen mittens and schnitzel with noodles.[/spoiler]
This is one of my absolute favorite 80’s records. Martin Briley was a talented songwriter, player and producer and to this day, I don’t get why he never broke through, especially with a hit (“Salt in my Tears”) and an album as strong as this one. Admittedly, his work reflects the times and can be a bit anachronistic to the modern ear, yet in my opinion, it maintains its integrity. His songs are clever and his writing is interesting, full of irony, sarcasm, wit, point of view and story-telling. This is a great album! He deserved better.
1.The Salt In My Tears
2.Just A Mile Away
3.Put Your Hands On The Screen
4.Maybe I’ve Waited Too Long
5.She’s So Flexible
6.A Rainy Day In New York City
7.I Wonder What She Thinks Of Me
8.Dumb Love
9.One Night With A Stranger
Martin Briley vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion
Jamie Herndon guitar
Robin Sylvester bass
Pat Mastelotto drums, percussion
George Meyer backing vocals
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Martin Briley – One Night With A Stanger (1983)