“Into the Bargain Bin” is the newest segment here at SLM! The title should be kind of self explanatory, but in case it isn’t here’s what it is: I discuss and tear apart staples of the Bargain Bin. They might be titles that you’ll always find in the dollar bin at your local record store, or albums that used to always be in surplus at your local Best Buy. A lot of these will be older albums that you’d find in your dollar bin. Some are great, and others justifiably belong in the deep discount section. I analyze these albums, try to find out why they end up in these bins, and discuss whether or not the music on them is any good. Our first entry is from, admittedly, one of my favorite Bargain Bin staples.
Billy Ocean’s signature album, Suddenly, dropped right smack-dab in the middle of the 80s. It’s full of glossy over production, drum machines, rock guitars, and subtle reggae influences (And this is primarily on the first track alone). The album is most noticeable for the opening track, the world conquering Caribbean Queen. That song, a cheesy sax-driven 80s staple, has been in everything from old Miami Vice episodes (Which, come on, that makes too much sense) to Mr. Show sketches. The song has been driven into near-parody territory, but for some reason it’s glorious and unabashedly 80s production has made it one of the best 80s pop tunes that many often forget about (Go West’s Call Me is probably the closest competition).
The opening track, an extended version of Caribbean Queen, is deliriously ambitious. It somehow manages to stay in a comfort zone while also sounding somewhat daring. The extended mixes and sax solos tow this magic line between being adorably unaware and incredibly subtle. The entire album carries this line. Even though there’s more evidence for it being a generic 80s R&B record, it certainly does a good job at being at least very enjoyable. The album is jam packed with heavy reverb and an influx of drum machines, but that doesn’t really take anything away from the album. It’s just as good as anything Lionel Ritchie released during his heyday in the 80s, it’s just not nearly as well remembered.
Billy Ocean is a fantastic vocalist, and it’s a shame that he hasn’t really been able to maintain any sort of huge career since Suddenly blew up in 1984. Songs like Mystery Lady and Syncopation seem to sweat a deeply satisfying charisma. Ocean’s voice has such a smooth and swooning quality to it that you can get lost in the album rather than purely enjoying it ironically as some kind of retro joke. The jerking rhythm of Syncopation is absolutely driven by Ocean’s smooth vocal riding; the spoken word interlude before the switch up is just the icing on the 5 day old Dairy Queen ice cream cake.
There are moments that push beyond the boundaries of being purely enjoyable. The schmaltzy Beatles cover The Long and Winding Road relies a bit too heavily on the cheesy 80s keys. It’s fascinating to hear a song that sounds like it was made with a Casio keyboard in 1998 on a record that was a world conquering hit back in the day, but this fascination can’t make this song go down any easier. The album works better when Ocean is being unrelentingly smooth or intensely funky. If you’re looking for unnecessarily intense funk, you can listen to Loverboy, which finds Ocean bringing Funk and Rock together in an uncomfortably awesome blend. There are moments that sound like flaccid Whitney Houston songs (The entirety of Lucky Man), but for the most part Suddenly succeeds through Ocean’s pure and unrelenting energy. Also, I can’t really explain why, but Dancefloor is THE JAM.
Even though Suddenly works better when Ocean is pushing energetic songs (So, not If I Should Lose You), Ocean does prove he can make a fantastic slow track. The closing track, Suddenly, has a slow cheesy verse that oozes into this brilliant chorus. It’s not in-your-face poppy, but it’s one of the best hooks of the 80s. Which is saying a lot, because every song in the 80s lived and breathed hooks. Ocean brings his more hyped up energy to create an intimate and sexy ballad, something that not many were able to do in the age of overblown production that saw Suddenly’s release. Ocean’s career never really blew up post-Suddenly (Especially here in the states), save his single Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into my Car. But it’s a testament to the fact that the 1980s was inundated with solid pop records that had a bit more than just the singles.
Summary: Suddenly is jam packed with typical 80s production and schmaltz, but that doesn’t prevent it from being one of the better pop records of the 80s, living and breathing off of Ocean’s energy and the bookend singles on the album.
Choice Cuts: Caribbean Queen, Suddenly, Mystery Lady, Loverboy
Leftovers: The Long and Winding Road
B+
Indulge in some videos below. You can find Suddenly at your local record shop, somewhere in the bargain bin.
Vantage Point Music 