The 2004 Send Me the Heart collection is yet another repackaging of 1980's vinyl album Japanese Tears, which was re-released in 1984 as In Flight, twice in 1995 under the titles Go Now and Danger Zone, and yet again as Denny Laine featuring Paul McCartney: The Collection. As Laine never fully realized his potential, sifting through the multiple discs can be quite confusing for the casual listener, who might think the various titles feature different material. His two major hits, "Go Now," a re-recording of the Moody Blues' ...
Read More
The 2004 Send Me the Heart collection is yet another repackaging of 1980's vinyl album Japanese Tears, which was re-released in 1984 as In Flight, twice in 1995 under the titles Go Now and Danger Zone, and yet again as Denny Laine featuring Paul McCartney: The Collection. As Laine never fully realized his potential, sifting through the multiple discs can be quite confusing for the casual listener, who might think the various titles feature different material. His two major hits, "Go Now," a re-recording of the Moody Blues' breakout song, and the sublime "Say You Don't Mind," a British smash for Colin Blunstone of the Zombies, sound fine here. Keep in mind that it's hard to recapture the majesty of the Moody Blues' original performance, and if you're in the mood for that particular melody you still may want to pull out your Moody Blues disc for old time's sake. The "Japanese Tears" song itself is a pleasant enough remnant from a famous troubling moment on a Wings tour, while "I Would Only Smile" sounds the most Beatlesque of all. Paul McCartney is basically a sideman on some of these sessions, but the disc is worthwhile for McCartney's appearance as well as some solid songwriting from Laine. Perhaps the real sleeper here is "Same Mistakes," sung by Jo Jo Laine, Denny's ex-wife. It's a brilliant tune with a vibrant performance from Jo Jo, a colorful character who constantly gets interesting press for a variety of episodes much more compelling than any reality TV show. This tune is actually a strange commentary on their marriage, that if she knew "someone like you," she wouldn't make the same mistake -- all the more poignant in its sweet vindictiveness when their union dissolved. It's a song like this that shows Denny Laine's true potential, glimpses of greatness, and evidence of how he could have been a star in his own right if only he had been able to continue finding little gems like this, which he is so totally capable of delivering. "Lover's Light" also has that special something on an album that deserves to stay in circulation. Appearances by Laurence Juber, Steve Holley, Henry McCullough, and Denny Seiwell make it a must for Wings fans. ~ Joe Viglione, Rovi
Read Less
