Cher Album By Album

I'm not so sure that hate is the reason these albums failed as Cher had a hit solo TV show after the divorce. Sonny did not and his was quickly cancelled. I believe the reasoning to be poor promo from Cher and WBR.

 

Wow! Never saw this video! Great song and the video perfectly illustrates my point about the contrast between her glamorous image which is incredibly misleading to many people and the emotional depth of her 70's records.

 

I never saw that before either -- in fact, I went to Youtube figuring there would just be a "boring" upload of the song with photos, etc, so I was pleasantly surprised by it!

I think that Cher has always tried to include something with "emotional depth", even on her later more commercial-leaning albums.

I'm still disappointed that @BlueGangsta did not include the "Allman and Woman" album here. I know it's not technically a "solo" album, but it's an integral part of her solo discography -- unlike her Sonny & Cher albums.

 

And a wonderful record for sure.

 

It's a bit like mid-late 70's Tina Turner solo LPs. Great stuff but went nowhere. WTF?

 

Her solo on the Lauren Wood song "Island" is stunning. If Cher ever did a concert of requests, that (and "Just This One Time") would be at the top of my list!

 

It's also a great sounding LP (unlike the rest of WB releases).

 

I recall Rolling Stone mentioning she had recorded a version of "Whipping Post", which I would love to hear!!!

 

Me too!

 

Her solo TV show had decent ratings in the beginning but they quickly fell off. That as well as becoming pregnant (and maybe some pressure from CBS) made her re-team with Sonny after two half solo seasons. Believe me, I'm old enough to have been around at the time and a lot of people really hated her after the divorce. I'm talkin' big-time hatred. But yeah, other than singing Long Distance Love Affair on the post-divorce S&C show, there was basically no promotion for any of her post-Stars Warner albums.

 

1. Prisoner
2. Holdin' Out For Love
3. Shoppin'
4. Boys & Girls
5. Mirror Image
6. Hell On Wheels
7. Holy Smoke!
8. Outrageous

9. Hell on Wheels (12" Version)
10. Gitar Groupie (12" Version)
11. Hell on Wheels (7" Version)
12. Git Down (Guitar Groupie) (Extended Mix - Edit)
13. Holdin' Out For Love (Mono Version)

14. Prisoner (Romano Bais Remix)
15. Holdin' Out For Love (Romano Bais Remix)
16. Holy Smoke (Romano Bais Remix)
17. Shoppin' (Romano Bais Remix)
18. Boys & Girls (Romano Bais Remix)
19. Hell On Wheels (Romano Bais Remix)
20. Mirror Image (Romano Bais Remix)
21. Outrageous (Romano Bais Remix)

 

Except for the title song, I thought "Prisoner" was so disappointing. The songs written for Cher are tacky as if they were written for a variety special in the 70's.

 

This album should've swept the Grammy's based on the gem "Shoppin'" alone. Here are the immortal lyrics...

I'm shoppin' gonna buy my blues away
Shoppin' I'm walking up to the counter and say
I want this sweater I sure feel better
Shoppin' gonna take my troubles to town
Shoppin' you don't need money down
Charge it, wrap it send it
Shoppin'

Ever since my mother took me to a big department store
My heartbeat escalated all the way to the second floor
I couldn't hide my passion for the latest fashion craves
My momma told me that's just another phase I'm going through
Whatcha got, that's new

Shoppin' gonna buy my blues away
Shoppin' I got bad news today
Instead of eating cause my man's cheating
Shoppin' I'm gonna take my troubles to town
Shoppin' why everyone else around is smokin' token' coken'
Well I'll be shoppin'

[Spoken in the background]
Excuse me Miss,
See that-the Dress over there
How many colors does it come in
Yes, all right, No, I'd like it every one
No, I'm not going to try it
I know it'll fit
Ooh, you know what
Let's go up..Ohh, they're having a sale
My God, I love sales
No, I don't have any last name
It's just Cher, just plain Cher
Ooo, I like the shoes
Do you think you could..this thing,
It's all pink and wrinkly.. it's..
What a darling little bag

Shoppin' I'm gonna buy it
Shoppin' I never try it on for size
Shoppin' Will I like it
Shoppin' Does the color match my eyes
Folks say I'm daring for what I'm wearing
I'm always scaring the people's staring
So I'm declaring I'm tired of swearing
I'm just shoppin'

Shoppin' I'm gonna buy my blues away
Shoppin' I got bad news today
Shoppin


Ok, seriously now. This is just ok Cher. No killer material but that has been a problem since Stars. I agree with those who rated "Dark Lady" as her most consistent seventies album. "Prisoner" shares the problem the WB albums have - about one or two great tunes with some pleasant but unmemorable material filling out the rest. Cher enters her purple patch for me when she gets to Geffen in 87.

 

Has anyone listened to the remix album? It seems to be just as [if not, more] common than the real album itself.

 

Is a purple patch a good thing?

 

Where does one find the remix album? Out there on the wild internet?

 

Don't have it and haven't heard it but there's a CD release called "Holdin' Out For Love" which has a handful of 60s tracks combined with a remixed version of the Prisoner album, and the cover is a pic from the 80s.

 

Prisoner is a mixed bag. I like it more now than I did at the time. You have to set aside reality and just let all the campy-ness wash over you. Love the title track and Boys & Girls. Don't think she ever sang any of these songs in concert. I'm generally pretty easy on the 70s albums because I hate the Geffen years with a passion.

I remember Cher and Neil Bogart on the Mike Douglas show saying the album was 'a lot more rock and roll'. The disco backlash was in full effect. She also played the Hell On Wheels video on the Tonight show with Martin Mull guest-hosting. No hit singles. Hell On Wheels peaked at #59.

 

1. Rudy
2. Games
3. I Paralyze
4. When The Love Is Gone
5. Say What's On Your Mind
6. Back On The Street Again
7. Walk With Me
8. The Book Of Love
9. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

10. Rudy (Alternate Mix)
11. Rudy (Rough Mix)

12. Rudy (Instrumental)
13. Games (Instrumental)
14. When The Love Is Gone (Instrumental)
15. Say What's On Your Mind (Instrumental)
16. Back On The Street Again (Instrumental)
17. Walk With Me (Instrumental)
18. The Book Of Love (Instrumental)
19. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (Instrumental)

 

Amazing.

 

I really like Prisoner. Much better than Take me Home with it's horrible disco side. Holding out for love, Hell on Wheels, Boys and Girls. Great stuff!

 

What about Black Rose???

 

Lookout
Beware the businessman
Express American
He'll be gone so fast
Cause he travels first class
With his Maui Wowie stash
And his heart of artificial glass

 

I know -- what's the deal with skipping Black Rose?

 

If I accidentally miss an album, I will post it later.

Mistakes happen. So calm your collective tits.