In the late 1970s, disco and hard rock ruled the charts and there was seemingly no room for a fresh unique sound. Enter Christopher Cross and his now classic self-titled first album.

Originally from San Antonio, TX, and known as an exceptional guitar player besides being a tremendous songwriting talent, Christopher Cross was released in the last month of the 1970s and its first single “Ride Like The Wind,” with the ubiquitous Michael McDonald on backing vocals, began a five-plus month run on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, peaking at #2 in April of 1980.

Produced by frequent Steely Dan-sideman Michael Omartian, the sounds on this album put “soft rock” (or what much later became known as “yacht rock”) high upon the charts. Cross’ debut album spawned four Top 20 hits including “Never Be The Same” (#15), “Say You’ll Be Mine,” with Nicolette Larson on background vocals (#20), and the #1 smash “Sailing” which was awarded both Record and Song of the Year Grammys.

The album went 5x Platinum On February 25, 1981, Christopher Cross achieved something no one had ever done before at the music industry’s annual gathering to recognize the best in music, the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards. Cross swept the “Big Four” awards which included not only Best Record and Best Song, but also Best Album and Best New Artist. In total, Cross and his stellar debut album collected five of the six Grammys for which they were nominated.

Over 45 years after this unprecedented achievement, Omnivore Recordings is proud to release an expanded edition of Christopher Cross. In addition to the Bernie Grundman mastered original album, this deluxe edition includes 11 extra tracks, including seven previously unissued demos from the original recording sessions painstakingly restored by multi-Grammy Award winning engineer Michael Graves.

The collection also includes Japanese-only A-Side, three songs never issued before — “What Am I Supposed To Believe,” “Smiles Of Angels” and “Passengers,” demos of classic album tracks, and new liner notes by music journalist (Crawdaddy, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Creem, etc.), Gene Sculatti who also served as the editorial director at Warner Bros. Records. His notes are informed by a fresh interview with the album’s producer, Michael Omartian.

1. Say You’ll Be Mine
2. I Really Don’t Know Anymore
3. Spinning
4. Never Be The Same
5. Poor Shirley
6. Ride Like The Wind
7. The Light Is On
8. Sailing
9. Minstrel Gigolo

What I remember the most about this CC album was the fact that it beat Pink Floyd’s The Wall to Album of the Year at the Grammys that year, a huge upset at the time. That fact, along with soft rock not being everyone’s cup of tea, has led to this album’s overall reputation not really reflecting how good it truly is, in my humble opinion.

To be honest, it really is one of the best soft rock albums I’ve ever heard, with songwriting, arrangements and musicianship being very consistent, throughout both the singles and the album tracks. This solidity makes a lot more sense when you consider who performed on the album; session legends such as Michael Omartian (who produces), Jay Graydon and Lenny Castro, along with well-known backing vocalists such as Michael McDonald and even Don Henley.

The latter pair, along with an ensemble cast of backing singers, provide some pretty amazing harmonies that create a unique atmosphere for the songs. Melodically, these songs are very memorable, with every song’s music and lyrics setting the stage for further enhancement, courtesy of tidy arrangements and neat production touches.

While the singles were chosen well, as the review states it is one of those albums where the standard never particularly dips. As a vocalist, Cross is not a virtuoso, but it has to be said that his voice was a great fit for this style of music, especially the slower songs like Sailing.

Another perk is that rather than being completely dominated by synth ballads, it does feature a relatively wide range of instrumentation, with strings, brass and prominent electric guitar solos being used to flesh out some of the songs.

In closing, and with regard the original album, it always comes up on those least deserving winners lists, but don’t let that put you off. As soft rock goes, it’s consistent, rich, full of flavor and an all-round winner (and not just in my book, trust me).

Bonus Tracks:
10. Mary Ann 11. Say You’ll Be Mine (Demo) 12. I Really Don’t Know Anymore (Demo) 13. Parade (Demo)* 14. Smiles Of Angels (Demo) 15. What Am I Supposed To Believe (Demo) 16. Ride Like The Wind (Demo)* 17. The Light Is On (Demo) 18. Passengers (Demo) 19. Say Goodbye To Mary Ann (Demo) 20. Sailing (Demo)*

Bonus Tracks previously unissued except *

Christopher Cross is a classic album that has truly stood the test of time. Now fans can explore the development of the album for the first time with the expanded edition of this towering musical achievement.

Official Purchase Link

www.christophercross.com