Description

Born in 1957, Laura Branigan first set her sights on the stage and attended New York's American Academy of Dramatic Art before becoming a noted back-up vocalist. In 1982 she scored a major hit with the single "Gloria;" suddenly much in demand, she soon generated a second album with the hits "Solitare" and "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You"--and then in 1984 released SELF CONTROL. It would be her high-water mark as a recording artist.

Branigan was not a songwriter, but she and her managers knew a good thing when they heard it. Although the first half of SELF CONTROL is stronger than themore… second, there's not a weak cut in the entire collection. Although there are several ballads on the album, most might best be described as classic 1980s top 40 material, usually mixing an up-tempo dance-friendly beat with sharp guitars.

The collection opens with "The Lucky One," a song that did very well on the charts, fast-paced and crackling with cynical lyrics and tremendous energy; the memorable "Ti Amo" begins delicately but soon transforms into harder edges; a cover of the Carole King classic "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" is delicately performed and remarkably fine. Even so, at least to my mind, the single most memorable track here is the title cut, a dark and disturbing pop-rocker concerning obsessive love; it has an unexpectedly sado-maschochistic edge that perfectly captures the mixture of self-indulgence and sexual paranoia of the decade.

Popular music of the 1980s was beset by excessive synthesizer and intrusive back-up vocals, and SELF CONTROL is no exception. Even so, Branigan's voice carries the weight of these flaws very well. Branigan was said to possess a five-octive voice, but her work here stays almost entirely in the alto range: solid, full-bodied, with an unexpectedly slow vibrato that adds a remarkable sense of emotion to her lyrics.

Branigan's music career gradually faultered as the 1980s wore on and she returned to acting, often appearing on television and in 2002 receiving solid reviews for a New York stage musical bio of Janis Joplin. With her career seemingly on an upturn, fans were shocked when she died suddenly in 2004 of a brain aneurysm. Fortunately, SELF CONTROL and other recordings remain to beguile us.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Tracks

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Info:

Category:

Music > Albums

Case Type:

CD

Release Type:

Retail

Comments:

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Cover Info:

Title:

Laura Branigan - Self Control (1990) Retail CD

Part:

CD

Dimensions:

947 x 948 px

Size:

204 KB

Downloads:

49 (0 today)

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Report a Problem Wrong Cover Duplicate Image Bad Quality Wrong Info

03/01/08 by pontiacc

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