Epic
36052
1979
Grand opener We Belong to the Night is breathtaking and bombastic bliss; a creamy confection of debonair dreams that could only come from the late 70's and the glitter gutter combo of Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter. The princely poppers provide the perfect atmosphere for Foley's powerful theatrics on her inaugural flight. Second single "What's a Matter Baby" soars just as high in the stratosphere: a little bit 50's, but a whole lot cosmic. It's a crime music as great as Nightout hides in the recesses of the past, because this gem is priceless, if only for the first two tracks. Ronson's axe is exemplary throughout: shooting over Mars and then swooping back through nocturnal cityscapes. He twists "Heartful of Soul" into "Young Lust" and makes a break for it in "Hide Away." Obviously haunted by midnight Spectors, kindred spirt Hunter supplies the perfect keyboard counterpart: mission control for Ronson's rockets. The swirling storm whipping through Gram Parker's "Thunder and Rain" builds to an almost unbearable compression of intensity. In the eye of this celestial storm, Foley scats, scolds, swoons, croons, pouts, pleads, and purrs in a rich tone that few femme fatales possess, scaling a towering wall of sonic seduction. The sublime proceedings finally slow down to a crawl for fall-out "Don't Let Go," but it's just the mourning after an unforgettable Nightout.
-STONE, Cheap Trash NYC
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