John Waite

John Waite has always been more than a one-hit wonder. People remember him best for 1984’s “Missing You,” but that doesn’t begin to encapsulate his 30-year career. From his mid-'70s albums with The Babys to his smash hit ballads with Bad English, he has always delivered pop-rock tunes that beg for radio play. His latest effort, The Hard Way, is no exception.

With only nine tracks, it’s a very quick listen without filler -- unless you consider the acoustic rehash of “Missing You” and the cover of Bob Dylan’s “Girl From The North Country” to be filler. But they are both more enjoyable selections than the innocuous fluff you might expect to be sandwiched between singles. Unlike many other artists, he seems to know when to edit himself - there’s not a dud in the set. He’s not really doing anything new on this release, but what he is doing - melodic pop-rock - is sorely missing in today’s music.

Unfortunately, there’s really no market for John Waite in today’s music landscape. His past hits are being played daily in elevators and your dentist offices, but soft rock radio and Muzak are reserved for hits from the past. I hope some adventurous radio station gives his new songs a chance. He’s not the one who's changed; he’s as radio-friendly as he was twenty years ago. - Doug Kamin

John Waite has reinvented himself several times throughout his lengthy career. First starting off as leader of the melodic rock outfit the Babys, Waite then went the 'adult pop' route of his solo career (the massive hit "Missing You"), before joining up with a few Journey alumni for the best-forgotten supergroup, Bad English. Afterwards, Waite continued on his merry way as a solo artist -- revisiting the same direction that made him well-known to the MTV masses back in the '80s, especially on his 2004 release, The Hard Way. Exactly what you'd expect from Waite in this stage of the game, Hard Way sees Waite continuing with what he's done well all along -- songs that focus largely on relationships (the album opening title track, the ballad "Always Be Your Man," etc.) -- while his voice remains in fine form. If you dug such past Waite favorites as 1982's Ignition and 1984's No Brakes, you're sure to enjoy The Hard Way. In fact, stylistically, it would have fit in perfectly as the follow-up release to the two aforementioned titles. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide