Cliff Richard

Released in 2004, Something's Goin' On was Cliff Richard's first studio album in over three years, and it continued the eclectic mood that characterized Wanted. Interestingly, however, it substituted that set's reliance on covers for a collection of brand-new original numbers, and while Richard again ran the gamut from upbeat rock & roll ("Sometimes Love") to melancholy soul and ballads ("Field of Love" is a gem), he twisted the expected format somewhat by traveling to Nashville for the recordings -- which is not to say it's anything approaching a country album, but the vibe is certainly there. The single "Somethin' Is Going On" was a well-chosen introduction to the set, although it is far from the best track here. Those honors belong to the opening "Thousand Miles to Go," with its Beatles-ish guitar twang and an irresistibly knockabout rhythm, the vastly entertaining (and oddly 10cc-ish) "What Car," and "How Did She Get Here," a big ballad that you wish Freddie Mercury could have gotten his hands on. But there's really nothing here that you'll wish he'd left on the cutting-room floor, and there are moments when the energy turns the clock back 20, even 30 years, to a time when all Cliff Richard albums had the potential to be this good. Of course, not all of them were -- but it's great to see him making up for lost time. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide