Deep Cuts: Eddie Money's 1983 Album 'Where's The Party?'

I've always enjoyed Eddie Money. His ballsy American bar-rock sound has never been especially popular with music critics, but the average classic rock fan can easily rattle off a string of his hits. Yet while I'm a big fan of those tunes, I have a soft place in my heart for the poorly received 1983 album "Where's The Party?"

This was album #5 for Money and it was the follow-up to 1982's "No Control," which included the hits "Think I'm In Love" and "Shakin'." But for whatever reason, Money caught a bit of the 1980s pop fever and released the slick, synthesizer-heavy "Where's The Party?" It was a definite shift in his sound and the result was an album that peaked at #67 on the Billboard charts, well below the gold status of his previous albums. At the time, Money described "Where's The Party?' as more "upbeat & positive" than his previous efforts. He also said the album was better than "No Control," which was produced by veteran producer Tom Dowd. Money fired Dowd part way through the production of "Where's The Party?" in an move he described as being an effort to make the album sound like "an Eddie Money album."

The irony is that looking back, it's an album that doesn't sound all that much like previous Eddie Money albums. And given the fact it sold less than half of the number "No Control" managed, it's probably no surprise the next album wasn't released for three years. But 1986's "Can't Hold Back" was a return to the classic Eddie Money sound and it included the hits "Take Me Home Tonight" and "I Wanna Go Back."

Yet while there's a consensus that "Where's The Party?" was a creative misfire, it's an album I find myself listening to more than any other Money album. While it doesn't have a hook-laden song like "Two Tickets To Paradise" or "Baby Hold On," the album has a solid consistency and sound that is irresistible. "The Big Crash" only hit #54 on the Billboard singles charts and the follow-up single "Club Michelle" stalled at #66. But both tracks are just crammed with 1980s-era musical joy and tracks such as "Where's The Party?" still manage to sound like the Eddie Money his fans know and love.

Track Listing:
"Maybe Tomorrow" (Eddie Money, Steve Farris, Alan Pasqua, Gary O'Connor) - 4:54
"Bad Girls" (Money, Duane Hitchings) - 3:26
"Club Michelle" (Money, Ralph Carter, Mitchell Froom, Raymond Charles Burton) - 4:06
"Back on the Road" (Money, Carter, Davitt Sigerson) - 3:05
"Don't Let Go" (Money, Carter, Mark Radice) - 4:05
"The Big Crash" (Money, Hitchings) - 3:39
"Where's the Party?" (Money, Carter) - 3:54
"Leave It to Me" (Money, Hitchings) - 4:07
"Backtrack" (Money) - 6:21

Listen to some of the album's tracks below.