Julianna Raye – Something Peculiar

Julianna Raye - Something PeculiarThere were two deciding factors in my getting this album – it was in a 50-cent CD cutout bin, and it was produced by Jeff Lynne. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh – it turned out to be worth at least 50 cents! I must confess that I know absolutely nothing at all about this particular artist, her history, previous or later releases (if any), outside of this one album (though I have since found out that she sang backup on a Claudia Christian single). Most of it is good, even if – in a very rare instance – the music is overpowered by Jeff Lynne’s production in a few spots. Standout tracks include “Limbo” and, my favorite, the title track, both of which benefit from the trademark sound of their producer. Several other tunes, however, suffer from an 3 out of 4identity crisis – who’s more responsible for the sound we’re hearing, Julianna Raye or Jeff Lynne? In many cases, it’s a toss-up, and results in my first criticism of Lynne’s production work being too thick – the producer’s job should be to support, not overpower, the talent. Worth a listen, perhaps for no other reason than so you can figure out what I’m talking about here!

Order this CD

  1. Limbo (3:12)
  2. I’ll Get You Back (3:42)
  3. Tell Me I’m Alright (3:09)
  4. Taking Steps (3:14)
  5. Peach Window (2:12)
  6. Something Peculiar (3:45)
  7. Roses (3:24)
  8. Laughing Wild (3:56)
  9. In My Time (3:04)
  10. My Tribe (4:02)
  11. Nicola (3:08)

Released by: Reprise
Release date: 1992
Total running time: 37:01