Customer Reviews:
 A Great Cd To Have August 5, 2002
Harry Hollingsworth (Indianapolis, Indiana United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Of all the Loverboy cds this is my favorite one. All of the songs rock. The best songs from this cd are "Love Will Rise Again" , "Notorious" , "Hometown Hero" & "Wildside" . Why it wasn't succesful as their earlier cds is a wonder. Loverboy was one of my favorite groups of the 80's. With the hits like "Turn Me Loose" , "Hot Girls In Love" , "Queen Of The Broken Hearts" & "Working For The Weekend" they had their place in 80's rock.
 A solid, energetic, ambitious disc August 29, 2002
sauerkraut
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Loverboy's fifth studio album, 1987's Wildside, gets the job done. The material is in a straightforward rock musical direction. There are 11 tracks; one of these--the closing piece "Don't Keep Me in the Dark"--is a ballad. Altogether, I find the songwriting to be satisfying, the musicianship to be tight, and the sound quality to be good. Mike Reno (one of my favorite vocalists) does not dissatisfy when it comes to the vocals--his singing is unique, diligent, and lively. Throughout, there is a nice combination of guitar and keyboard work from guitarist Paul Dean and keyboardist Doug Johnson. Scott Smith's bass guitar playing is also noticeable. Though I like every one of the tunes, my favorites are the opening cut "Notorious," "Break It to Me Gently," and "Don't Keep Me in the Dark." The vigorous "Notorious," co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, sports a memorable refrain. The spirited "Break It to Me Gently" displays an industrious, sprightly chorus and taut bass guitar work from Smith. The attractive "Don't Keep Me in the Dark" features serene keyboard playing from Johnson and a pretty-sounding guitar solo from Dean. The enjoyable "Hometown Hero"--co-written with Bryan Adams--contains a catchy keyboard melody from Johnson. The pleasing "Read My Lips" exhibits a gratifying intro. I also enjoy how Dean's guitar solo starts off menacingly. On the song's conclusion, I am impressed with the skillful, rapid-fire drumming from Matthew Frenette. The CD booklet includes the song lyrics and various illustrations; for example, there is a black-and-white photo of the band that is spread over two pages and a black-and-white photo of each of the guys. There is also a black-and-white illustration on the back of the CD jewel case. The disc is almost 49 minutes. I recommend this album.
 A good album worth finding. May 20, 2004
D. C Morris (Lexington, S.C. United States)
I found a used copy of this out-of-print album, and it has grown on me. I find myself playing it in the car. "Notorious" is a great song, "Break it to me Gently", and "Hometown Hero" are very good songs, and all the others are fairly good. I should really give this 3 1/2 stars, since it isn't as good as their first 3 recordings, but they don't allow half stars.
 The beginning of the end August 11, 2007
New World Smurf (Richmond, Virginia)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
As much as I love Loverboy, "Wildside" is a uneven mess that was disliked by the band so much they didn't even tour behind it when it was released in 1987. I can still remember buying this the first day it was out and forcing my then-boyfriend to play the cassette in his car stereo ... and apologizing afterwards. "Notorious," co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and "Break It To Me Gently" are okay. "Love Will Rise Again" is easily the album's best song, but the rest ranges from barely mediocre to just plain awful. I'm actually surprised that it's still in print. Download the songs I mentioned and leave this alone, it's not worth it.
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