Life is just what you make it

Continuing my trip back in time through the album charts

10/06/73 : Alone Together - Donny Osmond


We've had The Osmonds earlier this year, so let's try some Donny on his own.  So, am I expecting this to be thoughtfully constructed music with meaningful lyrics which make me question my position in the world?  Am I bollocks.

Yeah - it's bubblegum cutesy cheesy pop.  Not quite as dreadful as I was expecting, but still pretty rubbish and incredibly forgettable.  I have a slight suspicion it's not really aimed at me though - that album cover certainly isn't drawing me in!

We're at #9 in the charts this week on its fourth week of an 18 week run, having peaked at #6.  And it managed another eleven weeks over four more runs over the next six months as well - saints preserve us!  The top five this week were Pure Gold, Gary Glitter (a new entry), Bowie, Beatles (Blue) and Beatles (Red) and the next highest new entry is Liza with an album that popped in for just the one week at #45.  And Linda is the highest woman in the charts at #7 - I suspect that's going to be the case for the next few weeks.

Back to Donny, Wikipedia tells me this is his fifth solo album - and he was fifteen at the time!  He released his first in 1971 and he did seven of them in three years - I suspect they thought the gravy train wasn't going to last forever.  And this was definitely the start of the end in terms of success in the US, but he kept it going over here for a couple more albums.  Yet, despite the lack of success, the albums have kept on coming, with eighteen solo albums and seven with Marie in all over the years - with the last one coming out in 2021.  And yes, part of me is intrigued as to what his 1976 disco album, Disco Train, sounds like ("a bottomless pit of trend-chasing" is the amusing critical comment).  And at this point, I'd generally say "back to this album" but there isn't anything else on there to discuss!

"Customers also listened to" The Osmonds, Merrill Osmond, Marie Osmond, Donny & Marie Osmond, The Osmond Brothers, Jimmy Osmond and David Cassidy.  Wow - people are really trying to expand their musical horizons there, aren't they?  I appreciate that normal rules don't really apply for this sort of album, but it just seems to have no musical merit to me - however, I do have to admit it could have been an awful lot worse!

03/06/73 - Wtf is this?
17/06/73 - An offensively inoffensive album

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