Coast to Coast

ALBUM REVIEW BY DANNY G. JOHNSON:

"Coast To Coast" was the fourth Dave Clark Five album following "Glad All Over", "Return" and "American Tour." It first appeared on the American album charts in January, '65, and remained in the charts for 21 weeks reaching a top position of #6. The album contained two singles, "Any Way You Want It" and "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)", both of which were released in the last part of 1964, and both of which reached the top 20. But the chart success only beings the reputation of this record. "Coast To Coast" is arguably one of the very very best Dave Clark Five albums. Having already established their unique sound as musicians, "Coast To Coast" contains a variety of fast and slow songs that reveal The Dave Clark Five at the top of their form in both song-writing and vocal performances.

I have maintained for years that some of the best songs by The Dave Clark Five were never heard on the radio; they were album cuts. The epitome of my claim rests with this album. Tell me, when you played a record albbum, how often did you play it all the way through: both sides? Along the way, almost without exception, there would be a song or two on those albums that couldn't compete with the others, and we would skip those. But "Coast To Coast" delivers eleven-in-a-row that demand an audience. Part of that is accomplished by cleverly sequencing the songs. But the core truth is: the DC5 album material itself was getting better and better.

Before reviewing the songs, let's look at the album cover. Previous LPs displayed the band in black jackets, white pants, shirts & ties, and of course those trademark boots. But here, the band appears in front of a map of America, wearing for the first time black pants with white jackets. They repeated this attire just once more, on "Weekend In London." It was a look of class.

I have two versions of "Coast To Coast", and I'm not talking about the serial numbers LN for Mono and BN for stereo. Both album jackets credit Adrian Clark as Producer, but both record labels credit Dave Clark. (Ed note: Adrian Kerridge and Dave Clark co-produced the album). On one version, the song titles are consistent on the front and back of the album jacket and on the record label. On the other version, two song titles are changed on the album cover and on the record label, but not on the back of the album jacket. So depending on the version you have "I Can't Stop Loving You" is also listed as "Give Me Love", and "What Is There To Say" is also listed as "I'm Left Without You."

Let's have a fresh listen to eleven songs, twenty-two minutes, of "Coast to Coast"

Side 1

"Any Way You Want It." (Clark) The incredible unveiling of this song on "Ed Sullivan" absolutely blew people away! So aggressive and so interactive: a wall-of-sound with an echo! "you can always hear me say…hey hey hey" And everyone joins the contageous chorus: "It's alright, (it's alright)." An amazing, hard driving song, overflowing with energy even by today's standards: "Any Way You Want It" has been termed "the first hard-rock song ever." The hit of choice amongst many avid fans.

"Give Me Love" (aka "I Can't Stop Loving You"). (Clark & Payton) . A racing tempo underscores lyrics that declare a never-ending devotion of love. "I'll do anything you want me to, we'll never be apart, I can't stop loving you." Great melody and exciting build-ups.

"I Can't Stand It." (Clark & Davidson). This songs starts off a little choppy, paced just behind the previous two cuts. But it builds momentum until it speeds out at the end. Upon closer examination, the deliberate tempo change matches the angst and jealousy building in the lyrics; "Who's the other guy? I can't stand it! Just to see you there, I can't stand it."

"What Is There To Say" (aka "I'm Left Without You") (Clark & Payton). The opening notes to this song lure you into a softer emotion, wooed by Lenny's guitar and Mike's keyboard. This is perhaps the moodiest DC5 album cut to date. "I sit here by my window, believing in you. I'm waiting to love you, like I used to do. I loved you, loved you, yeah, tried to love you, more everyday. But now that I'm left without you, what is there to say?" Very tender, very nice.

"Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)." (Clark & Davidson) Another Hit. Following the lament of "What Is There To Say", this song continues in the same vein, but with a stronger declaration: "He could never love you the way that I do…maybe I'll find somebody else, but oh, I still love you." The intensity of the song jumps back and forth from mellow to frantic, like two songs in one. Clever, and very unique for the time, but it didn't make for easy listening on the radio.

"Crying Over You" (Clark & Davidson) "If you don't love me, don't cry in my arms tonight, I'll be crying over you." An often over-looked gem, this song is a perfect ballad. A beautiful combination of instrumentation, tearful lyrics and sincere harmonied vocals make this a wonderful, tho' sad little song. Lenny's dark-sounding, hollow-body electric guitar artfully colors the mood.

And so ends side one. I'll give you a minute to flip the disc. And you may want to grab a tissue, because there's more ranges of emotion ahead.

Side 2.

"Say You Want Me" (Clark & Davidson) Dave and the boys get the party going again, kicking off side two with a real up-beat song. "If you want me to need you, if you want me to care, say you want me to love you, cause I do! Yes I Do!" Add this to my list of favorite album cuts. It has all the necessary ingredients to make another hit record: hot tempo, great vocals, full arrangement, and the ever-popular topic - the quest for love. (Ed. note: this song was the B-side of "Everybody Knows" in the UK).

"When" (Clark & Davidson) "When the world looks dark all around you, all you need is love, I know; all your doubts and fears will disappear, and turn into song." With Mike driving the piano and vocals, this haunting melody and lyrics are a hit that should have been. And with a 2:30 running time, it's solidly longer than most DC5 tunes, but it doesn't wear out. Deep mood, magnificent transitions, and the exhilarating crescendo: "Please come back to my arms. I need all your love, tonight...." This is one of my top Dave Clark Five album cuts of all time.

"Don't You Know" (Clark & Payton) "Don't you know, don't you know. Can't you see the pain and the misery? If you want to go then I'll set you free." Although the song itself is about an impending breakup, the speedy tempo and quick lyrics make this another great album cut, and a perfect follow-up to "When." And what a tight perforamce for such a high-speed number! This song did enjoy some radio play as a "feature track" when the album was released.

"To Me" (Clark & Payton) As I was writing this review, I stepped outside to get some air, and looked up into the clear night sky filled with stars. Almost on cue, I could hear the opening notes to this song, especially Lenny's simple but brilliant guitar licks, and then "Stars shining up in the sky, tears of love are falling from my eyes. Since you went away, I just hope and pray, that you'll come back again, again to me." Like "When", two distinct intensity levels are blended seamlessly here. "To Me" is a top-notch album cut, or maybe even another hit that should have been.

"It's Not True" (Clark & Smith) The guys were not about to let the album end on a sad note. This simple song features a great beat, determined lyrics, and a nice melody carried by a solid vocal performance. "Well it's not true (it's not true) that you're breaking my heart (breaking my heart)." It's written with the DC5's classic verse-response formula, and it's a fitting way to end "Coast To Coast."

Interesting note about the credits: Denny and Lenny were more involved than Mike. This was very rare. But regardless of that, the appropriate teamwork and showcasing of each instrument make it obvious that every song was recorded as a group effort. The classic presentation of The Dave Clark Five: fast and slow choices, good clean lyrics, attention-getting music and melodies, topped by great vocal performances, they're all present on "Coast to Coast."

When I bought my copy of the official "The History Of The Dave Clark Five" double CD, I was especially pleased to find that it contained two album cuts from "Coast To Coast"; "Crying Over You" and "When." Of course it also contained the hits "Anyway You Want It" and "Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)." I would have included three additional album cuts from "Coast To Coast" on the "History" CD; "What Is There To Say", "Say You Want Me" and "To Me."
I told a friend I was excited about writing the review for "Coast To Coast" because I know this album backwards in the dark. I didn't just find my old records and decide to give them another spin after many years, I have been enjoying my Dave Clark Five collection throughout these many years. At the end of every song on "Coast To Coast" I know instinctively how the next song begins, and once it begins, I know the lyrics and could sing right along. My review of "Coast To Coast" may not have done justice to these great songs. If you had or have "Coast To Coast", give it another spin. If you never had it and should by chance find it, get it. You can enjoy it as much today as we enjoyed it back then. Either way, after you've had 39 years to enjoy it, drop me a line and we'll compare notes.

Danny G. Johnson
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
( erscd@knology.net )

(Back to DC5 Albums) (Back to DC5 Main Page) (Back to Boltons Front Page)