Piper

Billy Squier wrote a great song when he was in the Sidewinders, a song that didn't make it to their Lenny Kaye-produced RCA album but is here in all its glory. "Telephone Relation" is an exquisite pop tune, overshadowed only by the even poppier "Who's Your Boyfriend," which should have been as big a hit as "The Stroke," "In the Dark," and "Everybody Wants You." The great thing about Piper is that Squier emerged with authority as a solid front man, guitarist, and singer/songwriter. The elements that make this disc so good are what is wrong with solo efforts by the Cars' Elliot Easton or Alice Cooper's Michael Bruce. Squier took his former singer Andy Paley's pretty-boy stance and re-evaluated the formula the Sidewinders were toying with. Piper rocks a bit harder than the Sidewinders and lighter than Squier's solo work. Pop suits Squier better than the all-out assault of hard rock his later work is known for. Piper and the excellent follow-up Can't Wait are two essential albums by this very talented artist. ~ Joe Viglione