is Donna Summer's "The Wanderer" worth buying?

Here's a sample of the lyrics:

Now Jesus was a little lamb, his fleece
Was white as snow
And every where that Jesus went
This lamb is sure to go
Well I believe in Jesus you know I know him
Oh so well
And I'm going to heaven by and by
'Cause I saved my soul from going
To hell

OK, fuck off, you're all wrong.

"Running For Cover," "Breakdown," "Cold Love," and, fuck yeah, "I Believe in Jesus" -- all great. And since it doesn't have ballads that stop the record cold, it's automatically superior to most of Bad Girls.

Never saw this before. I always liked it, myself, ever since I reviewed it for my college paper when it came out -- more explicitly rock than Bad Girls (and definitely not as rocking), but a really good quasi Pat Benatar type album regardless. Also a better album than any album Donna did later. Plus, "Grand Illusion" always reminded me of Rush!

(Really, only parts of it are quasi Benatar, obv. But it was clearly an attempt to cross over to AOR -- which didn't happen, but the LP did okay anyway.)

Wow -- out of print. Good thing I found the LP years ago for way less than a buck.

I'm kinda thunderstruck by some of the casual reactions to the album. It's got more obvious hooks and strong singing than anything she'd attempt later, and, as I pointed out, it's more consistent than her earlier stuff (which always seemed overrated as albums). I like the persona she creates here: the sinner, out on one more bender before Jesus claims her.

Disagree it's more "consistent" than earlier stuff (definitely not more consistent than Bad Girls or Once Upon a Time -- and it has way fewer great songs than those two albums, or most of her other earlier albums for that matter -- and way fewer songs that sounded like something was being invented, music-wise.) But I guess it's consistent in these sense of it being high quality professional product. (The later album I liked at the time, but haven't heard for years, is She Works Hard for the Money. I should pick up a copy of that one for $1 somewhere one of these days.)

Her new album this year was not bad, by the way. I wrote about it here:

http://blog.rhapsody.com/2008/07/hercules-donna.html

Actually, I head the '82 eponymous album around the same time as The Wanderer a few weeks ago and -- wow, it's not only better than its reputation, but a totally solid album, even if "Protection" and "Love is in Control" are no match for "Unconditional Love" and "She Works Hard For The Money."

Me too!

I didn't find the Bad Girls album consistent at all! In fact, I was really surprised how little it did for me because a lot of folks say it's a really strong album. That's the only album of hers I've ever had though aside from the On The Radio comp. as a kid.

Bad Girls vs. Don't Stop Believin'

'grand illusion' is one of the best things she's ever done. super spaced out and dubby

Running for Cover could be great, super funky, but then it turns into some Fame outtake on the chorus :(

it DOES sound like Fame, doesn't it? It's not a bad thing. She's has lots of ersatz in her rock anyway.

I didn't find the Bad Girls album consistent at all!

Well, each of the four sides has its own formal idenetity, so you can call it conceptually consistent, at least. And sides 1, 2 and 4 all maintain a steady tempo throughout, so that's a kind of consistency too.

You're mad. How can you say that "Love Is In Control" isn't as good as horrid Godhead homophobic p43do "Unconditional Love"?

I don't hear homophobia, sorry, but I am a sucker for Musical Youth.

Not something you might want to admit on a public messageboard.

initial caps

That's how they do it in the Daily Mail.

Goodness! I heard "Cold Love" at CVS!