Goodbye L.A.

Bob Segarini's follow-up to his instant classic Gotta Have Pop didn't earn him the same degree of drooling fandom from pop obsessives around the world, but that's certainly not because of the material. Goodbye L.A. may be a notch or two down on the quality meter from Segarini's solo debut, but anyone who dug his first album is bound to find plenty to love here. Segarini's songs are every bit as good as they were on Gotta Have Pop, and the best stuff even manages to up the cleverness quotient a bit, such as the red-blooded "Teenage Love," the pithy social observations of "Odd Couples," and the excellent opener "I Like the Beatles (And My Baby Likes the Rolling Stones)." The band sounds sharp and eclectically gifted whether kicking it out on "Demographics" or going for a more subtle approach on the country tinged "Who's Loving You," and Segarini's tough, soulful vocals are excellent, communicating both wit and fury without losing his passionate focus. And there weren't many other guys in 1980 who were cool enough to cover both Ducks Deluxe and Eddie Cochran on the same album, let along do right by them. Goodbye L.A. lacks one or two killer tunes and a slam-bang ending like "Love Story" to put it on a par with Gotta Have Pop, but anyone who considers it a disappointment is nit-picking; Segarini delivered another set of great songs played with fire, great chops and no small wit on this album, and it certainly deserves a better reputation than it's gained over the years.