Neil Sedaka

• Sedaka's Back [Rocket, 1974] B+
• The Hungry Years [Rocket, 1975] C+

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Sedaka's Back [Rocket, 1974]
In which a self-admitted mean old man approximates a cross between the young Paul Anka and the post-Bennington Reparata and the Delrons, only his voice is higher and his lyrics more considered. The whole first side, ending with the cheerfully perverse "Little Brother," is perfect pop moderne, and that's not where you'll find my own pick hit, the cheerfully normal "Love Will Keep Us Together." B+

The Hungry Years [Rocket, 1975]
Modes of integrity: Sedaka's Back, compiled from two-plus English albums, sounded organic, while this star-time El Lay session sounds homogenized. Neil's voice has changed--the light girl-groupy moments have turned bitchy and the sentimentality is thick with incipient sobs. Figure best-ofs are his natural element and remember that only if he goes away can he come back again. C+