Album Review — Eddie Money
Eddie Money — Brand New Day
Losing Eddie Money late last year was a tough blow for me. I’ve been listing to Eddie since I was a kid. So this is a difficult review for me to do.
“Brand New Day” was slated to be released last spring right before Money was diagnosed. It was pulled soon after and now looks as if it’s been cut into two EPs, with the second being released at a later date.
I wanted to like this a lot for obvious reasons, but I was skeptical since Money hasn’t released much in recent years. I was pleasantly surprised with the title track that starts off the record. “Brand New Day” has that distinctive Eddie Money vocal delivery as he tells the story of his life.
“California Dream” has a more laid back feel to it. Money takes a tour through the state of California. I appreciate the ode to my home state, but it’s not my favorite track on the record.
If you watched Money’s reality show, Real Money, you saw Money working on the lyrics for “The Way That We Roll”. Money always had a quirky sense of humor and it only got more quirky as he got older. We see that here. Not an overly original track but it’s very Eddie Money.
“I Love New York” is basically the same idea as “California Dream” but about New York. I definitely would have split these two up between the two EPs. It’s basically a classic blues track with Eddie singing about all things New York.
The gem of the EP is the last track, “Shame On Me”. This one reminds me of 80s Eddie Money complete with saxophone solo. When given the right song, Money could still deliver even at the end of his life.
If I’m judging on the quality of songs, there’s not a lot special here. It’s a simplified and at times borderline hokey version of Eddie Money. But “Brand New Day” and “Shame on Me” are quality tracks and it’s just good to hear Eddie Money’s voice again.
If you are an Eddie Money fan, this EP won’t compete with the majority of his catalogue, but it’s worth checking out just to hear that voice and walk down memory lane.
No rating for this one but 100 out of 100 for a wonderful career. Rest in peace, Eddie, your music will live on.
Track Listing
- Brand New Day
- California Dream
- The Way That We Roll
- I Love New York
- Shame On Me
*Best Songs