Cliff Richard's biggest hit album since the mid-'70s came at a time when observers were just beginning to suspect the bubble was bursting. His last few 45s and albums had struggled to repeat the successes that had re-established him on the scene, and a handful of weaker numbers were again crawling back into his repertoire. A change of scenery, to the same Pathe Marconi studios that
the Rolling Stones had then-recently been using, brought a change of direction -- gone were the straightforward love songs and ballads; in their stead,
Richard began flirting with a distinctly new wave influenced sound, one that was confirmed by his interest in the newly emergent songwriter
B.A. Robertson. Writing alongside
Terry Britten,
Robertson was responsible for
Rock'n'Roll Juvenile's two biggest hits, "Hot Shot" and the still remarkable "Carrie" -- one of the most distinctive numbers
Richard had recorded in more than a decade. Other numbers -- "Cities May Fall," "Sci Fi," "Walking in the Light" and the album's title track -- maintained that same semi-quirky quality, while the addition of slide guitar and Mellotron to the band lineup gave the entire record such a red-hot contemporary feel that nobody could argue with the album's name. Richard was entering his fourth decade of recording, but he sounded like a kid again. ~ Dave Thompson