Bryan Adams ~ Reckless

Most of the songs on Bryan Adams's fourth solo disc are so familiar to radio listeners that the lyrics might as well be tattooed on their brains. Reckless was one of the biggest Canadian albums of the '80s and Adams's first to go diamond (signalling sales of over one million copies) in his native land. Of course, many fans are still surprised when they realize the first line in "Summer of '69"--his immortal ode to the dreams and disappointments of youth--is "I got my first real six-string," not "I got my first real sex dream." The singer shreds his larynx at every opportunity and the hooks come hard and fast, and Reckless is the high point of Adams's collaboration with songwriting partner Jim Vallance. Their forte was radio-ready rockers-- "Run to You," "Somebody," and "One Night Love Affair" all belong somewhere between "Born to Run" and bubble-gum pop--but in "Heaven," Adams and Vallance created the prototype for his later power ballads. More success awaited Adams, but his music was never again so punchy or succinct.

1 One Night Love Affair

2 She's Only Happy When She's Dancin'

3 Run to You

4 Heaven

5 Somebody

6 Summer of '69

7 Kids Wanna Rock

8 It's Only Love

9 Long Gone

10 Ain't Gonna Cry