No Lookin' Back
{{For|other topics, including the 1990 Yui Asaka album|No Looking Back (disambiguation){{!}}No Looking Back}}
{{Infobox album
| name = No Lookin' Back
| type = Studio album
| artist = Michael McDonald
| cover = No Lookin' Back (Michael McDonald).jpg
| alt =
| released = {{start date|1985|07|30}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = * Dilling Street Studio (U.S.)
- The Villa Studio (North Hollywood)
| genre = * Blue-eyed soul
| length = {{duration|m=37|s=09}}
| label = Warner Bros.
| producer = * Michael McDonald
| prev_title = If That's What It Takes
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = Sweet Freedom
| next_year = 1986
| misc = {{Singles
| name = No Lookin' Back
| type = Studio album
| single1 = No Lookin' Back
| single1date = July 10, 1985
| single2 = Bad Times
| single2date = 1985
| single3 = Lost in the Parade
| single3date = November 1985
}}}}
No Lookin' Back is the second solo studio album by American musician Michael McDonald. It was released on July 30, 1985 by Warner Bros. Records, three years after his debut studio album, If That's What It Takes (1982); this was his last album to be released by Warner Bros.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-lookin-back/41704961 |title=No Lookin' Back by Michael McDonald on iTunes |publisher=iTunes |date=1985-07-30 |access-date=2015-09-21}} For the first time, he co-produced and wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks. It features contributions from guitarists Joe Walsh (Eagles, James Gang), Robben Ford and David Pack from Ambrosia, Jeff Porcaro on drums (Toto, Steely Dan), plus the former Doobie Brothers members Willie Weeks on bass guitar, and Cornelius Bumpus providing horns, half of whom had also performed on If That's What It Takes.
On release, the album was received favorably by the majority of music critics and peaked at No. 45 on the US Billboard 200. Three singles were issued from No Lookin' Back: "No Lookin' Back", "Bad Times" and "Lost in the Parade". The album's first and leading single, "No Lookin' Back", was co-written by Kenny Loggins and was a commercial success, peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 34 on Billboard Hot 100.
The album was re-released one year later in 1986. The re-released version changed around the track order and featured different album cover artwork, along with the inclusion of the hit single "Sweet Freedom" from the soundtrack of the Peter Hyams action comedy film Running Scared, as well as the remixed version of "Our Love", which served as the theme for the Richard Pearce neo-noir action thriller film No Mercy.
"(I Hang) On Your Every Word" was originally released in 1983 on On Your Every Word, the second studio album by Amy Holland, McDonald's wife – who he had married that year.{{Cite web |title=Amy Holland Official Website {{!}} Bio |url=https://www.amyhollandmusic.com/bio |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=www.amyhollandmusic.com |language=en}} McDonald produced, and performed on the album, co-writing four tracks, and some of the same collaborators on that album are on No Lookin' Back.
Critical reception
{{Album reviews
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/no-lookin-back-mw0000190868|title=No Lookin' Back - Michael McDonald | Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2015-09-21}}
| rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Omnibus Press|edition=5th concise|year=2011|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8}}
| rev3 = Music Week
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|3}}{{cite magazine|author=|date=28 September 1985|title=Michael McDonald: No Lookin' Back. Warner Brothers. 925 291-1|magazine=Music Week|department=LP Reviews|page=19|publisher=Pensord Press Ltd.|location=Gwent|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1985/Music-Week-1985-09-28-I.pdf#page=29|via=World Radio History|issn=0265-1548|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231035355/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1985/Music-Week-1985-09-28-I.pdf|archive-date=31 December 2021|access-date=31 May 2023}}
| rev4 = Rolling Stone
| rev4Score = (unfavorable){{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaelmcdonald/albums/album/194184/review/5944415/no_lookin_back |title=No Lookin' Back : Michael McDonald : Review : Rolling Stone |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=1985-10-24 |access-date=2019-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807133310/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/michaelmcdonald/albums/album/194184/review/5944415/no_lookin_back |archive-date=August 7, 2008 }}
}}
In a negative contemporary review for Rolling Stone, critic J. D. Considine wrote that "the bulk of this album is utter piffle. McDonald's inability to move beyond his vocal limitations suggests that he might be simply the musical equivalent of a character actor, doomed forever to those parts demanding his particular mannerisms. If so, he'd better pay more attention to how he's being cast", and in a more positive review, Music Week wrote "having stabled the horses, hung up the cowboy boots and watched the Doobie Brothers ride off into the horizon, McDonald has clearly been moving in more funkier circles of late. The impressive soul vocal, previewed to such advantage on the Doobies' "What a Fool Believes", re-surfaces in a manner not that dissimilar to Hall & Oates. US in feel, but in with a chance if a single takes off."
Track listing
= Original release =
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = No Lookin' Back
| writer1 = {{hlist|Michael McDonald|Kenny Loggins|Ed Sanford}}
| length1 = 3:55
| title2 = Bad Times
| writer2 = McDonald
| length2 = 4:21
| title3 = (I'll Be Your) Angel
| writer3 = {{hlist|McDonald|Chuck Sabatino}}
| length3 = 3:57
| title4 = By Heart
| writer4 = {{hlist|McDonald|Sabatino|David Pack}}
| length4 = 4:35
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| total_length = 37:09
| title5 = Any Foolish Thing
| writer5 = {{hlist|McDonald|Sabatino}}
| length5 = 4:23
| title6 = Our Love
| writer6 = {{hlist|McDonald|Pack}}
| length6 = 4:32
| title7 = (I Hang) On Your Every Word
| writer7 = {{hlist|McDonald|Amy Holland}}
| length7 = 3:37
| title8 = Lost in the Parade
| writer8 = {{hlist|McDonald|Grady Walker}}
| length8 = 3:48
| title9 = Don't Let Me Down
| writer9 = McDonald
| length9 = 4:01
}}
= 1986 Reissue =
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = No Lookin' Back
| writer1 = {{hlist|McDonald|Loggins|Sanford}}
| length1 = 3:55
| title2 = Bad Times
| writer2 = McDonald
| length2 = 4:21
| title3 = (I'll Be Your) Angel
| writer3 = {{hlist|McDonald|Sabatino}}
| length3 = 3:57
| title4 = By Heart
| writer4 = {{hlist|McDonald|Sabatino|Pack}}
| length4 = 4:35
| title5 = Don't Let Me Down
| writer5 = McDonald
| length5 = 4:01
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| total_length = 37:09
| title6 = Sweet Freedom
| writer6 = Rod Temperton
| length6 = 4:05
| title7 = Our Love
| note7 = Theme from No Mercy
| writer7 = {{hlist|McDonald|Pack}}
| length7 = 4:14
| title8 = (I Hang) On Your Every Word
| writer8 = {{hlist|McDonald|Holland}}
| length8 = 3:37
| title9 = Any Foolish Thing
| writer9 = {{hlist|McDonald|Sabatino}}
| length9 = 4:23
| title10 = Lost in the Parade
| writer10 = {{hlist|McDonald|Walker}}
| length10 = 3:48
}}
Personnel
Musicians
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
- Michael McDonald – lead and backing vocals; keyboards (1); synthesizers (2-9, "Our Love (Remix)"); Hammond organ (5, 7)
- Mike Hanna – synthesizers (2)
- Chuck Sabatino – synthesizers (3, 5); backing vocals (3, 5)
- Chris Pelonis – programming (3, 4, 7)
- Scott Plunkett – synthesizer horns (4); sequencing (7)
- Brian Mann – synthesizers (6, 8, "Our Love (Remix)")
- Randy Goodrum – synthesizers (9)
- Larry Williams – synthesizers; keyboards, and horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Wells Christie – Synclavier ("Sweet Freedom")
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards ("Sweet Freedom")
- Rod Temperton – keyboards and arrangements ("Sweet Freedom")
- Danny Sembello – keyboards ("Sweet Freedom")
- Anthony Patler – keyboards ("Sweet Freedom")
- David Pack – guitars (1, 2, 4, 7); synthesizers (4); rhythm guitar (9)
- Joe Walsh – slide guitar (2)
- Robben Ford – guitars (3); lead guitar solo (9)
- Michael Thompson – guitar ("Sweet Freedom")
- Paul Jackson Jr. – guitar ("Sweet Freedom")
{{col-2}}
- Steve Lukather – guitar ("Our Love (Remix)")
- Willie Weeks – bass (1, 3–5, 8, 9)
- Nathan East – bass (2)
- Abraham Laboriel – bass ("Our Love (Remix)")
- Jeff Porcaro – drums (1-5, 7–9, "Our Love (Remix)"), cymbals (6); percussion ("Our Love (Remix)")
- George Perilli – drums (1); programming (4)
- Staff Fieldhouse – electronic drums (4, 8)
- Roger Nichols – drums (6)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (6, 9)
- Cornelius Bumpus – tenor saxophone (3, 5)
- Kim Hutchcroft – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Gary Grant – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- William Reichenbach – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Chuck Findley – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Jerry Hey – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Dave Boruff – horns ("Sweet Freedom")
- Bobby LaKind – congas ("Our Love (Remix)")
- Siedah Garrett – backing vocals ("Sweet Freedom")
{{col-end}}
Production
- Producers – Michael McDonald and Ted Templeman
- Production coordination – Joan Parker and Kathy Walker
- Engineer and Mixing – Ross Pallone
- Second engineer – Mike Wuellner
- Additional engineers – Lee Herschberg, Jim Pace and Grady Walker.
- Mixed at Hollywood Sound Recorders (Hollywood, CA).
- Originally mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk (New York, NY).
- CD mastering by Lee Herschberg at Amigo Studios (Los Angeles, CA).
- Art direction – Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff
- Design – Jeri McManus
- Front photography – Joel Levinson
- Back photography – Brian Aris
Sales chart performance
;Album
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| Chart (1985)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|45|artist=Michael McDonald|accessdate=September 21, 2015}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|26|artist=Michael McDonald|album=No Lookin' Back|accessdate=March 22, 2025}} |
;Singles
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Single ! Chart ! Position |
|---|
| rowspan="5" | 1985
| rowspan="3" | "No Lookin' Back" | Billboard Hot 100{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4870/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}|title=allmusic ((( Michael McDonald > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))|publisher=allmusic.com|accessdate=2010-04-24}} | style="text-align:center;" | 34 |
| Billboard Adult Contemporary
| style="text-align:center;" | 9 |
| Billboard Mainstream Rock
| style="text-align:center;" | 4 |
| "Bad Times"
| Billboard Mainstream Rock | style="text-align:center;" | 38 |
| "Lost in the Parade"
| Billboard Adult Contemporary | style="text-align:center;" | 40 |
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|157695}}
{{Michael McDonald}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:No Lookin' Back}}
Category:Michael McDonald (musician) albums