On and On: The Hits of Stephen Bishop - Bishop, Stephen (Cassette 1994)

Distributed in 1994 by MCA Records, the greatest hits compilation of Stephen Bishop provides a wonderful glimpse into the various stylings of this talented man. Granted, visit his self-promoting website and you may feel his time has passed, but you do get the distinct impression this guy is in it for the love of the music.

Thanks to his songwriting capabilities he can add work with Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and the Four Tops to his resume and we can enjoy my personal favorite track, Walking On Air aided by the vocal stylings of Phil Collins.

Beginning with a familiar tune, On and On (note: this one begins, "Down in Jamaica, they got lots of pretty women, steal your money while they break your heart...) the listener will be lulled into believing this is all mellow, and by today's standards it probably is. Yet you'll find yourself wandering through this guitarist's many abilities going from track one through the final. In between you'll come across the title song to Animal House, the themes from both China Syndrome and Tootsie. You'll be treated to an acousitc version of Separate Lives followed appropriately by the aforementioned tune with Phil.

A CD for anyone who had growing year in the 70s and 80s, or fans of well-done guitar playing (minus the leopard-print leotards and long flowing hair). This isn't for the alternative or metal fan. It's for the person who will hear the first track and go "OH! So that's who sings that song!" If you don't mind the life history shared in the CD, you'll enjoy the tunes while thinking back to the good old days---I never thought that would be the case in regard to the 70s and 80s. Guess we all "get old" sometime...