Shannon should have made it. The dance-princess established herself as a force to be reckoned with with her debut record, selling about eight million copies and earning herself some Grammy nominations. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the woman just couldn't sustain, and when the Let the Music Play wave had reached the shore, Shannon's career was over. The remaining tracks from her debut were not strong enough to secure a successful follow-up, and too much time passed between the real hits. Though she may have scored a Top 50 "hit" with this record, the Billboard Charts didn't signify what they mean now. In this Internet age, a Top 50 hit can mean a couple million YouTube hits for your video, a bunch of blog publicity, and a plethora of iTunes downloads. However in 1985, a Top 50 hit was more or less a gigantic flop, and there was no way she was gonna come back from it. After the giant splash her debut release made, Do You Wanna Get Away was left beached. Despite its complete fading into 80s oblivion, Shannon's sophomore record is an artistic triumph that remedies a lot of the issues I had with her first record. That aside, this record is a lot of growth for Shannon the singer. Her production team achieves a really slick sound that makes even Madonna look like a chump-- I know, right!? Who would have thought...

Unlike the free-style vibe of her house party debut, Do You Wanna Get Away takes Shannon's club style and adapts it for what appears to be a much more produced and Hollywood sound. Extremely glossy, extremely catchy, and extremely mature, this record holds no punches. First off, this record sounds expensive. The snappy beats and synth licks and smart and effective, achieving that urgent and racing sound found in Gorgio Moroder's music that was often not duplicated well. There are many things I like about this album, the least of which is Shannon's voice. Unlike the sporadic sound on her debut (which I did actually like), this record features a more cohesive sampling of her vocal power. She drops to the low registers on some tracks and then hits some raw sugar on others, but it's all done in a clever way that makes me hate the music industry for turning their backs on her. Doin' What You're Doin' is  standout, hot kiss-off song that's features Shannon giving us her best angry-girl-face. There's something very desperate and bitter about this song, which, being about cheating, you'd think would come a dime a dozen. The melody is unconventional for pop music, and it's as musically interesting as it is danceable and catchy: "'cause I'll be gone in a minute / Please don't lie / Just admit it / 'cause right or wrong: YOU DID IT TO ME / So keep on...doin' what you're doin'..." The rainy production kicks into high-gear, and Shannon gives it all she's got. Then the sizzingly hook-driven and haunting Stop The Noise starts, and it's all over-- this album rocks.


The musical differences between Shannon's debut and this record are endless, but it can best be describe as this: Shannon grew up and got some balls, man. The title-track opens this cold, metallic record with a heavy drum machine that runs with her powerful vocals. It provides the listener with a swirling trilogy of perfection. Dance music doesn't get any better than this, and though this record only clocks in with a sparse eight tracks, they are cohesive and snappy-- very different from the seven on her debut. Why Can't We Pretend is sad and jaded, though Shannon is pure candy with her soulful delivery. Though I've heard stories of her being a complete diva, there's something very relevant about the woman on this song, and it just makes me want to give her a pint of ice cream and watch bad Lifetime movies. Well, now that I've scared off a bunch of potential listeners, I should mention the funk-party that is Let Me See Your Body Move, which represents just about everything I love about the Mary Jane Girls, then cranking the juice up to about eleven and then adding in a little Grace Jones presence. This album is dramatic and heavy, as well represented by the appropriately-titled Urgent. As much as I love each and every song from this album, Stronger Together slightly lags behind the others, sounding a little more conventional than original and cool. It features a lot of tongue-in-cheek harmonizing, and I'm not loving that "turn-a-frown-upside-down" vibe that it gives off. I prefer Shannon doing her decadent work. Back when I was committing aural suicide and review Prince records, I was waiting for that innovative sound that everybody told me he had. No. No, Prince never even came a little bit close to what Shannon did on this record. Featuring a bunch of fun sound effects and musical flourishes, Do You Wanna Get Away makes me, well...get away with Shannon. This is the synth-pop version of Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, and I am in love.

VERDICT
This is one of those album that's quite rare and can be quite difficult to track down, even online. But this is one of those records that I feel is essential for any pop fan. I urge every fan of the 80s, pop, dance, or synth music to spend a little bit of time getting their hands on Shannon's second release, which rivals a lot of the great icons of the decade, including Madonna, the love of my life.

01. Do You Wanna Get Away [5 Stars]
02. Doin' What You're Doin' [5 Stars]
03. Stop the Noise [5 Stars]
04. Stronger Together [4 Stars]
05. Urgent [4.5 Stars]
06. Why Can't We Pretend [5 Stars]
07. Let Me See Your Body Move [5 Stars]
08. Bedroom Eyes [4.5 Stars]

Best: The first three songs.
Worst: Stronger Together - but just because it's out of place, really.

SCORE: 5 STARS (4.7+ )

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OTHER SHANNON REVIEWS:
1983 - Let the Music Play
1984 - Do You Wanna Get Away

Recommended: Yes