Rocktrospectiva: The Mixed And Underrated "When You're A Boy" Turns 35

Released on 29 January 1991 "When You're A Boy" was the debut solo studio album by US singer Susanna Hoffs. The album spawned the top 40 single "My Side Of The Bed", "Unconditional Love" & "Only Love" also a David Bowie cover "Boys Keep Swinging". The album peaked at No. 83 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Having topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with 1989’s Eternal Flame, The Bangles looked set to enter the new decade as the biggest girlband on planet pop but then everything wrecked. The quartet had always operated democratically, sharing both vocal and songwriting duties pretty much equally on all three of their studio efforts. Even so, with her striking stage presence and a voice that could naturally flit between gravelly rocker and delicate balladeer, Hoffs inevitably became the de facto frontwoman.

Susannah Hoffs’ When You’re A Boy, from 1991, could only scrape in at No.56 in the UK. And it fared even worse in her homeland, peaking at a lowly No.83. In fact, the majority of its 12 tracks aimed for the same American new wave-meets-British Invasion pop sound of Hoffs' former day job.

The dreamy lead single My Side Of The Bed would sat comfortably on a Bangles Best Of. Likewise the driving power pop of This Time and the bittersweet mid-tempo No Kind Of Love. It seemed that Hoffs still kept at least one foot in the mid- to late-80s. The strutting synth-pop of So Much For Love gets into the groove of Madonna, while That’s Why Girls Cry was the kind of buoyant bubblegum number you could imagine Tiffany belting out at a shopping mall. And finally a  relatively faithful cover version of Cyndi Lauper ballad Unconditional Love.

The David Bowie purists, however, may well wish she hadn’t covered a curious rendition of Boys Keep Swinging, the gender-challenging glam rock anthem which gave Bowie his final UK Top 10 hit of the 1970s: its lyrics also inspired the album’s title. 

Hoffs was fine vocal form, particularly on Wishing On Telstar – a wistful ode to the communications satellite, and It’s Lonely Out Here, a stomping mix of Hammond organ and bluesy guitar licks which allows her to truly cut loose. When You’re a Boy also contains a song Hoffs co-wrote with Juliana Hatfield, "That’s Why Girls Cry,".

The album reviews were mixed, some applauded her as a highly  inventive composer, lyricist – and even humourist, others called the album as a nice solo attempt with potential hit singles, while some other critics called the album dated even thought it was released in 1991 it sounded like bad mid-80s music, but 35 years later I still feel something especial for this record especcially due the power dreamy ballad "My Side Of The Bed" and Cindy Lauper's cover "Unconditional Love" great memories indeed.

 

When You're A Boy Track List:  

 

1. My Side Of The Bed

2. No Kind Of Love

3. Wishing On Telstar

4. That's Why Girls Cry

5. Unconditional Love

6. Something New

7. So Much For Love

8. This Time

9. Only Love

10. It's Lonely Out Here

11. Made Of Stone

12. Boys Keep Swinging