Whispering Jack

by Jonathan LewisFaded '60s icon and former Little River Band singer John Farnham managed to reinvent himself as an '80s pop star on Whispering Jack. This album was immensely popular in Australia, and both it and the first single "You're the Voice" sat at the top of the charts for many weeks. Whispering Jack was an album of slick, commercial synth-pop and from that point of view it was near perfect. Lyrically, though, it was lightweight, and Farnham's voice often sounded strained, particularly in its upper register. "You're the Voice" (complete with bagpipe solo) is the obvious highlight of this set. It became an instant classic, and is the song this album is most remembered for, even though "Pressure Down" and "A Touch of Paradise" also became hit singles. The rest of the album is standard '80s commercial pop, although on a couple of tracks Farnham moves into more of a straight rock territory ("Love to Shine," "Let Me Out") with mixed results. Farnham's career took off following this album, although his limitations as a singer were definitely exposed. [A '20th Anniversary Edition' CD/DVD of the album was released in 2006.]