Then and Now

by David Cassidy

Overview

While both David Cassidy and the Partridge Family have been at least partially anthologized over the years, it remains a thing of wonder that nobody has yet sat down to compile the best of both into one all-encompassing package -- all the more so since Cassidy's personal appeal remains as high as any '70s icon could dream of climbing. Cassidy himself has toyed with his past on occasion, with releases ranging from a mid-'80s live hits album to the savage reinvention of "I Think I Love You," which so dignified his 1998 Slamajama album. Then and Now, however, goes further than either he, or his past record companies, have ever traveled, serving up 22 songs of which just three ("Cry," "No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross," and "Sheltered in Your Arms") don't immediately leap out of the memory banks. From "I Woke up in Love This Morning" to "I Write the Songs," from "Cherish" to "The Last Kiss" (a 1985 U.K. smash that marked the first of his serious comebacks), Cassidy revisits a career's worth of pop classics, as straight as a die and faithful enough that you could almost forget you're not listening to the greatest hits collection on earth. No sneaky drum'n'bass redesigns, no nasty modern production tricks, no heartless stab at "updating" the songs for the modern listener. A pointless duet with boy band Hear'Say does raise a few anachronistic hackles, but "Could It Be Forever" has already appeared once on the album; once more is no skin off anyone's nose. It's unabashed nostalgia, then, and all delivered with such sincerity that you can't even feel cynical about the exercise. The booklet photos are early-'70s classics; the inclusion of the lyrics lets you cheat and peek at the occasional line you may not quite remember. And Cassidy's voice hasn't lost an ounce of its charm since the first time he sang these songs. Of course, it isn't quite the real, all-encompassing best-of box thing that fans have been waiting for all these years, but it's close. ~ Dave Thompson

Product Details

Release Date:	01/08/2002
Label:	Polydor / Universal
UPC:	0044001608223

Tracks

1. I Think I Love You
2. Could It Be Forever
3. How Can I Be Sure
4. I Woke Up in Love This Morning
5. Daydreamer
6. I Can Feel Your Heartbeat
7. It's One of Those Nights (Yes Love)
8. I Write the Songs
9. Rock Me Baby
10. Some Kind of a Summer
11. Looking Through the Eyes of Love
12. I'll Meet You Halfway
13. If I Didn't Care
14. Cherish
15. The Last Kiss
16. Ain't No Sunshine
17. Lyin' to Myself
18. Cry
19. No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross
20. Sheltered in Your Arms
21. Ricky's Tune
22. Could It Be Forever

Album Credits

Performance Credits

David Cassidy   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Vocals
Hear'Say   Primary Artist
Hal Blaine   Guest Artist,Drums
Lisa Meyer   Vocals (Background)
Peter Murray   Piano,Keyboards
Phil Nicholl   Vocals (Background)
Ted Carfrae   Vocal Harmony
Sarah Ewins   Violin
Timothy Grant   Viola
Jim McIntosh   Guitar
Joe Knight   Cello
Mixmaster Michael Smith   Conductor,Fender Rhodes
Michael Smith   Conductor
Robert Smissen   Viola
Steve Morris   Violin
Hugh Burns   Guitar
James Mooney   Vocals (Background)
Pete Murray   Piano,Keyboards
Max Bennett   Bass
Mike Bradley   Drums
Brendan Power   Harmonica
Fridrik Karlsson   Guitar
Gary Coleman   Percussion
Scott Garland   Flute,Saxophone
Louie Shelton   Guitar
Mike Melvoin   Conductor
Alexander Skeaping   Harpsichord
Mark Cumberland   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
William Schofield   Cello
Rodolpho DeSouza   Violin
Pat White   Flugelhorn,Trumpet
Steve Pearce   Bass
Randy Crenshaw   Vocals (Background)
Eddie Hession   Piano-Accordian
Jackie Ward   Vocals (Background)
Lance Ellington   Vocals (Background)
Dennis Rollins   Trombone
Mae McKenna   Vocals (Background)
Frank Ricotti   Percussion
Dennis Budimir   Guitar

Technical Credits

Mike Tocci   Engineer
Dave Ellingson   Composer
Terry Dempsy   Composer
B. Lourie   Composer
Wesley Farrell   Composer
Danny Janssen   Composer
L. Brown   Composer
Billy Laurie   Composer
Jon Adler   Assistant Engineer
Ted Carfrae   Mixing,Producer,Remixing,Remix Producer,Mixing Engineer
Lulu Frieda   Composer
Mixmaster Michael Smith   Arranger
Lawrence Brown   Composer
Bruce Arthur Johnston   Composer
John Hudson   Engineer,Mixing
Johnny Cymbal   Composer
Peter Bunetta   Producer
Jim Cretecos   Composer
Mark Chamberlain   Engineer
Scot Rammer   Producer,Keyboard Programming
Peggy Clinger   Composer
Lulu   Composer
Peter Kingsbery   Composer
Reed Vertelney   Composer
Hear'Say   Performer
Michael Eckart   Engineer
Mike Appel   Composer
Sue Shifrin   Composer
David Cassidy   Composer,Producer
Gerry Goffin   Composer
Gerry Bron   Project Coordinator
Gerry Kitchingham   Engineer
Barry Mann   Composer
Mike Melvoin   Arranger,Producer
Alan Tarney   Composer,Producer
Bruce Johnston   Composer
Chris West   Mixing,Engineer,Remixing,Mixing Engineer
Terry Dempsey   Composer
John Musgrave   Engineer
Lawrence Russell Brown   Composer
Terry Kirkman   Composer
Simon Climie   Composer
Bill Withers   Composer
Kevin Metcalfe   Mastering
Kim Carnes   Composer
Jack Lawrence   Composer
Irwin Levine   Composer
Churchill Kohlman   Composer
Tony Romeo   Composer
Cynthia Weil   Composer
Eddie Brigati   Composer
Felix Cavaliere   Composer
John Pagano   Composer
Eric Sarafin   Mixing
John Sebastian   Composer
Wes Farrell   Composer