Billy Squier

Billy Squier knows his music is all right. He knows because he's got razor sharp hooks, air-tight choruses, and the "Big Beat." Though his former band, Piper, wasn't the next Kiss (both were managed by Bill Aucoin), Squier plays with the big boys right out of the gate on his first solo: Tale of the Tape deftly welds heavy licks to hard funk on a level with world-dominators Queen. Both beatboxes and muscle cars blasted "You Should Be High, Love" and "Big Beat." But the artist's gentle melodic touch always surprises. Underneath the suburban-Zep-sludge pops Raspberries bubblegum. Squier doesn't fake sympathy for the working class; he wants to be rich and he wants young girls. On Tale of the Tape and its near-perfect follow-up, Don't Say No, he knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. [The U.K. edition on Rock Candy adds bonus tracks.] ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide