Barking at Airplanes is the ninth studio album by American singer Kim Carnes, released on May 5, 1985 by EMI.
The album received some positive reviews, including from People magazine, which wrote that “Carnes has had plenty of moments before but she’s never recorded an album as pleasing as this.” Yet on the U.S. Billboard 200, it peaked at #48 and sold less than 200,000 copies. The track "Begging for Favors (Learning How Things Work)" features Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac playing guitar and singing backing vocals.
The album spawned two hit singles, "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)" and "Abadabadango".
No matter how hard she tried -- and she tried very, very hard -- Kim Carnes couldn't get either Voyeur or Café Racers, her two follow-ups to Mistaken Identity, into the consciousness of the audience that flipped for "Bette Davis Eyes."
There were some hits along the way, but they were minor ones. Clearly, it was time for a change, and for 1985's Barking at Airplanes, she broke from convention, stepping up to the boards to co-produce the record. This was the change that was needed, as it resulted in a cohesive, consistent album -- the best she made since Mistaken Identity.
It wasn't a drastic shift in sound, so perhaps it's surprising that the record is markedly better than either of its immediate two predecessors, but the key is focus. Although there are elements of post-new wave pop, arena rock, adult contemporary, and dance evident throughout the album, they're fused together into a sleek, insistent sound.
This isn't entirely different from what other artists of her style and era were doing at the time -- this, indeed, sounds like what adult-oriented pop of the mid-'80s sounded like -- but it fits Carnes very well, not just because her great voice sounds ideal in this setting, but because she does this music very well. For all of her hard work, Carnes was rewarded with a moderate hit -- an album that reached 48, while spawning a number 15 hit in the title track.
It might not have been up to the standards of Mistaken Identity -- it was closer to Voyeur standards, really -- but it still qualified as a welcome comeback, and it's stood the test of time as one of Carnes' best records.
Side A
A1. Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes) - 3:35
A2. One Kiss - 3:32
A3. Begging for Favors (Learning How the Things Work) - 4:52
A4. He Makes the Sun Rise - 4:28
A5. Bon Voyage - 4:44
Side B
B1. Don’t Pick Up the Phone (Pick Up the Phone) - 4:19
B2. Rough Edges - 4:44
B3. Abadabadango - 3:58
B4. Touch and Go - 4:48
Notes
Release: 1985
Format: LP
Genre: Soft Rock
Label: EMI Records
Catalog# 1A064-2403381
Vinyl: VG
Cover: G
Prijs: €7,99
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