SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:49 Min.
Recorded for 1984’s Footloose film soundtrack, Heart’s Ann Wilson duets with Loverboy’s Mike Reno. Including the soundtrack’s 1998 15th Anniversary Edition, this radio-friendly love song has subsequently appeared on a number of ‘80s pop compilation albums.
REVIEW:
Pairing Ann Wilson and Mike Reno in a romantic duet was an inspired choice, given the gorgeous melody. There’s no mistaking that their polished vocals are electric, as both of them are at the top of their game. The song’s weakness clearly isn’t Wilson and Reno; rather, it’s more the overly sentimental lyrics. Suffice to say, “Almost Paradise” risks soaring into romantic pop drivel.
Even so, as long as the lyrics are more of an afterthought, the song makes a good choice for ‘80s pop and road trip playlists. The only other caveat, ironically enough, stems from Footloose itself. Whether it’s interpreted as adult lust and/or loneliness, this song’s yearning context seems, at best, awkward, if applied to the film’s love-struck (and underage) teenagers portrayed by Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
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