Colin James Hay - Looking for Jack

Underated and overlooked.

Colin Hay. A man that has carved out his own niche in the music world with his determined solo work. Like so many, i first heard of Colin Hay from the MEN AT WORK band ( my favorite 80s band). The short lived career of that very good band didnt stop him from moving forward.

In this cd i found that similar style of catchy memorable melody that Colin had a gift for displaying in his previous band. And though it recalls a bit of that, its still unique from Men At Work.

Colin Hay is capable of holding his own in this album, becouse hes that good of a musician. All the things i loved about Colin Hay's style, shines through in this cd.

"Hold Me" is good, opening with some ethnic singing. Its actually quite good.

"Looking For Jack", which is one the tracks that got some recognition and still does today in a small way. Good song. Another plus for this album, with that unique Colin Hay style that only huge lovers of MenAtWork would notice, when it comes to his personal contribution.

"Master Of Crime" is real good. Good example of how self sufficient this man is. Could of been a Men At Work hit if it was more upbeat, not to say that its slow, the song goes a good pace. A must-hear for any fans of Colins past work that miss Men At Work. Im not saying it sounds like the old band, but the guy out there who loved that band a great deal knows what i mean.

"These Are Our Finest Days" is one of my favorites of the handfull of good tracks on this album. A feel good, upbeat song that has that fimilar and yet so unique spirit found in Hay's other work, but with somewhat new-wave sound. Like i said, its a great song coming out of the Men At Work times.

"Circles Erratica" is another plus to say the least. Another favorite of mine. Sounds great to me. Has a somewhat of a uplifted free spirit to it. I love that about it and hearing Colin's vocal style is great. This song is like the icing on the cake, nearing the end of the cd, giving us another hit worthy memorable track.

Those are the songs that really stuck with me. As for the other songs, i think they require more time to grow on a person, or maybe they just need to grow on me. The one song that i didnt really like all that much was just one song that sticks out and that is " I Dont Need You Anymore ", which has this weird keyboard-bass guitar sound effect thing going on in the background. A song only the most appreciative of Hay fans would love lol. But to be honest, i see it having good potential of growing on me, if i can get past that darn weird sounding fake bass guitar sound, or perhaps thats an actual bass? Im sorry if it is. It just sounds out of place to me.

But anyways, this album is where id suggest you first start if you wanna experience more Colin Hay if you coming from being a Men At Work lover.
I really like Colin Hay's stuff, and i cant wait to hear more. Im only 22 years old, and though i didnt live through those prime years of Men At Work, believe me that i love that band and that i appreicate and respect Colin Hay, he is one of the musicians i definatly look up to and am influenced and inspired by.


Too bad the radio focus groups never gave his solo work much of a chance. But thats cool, thats just more berried treasure for me....down by the sea ;) March 9, 2008

Looking for solo success

Colin James Hay was the voice of Men at Work, and also one of the chief songwriters. Most accounts have his band breaking up acrimoniously, with egos and ambitions the culprits. When MaW's third album, Two Hearts, failed to match or even get close to the success of the first two albums, the band splintered for good and Hay - the most recognizable member of the band - embarked on a solo career.

It is perhaps the way he lists himself, as Colin James Hay (and the only time he did this) that most obviously points to the ego issues that fractured Men At Work. As it also seems, then, that Columbia had visions of solo Colin being their solo Sting, and "Looking For Jack" teeters atop its over-ambitious nature. Like Peter Gabriel, David Byrne or Paul Simon, the first song on "Looking for Jack" bursts forth with world music rhythms and an African Chorale. Like Sting, the title track flirts with jazz. And like so many artists in the 80's trying to prove they were sophisticates, the music is an overproduced jumble of horns, electronic keyboards and processed percussion, held together by the overwhelming, distinct personality of Hay's voice.

That is not to say "Looking for Jack" is without virtue. Indeed, the marvelous "Can I Hold You" is a single that should have been a lover's anthem. The title song is such a good number that Hay revisited it for his 2003 Man at Work release. "Circles Erratica" stands right next to his best Men At Work songs. It's a shame this didn't get a more fair shake in 1987, because Hay's career hit the skids at this point and has only begun to be seen in a more positive light. His guest appearances on Scrubs and contributing songs to TV shows like Judging Amy underscore his long-term popularity, and make me wonder why this (and other solo CD's like Wayfaring Sons) are out of print in the USA. Colin Hay may have fallen off the radar, but that doesn't mean his music should be lost.

Also worth checking out, 2007's Are You Looking At Me?. November 17, 2007

First Solo effort--1987--A rarity

This is the one that started Colin Hay's solo career--1987's Looking For Jack. It was actually entitled Colin James Hay which was his only album credited this way. His follow up Wayfaring Sons is actually credited to The Colin Hay Band, while all his works after that were simply Colin Hay. This album is out of print so it is rare and difficult to find but i assure you it is a must have. When this came out in 1987, the only reason I knew about it was because I saw him on David Letterman in an interview and a live performance of Looking for Jack. It is a shame that Columbia didn't push this album. However, this is a great record and was a sign of things to come. The title track itself is a jazz influenced piece with Herbie Hancock on piano so there is a lot going on. This is the best version of this song, which Colin later included on Going Somewhere and Man at Work, because of the keyboards. Otherwise, the later versions just sound empty. Can I Hold You? is a great tune with Colin playing electric guitars, keyboards and E-bow. This is mid tempo with a beautiful melody. Master of Crime is the best song on the cd. Colin only plays electric guitars on this one but has a brass section as well as keyboards. Another great mid tempo song with echoing background vocals by Colin that are very haunting. This should have been a top 40 single. These Are Our Finest Days is a fast-paced, keyboard driven rocker. I could go on and on. Overall, the album is bright and energetic. You get excellent production with a full arrangement of sound in every song via a variety of instruments with no filler. A deadly combination for a cd that should have been a big hit record. This is one of my absolute favorites. July 8, 2005

One of the best albums I've ever heard, thru repeat listens

I picked this up at discount, one day and it was magnificent.
Because of it I started picking up his other creations, although this still is his best (I DO have more to get, though). April 20, 2005

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