Desmond Child: "Discipline"
Elektra 1991
Review by Kimmo Toivonen,
14 July 2002
When it comes to hard rock/AOR songwriters, Desmond Child is in a league of his own. His career started as a lead singer in Desmond Child & Rouge, a band that combined disco elements with rock. Rouge didn't make it really, but around the same time (late seventies), Desmond hooked up with Paul Stanley of Kiss, and co-wrote "I Was Made For Loving You" for the band. That song went on to become a major hit, and kickstarted DC's songwriting career.
During the eighties Desmond co-wrote hits for several artists, and has to be given some credit for the success of Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Cher and Aerosmith, just to name a few. Lately he hasn't been working with too many rock artists, but he's still actively writing songs, and has enjoyed success with pop artists such as Ricky Martin.
"Discipline" was aimed to relaunch Desmond's career as an singer, but despite the quality of the tracks, it didn't set the charts on fire. It's surely different to the hard rock type of songs that he wrote for the likes of Kane Roberts and Southgang at the time. "Discipline" seems to be a bit more introspective and moody than the "whoa whoa"-filled rock anthems of his, and to this day, I rate some of this songs as his finest work.
The opener "The Price Of Lovin' You" made its' debut on a Bonfire album a couple of years earlier, and it is one of the more "typical" DC-songs, with a big chorus and those "whoa whoa's". Desmond's own version of the song is a bit less bombastic than the Bonfire one, but still a very good one. The guitarist on this track is one Butch Walker, by the way. The title song is a Child/Sambora collaboration, a decent rocker if nothing else, while "I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend" is a track written by long-time co-writer Diane Warren. Typically for her, it's a great ballad with bitter lyrics about a break-up (a reoccuring theme in her songs).
"Love On A Rooftop" is a Child/Warren song that was first introduced on a Cher album in 1989. Desmond's own version is far better and more emotionally charged, and it features the three girls of "The Rouge" on backing vocals. "You're The Story Of My Life" is another fine ballad from Child and Warren, and I'm surprised that it hasn't been dusted off yet, for another shot at chart success with some other artist performing it.
"According To The Gospel Of Love" is one of the few rockers here, another Child/Sambora-collaboration. Bon Jovi fans might want to know that both of the songs co-written by Sambora feature him on guitars and Tico Torres on drums. "Do Me Right" was originally written for Maria Vidal (one of "The Rouge" girls), who recorded it back in 1985 or thereabouts. Again, Desmond's own version is much better. And speaking of Vidal, she duets with Child on the next track "Obsession", a smooth pop ballad co-written by none other than Burt Bacharach. "Gift Of Life" is a touching story about an abortion, musically somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen. Finally, there's "A Ray Of Hope", a song written by Don Paul Yowell, a songwriter who lost his life in 1984. The song is decicated to Desmond's brother Joey, who died in January 1991, during the recordings of these songs. It's a beatiful ballad featuring only keyboards and Desmond's vocal.
It's a shame that this remains the only Desmond Child solo album. I guess he is content on writing hits for other artists at the moment, but I'd welcome another solo record from him anyday!