Satisfied With You

"Satisfied With You" is one of the most under-acclaimed DC5 albums. On it we find some exceptionally good material, although there are a scant 10 tracks to explain this effort.

Track One: "Satisfied With You" opens with some fine piano & harmonica giving way to some fine vocal work by Mike Smith. Smith attempts a melodic pop-country ballad and succeeds well. While this was probably not the wisest commercial choice for a single, (peaking at #50), the band does deliver a musically relaxing moment.

Track Two: "Go On" is other-worldly: you just have to take it or leave it. Nothing but Mike's Vox Continental organ on this one, plus his lead vocal. This one isn't favorable in my book. I would patiently let this one pass in order to get to the next song.

Track Three: "Do You Still Love Me" is familiar DC5 territory, with its bouncy arrangement, sing-along chorus, and some good dueling piano against guitar. Even the title is familiar: (let us not forget their rousing rendition of "Do You Love Me"). It could very well have been a question posed at the record buying public, since the DC5 were starting to come down in popularity by this time. It was not intended as a sequel to "Do You Love Me", but it carried well to be worthy as a single release that never was.

Track Four: "I Meant You" has a similar feel to The Beatle's "I Should Have Known Better", though shorter and in a different key. It is a joy to hear how DC5 could sound as if they were from Liverpool. But then again, thank goodness they weren't.)

Track Five: "Look Before You Leap", always good advice. Why wasn't this song a big hit single? I could have carried the album's success by itself. How this one could get away undetected I don't know: the irresistable guitar from Lenny Davidson with an answer back from Mike Smith on the organ. Dave Clark pounds away at those drums as if he were trying to take the momentum away from Lenny and Mike and almost pulls it off. It is the best track on this album.

Track Six: "Please Tell Me Why" begins side two at waltz tempo which could be a contrast to the side one title track opener of "Satisfied With You". Piano (from Mike of course), tempo from Dave, and mostly all in the group on vocal, made this very different DC5 record earn a #23 position, although "Look Before You Leap" sounded far better on the flip.

Track Seven: "You Never Listen" almost sounds as it were recorded at a Beatles session, with some fancy off-key guitar from Lenny. The tempo and vocals keep it plain and simple, typical of the DC5. Not my favorite, but listenable. ("I Somewhat Listen")

Track Eight: "I Still Need You", another strange ballad I would rather skip than endure, unless I am in a strictly DC5-mood.

Track Nine: "It'll Only Hurt For A Little While" picks up the pace with a frantic garage band rave up, spread over a short 1:46. It features first some dive bombing bass guitar from Rick Huxley with some twang from Lenny on lead guitar. The conclusion has a slight piano (only four notes are played five times-the last at songs end) by Mike. The lead vocal by Mike comes out on top again, with rest of the group chanting the chorus.

Track Ten: "Good Lovin' ", The final song on the album and the only cover. Originally recorded by The Olympics, and then more sucessfully by The Young Rascals, DC5's treatment of this song is worthy enough. It falls upon Lenny Davidson to play the lead guitar throughout this final track, with the rest of the group a chiming in for a close second. The DC5 seal of approval in music makes this final track on "Satisfied With You".

And with that concludes my review of "Satisfied With You". From the way I see it, I think this is a fair and honest and formal analysis on one of DC5's least appreaciated albums.

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