Emotions in Motion

Emotions in Motion, the excellent follow-up to Billy Squier's sophomore outing Don't Say No, saw Squier rise from theater headliner to bona fide arena rock sensation by delivering his most consistent solo record to date. Or at least one just as good as its predecessor. On this slice of AOR heaven, Squier expands on the Led Zeppelin-influenced exploits of Don't Say No. Right off the bat, Squier delivers an immediate blow to the head on the album's opening triumvirate "Everybody Wants You," "Emotions in Motion" (a distant cousin of Queen's "Get Down Make Love" no doubt), and the moody "Learn How to Live." Backed by longtime cronies -- drummer Bobby Chouinard, guitarist Jeff Golub, and keyboard player Allan St. John -- Squier effortlessly leads his ace band through the boogie-woogie of future concert staple "Keep Me Satisfied." Squier also takes a few chances by veering into Rolling Stones territory on the horn-laced "Catch 22." Borrowing heavily from "Tumbling Dice," "Catch 22" foreshadows a style that would become more prevalent on future records like Enough Is Enough and Creatures of Habit.