When You're a Boy

When You're a Boy
Studio album by
Susanna Hoffs
ReleasedJanuary 29, 1991
Recorded1990
StudioA&M Studios, Capitol Studios and Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length45:07
LabelColumbia
ProducerDavid Kahne
Susanna Hoffs chronology
When You're a Boy
(1991) 		Susanna Hoffs
(1996)

When You're a Boy is the debut solo album by Susanna Hoffs.[2] It begins with the Billboard Top 40 single "My Side of the Bed", includes the track "Unconditional Love" (co-written by Cyndi Lauper), and ends with a cover of "Boys Keep Swinging", the 1979 song written by David Bowie and Brian Eno. The album's title comes from the lyrics to the latter.[3]

The album peaked at No. 83 on the US albums chart.[4]

Three singles were released from the album: "My Side of the Bed", "Unconditional Love", and "Only Love". The first two featured the non-LP B-side "Circus Girl".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
New Musical Express3/10[7]
Q[2]
Record Mirror[8]
Sounds[9]

Jimmy Nicol of Q gave the album four out of five stars and wrote, "An album which expands the Bangles' brief into undreamed of territories. She reveals herself to be a highly inventive composer, lyricist – and even humourist ... After all, how many other American pop stars embarking on a solo career would name their album after a late '70s English art-rock 45?"[2]

In their review, Billboard noted that the "ex-Bangle's solo debut is laden with potential hit singles. Hoffs' breathy, childlike delivery is perfect for her cover of "Unconditional Love" (which could be this record's "Eternal Flame"); the wistful "No Kind Of Love," Monkees-like pop ditty "This Time," and first single "My Side Of The Bed." Just the right pop record to ward off the winter chill and bring on the warm breezes of spring."[10]

AllMusic's review was negative, giving it one and a half out of five stars, and remarking, "Although the album was released in 1991, it sounds like bad mid-'80s music. Hoffs and the Bangles had a few catchy pop ditties; however, there are none to be found here."[11]

Track listing

Track listing for When You're a Boy
# Title Writer(s) Length
1. "My Side of the Bed" Hoffs, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg 3:29
2. "No Kind of Love" Hoffs, David Kahne, Scott Cutler, Ross Rice 3:05
3. "Wishing On Telstar" Robin Lane, Jimmy Cipolla 4:11
4. "That's Why Girls Cry" Kahne, Juliana Hatfield, Hoffs 3:59
5. "Unconditional Love" Cyndi Lauper, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg 3:51
6. "Something New" John Hanes, Cary Sheldon, Hoffs, Kahne 3:52
7. "So Much for Love" J. Hanes, Pearl E. Gates, Peter Dunne, Hilary Hanes 3:33
8. "This Time" Steve Summers 2:36
9. "Only Love" Hoffs, Diane Warren 4:25
10. "It's Lonely Out Here" Hoffs, Kelly, Steinberg 3:52
11. "Made of Stone" Jennfer Condos, Hoffs, Kahne 3:13
12. "Boys Keep Swinging" David Bowie, Brian Eno 4:59

Personnel

Production

  • David Kahne – producer, arrangements, engineer, mixing (5, 6)
  • Steve Churchyard – engineer
  • Clark Germain – engineer
  • David Leonard – engineer, mixing (1-3, 5, 7-12)
  • Joel Stoner – engineer, mixing (5)
  • Keith Cohen – mixing (4)
  • Ray Blair – assistant engineer
  • Greg Goldman – assistant engineer
  • Ed Goodreau – assistant engineer
  • Mike Kloster – assistant engineer
  • Sylvia Massy – assistant engineer
  • Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
  • Mike Piersante – assistant engineer
  • Lori Fumar – assistant mix engineer
  • Wally Traugott – mastering at Capitol Studios
  • Randee St. Nicholas – photography

Charts

Chart performance for When You're a Boy
Chart (1991) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 67
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[13] 8
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14] 51
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[15] 29
UK Albums (OCC)[16] 56
US Billboard 200[4] 83
US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[17] 74
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[18] 43

References

  1. ^ a b Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig, eds. (1995). "Bangles". Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  2. ^ a b c Nicol, Jimmy (5 March 1991). "When You're A Boy review". Q Magazine. 55: 71.
  3. ^ Stitzel, Kelly (February 1, 2011). "Popdose Flashback '91: Susanna Hoffs, "When You're a Boy"". Popdose. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Susanna Hoffs Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  5. ^ AllMusic review
  6. ^ Hochmann, Steve (January 27, 1991). "Susanna Hoffs: When You're a Boy". p. C.62.
  7. ^ Mulvey, John (30 March 1991). "Long Play". New Musical Express. p. 36.
  8. ^ Duerden, Nick (6 April 1991). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 17.
  9. ^ Traitor, Ralph (30 March 1991). "Review: Susanna Hoffs – When You're a Boy (Columbia)" (PDF). Sounds. Peterborough: United Newspapers. p. 41. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  10. ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 2 February 1991. p. 72. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  11. ^ Griggs, Tim. "When You're a Boy AllMusic Review". AllMusic.com. Retrieved Dec 23, 2018.
  12. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 130.
  13. ^ "Sisältää hitin" [Contains a hit] (PDF). musiikkiarkisto.fi (in Finnish). p. 103.
  14. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Susanna Hoffs – When You're a Boy" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Susanna Hoffs – When You're a Boy". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  16. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LIV, no. 30. 9 March 1991. p. 24 – via World Radio History.
  18. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1479". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 July 2024.