Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone (Epic)

Shaky Seems to have been rocking around that old clock for quite a while now. But still he keeps 'em coming. Naturally enough, "Merry Christmas Everyone" is one of those characteristic Christmas songs that once heard is never remembered. Dreadful unto its dying chords, it's amazing the dross that Dave Edmunds (in the guise of producer) is prepared to associate himself with these days. Still, whatever I say won't prevent it from being a massive hit. Trying to ensure otherwise would be like trying to blow out a searchlight. Hopeless. (Mike Morris, No 1, December 14, 1985)

This one leaves me cold. Shaky's on thin ice here, as he skates through a precarious rocking rendition of Xmas tidings, complete with doo wops and sleigh bells. Someone definitely left the sixpence out of this one. (Diane Cross, Record Mirror, December 7, 1985)


A stunningly original concept! I can't help thinking that Shaky would sing "The Red Flag" if his record company thought it would make him a few more bob. The great Dave Edmunds produced this record - can't hear him though! (Captain Sensible, No 1, December 21, 1985)

Bryan Ferry - Windswept (Polydor)

Bryan Ferry's always reminded me of an After Eight Mint: cool, dark, elegantly wrapped, the ideal way to end an evening. And "Windswept", like most of his songs, is an almost delicate wafer thin delight: all crisp, staccato guitars sashaying to and fro on a bed of swirling synthesizers and saxophones. Irresistable. (Peter Martin, Smash Hits, December 4, 1985)

Anya - Moscow Nights (Rocket)

Picture the scene: we're sitting in the boardroom of Elton John's record company, Rocket, and some bright spark has a birrofa brainwave...
"Remember that amazing blonde lady in the 'Nikita' vid? Ya? Well how about if we made that character, the Russian soldier, into a pop star? Crikey chaps, we could clean up!"
And so it came to pass that some poor video extra was shoved into a studio to make a thoroughly useless song about the "cold nights in Moscow", balalaikas a-rockin'. Bleeding capitalists. (Peter Martin, Smash Hits, December 4, 1985)

If this particular young woman hadn't been seen rolling her Thunderbird eyes and chewing her not inconsiderable bottom lip on Elton's "Nikita" video, chances are this record would have gone straight into the bin. What we have here is a clumsy rewrite of "Those Were The Days" which won the Eurovision Song Contest about 30 years ago. This sort of stuff is done better by the Two Ronnies. (Andy Strickland, Record Mirror, December 14, 1985)