King Cool

Fully Remastered Audio / Donnie's '81 sophomore establishes his magisterial command for the rich, crisp refrain / Produced by Mark Avsec / Includes 'King Cool', 'Sweet Merilee' & 'That's The Way Love Ought To Be', plus Bonus Live Track / 12 page full-color booklet, 2,500 word essay & enhanced artwork. SECOND ALBUM from Donnie Iris (And The Cruisers) picking up momentum where his debut album left off. The surprise hit single of 'Ah! Leah!' from the previous year's 'Back On The Streets' album positioned Donnie as a name to watch and, true to form, he did not fail to deliver on his promise. Once again the compositions are brilliantly executed allowing him and partner in crime Mark Avsec to craft a selection of unique and melodically stunning tracks which set the Cruisers apart from the competition. Once again, the trademark sound of lush multi-layered vocals permeates all of the songs evoking comparisons to (but not copying) the glorious doo-wop and blue-eyed soul with close harmonies and arrangements that truly catapult the tracks into the stratosphere. Of course, Donnie's lead vocals are fabulously addictive, leaving no stone unturned in crafting exquisite detail and courting accolades from every corner of the musical spectrum (including Huey Lewis & The News). All this was conceived during and after a particularly harrowing plagiarism lawsuit firmly dismissed without merit but dragging on for months in the courts. Despite the aggravation and disturbance of the court action Donnie and the band, concocted a terrific collection of songs including the brilliant title track (complete with heavy power chord support), 'That's The Way Love Ought To Be' (again blessed with huge guitar support) and 'Broken Promises'. Each track is sprinkled with oodles of overdubbed vocal harmonies further defining Donnie's trademark sound at a time when uniformity was busily dumbing down the scene.