16 Strokes: The Best of Billy Squier

16 Strokes: The Best of Billy Squier

Track Listings

1. Stroke

2. In the Dark

3. My Kinda Lover

4. Emotions in Motion

5. Everybody Wants You

6. She's a Runner

7. Rock Me Tonite

8. All Night Long

9. Eye on You

10. Love Is the Hero

11. Don't Say You Love Me

12. Don't Let Me Go

13. She Goes Down

14. Tied Up

15. Facts of Life

16. (L.O.V.E.) Four Letter Word

Tracks:

The Stroke
In The Dark
My Kinda Lover
Emotions In Motion
Everybody Wants You
She's A Runner
Rock Me Tonight
All Night Long
Eye On You
Love Is The Hero
Don't Say You Love Me
Don't Let Me Go
She Goes Down
Tied Up
Facts Of Life
(L.O.V.E.) Four Letter Word

Customer Reviews:

Too many missing songs.......2003-09-23

Billy Squier was one of the greatest rock stars of the sixties, but these days they have become forgotten. Why? HIS MUSIC IS GREAT! The mere fact that his music has become forgotten (and his catalogue is now out of print) fills me with rage, because it's about a thousand times better than the junk that gets radioplay these days. This is one of his best known non-budget hits compilation. Read on for my review.

PROS:
-If you're a casual fan, it's doubtful this compilation will fail to please you. Just about every big hit is here. Among them are My Kinda Lover, Everybody Wants You, The Stroke, and In The Dark.
-This is an affordable compilation, and it costs considerably less than the two-disc anthology, Reach For The Sky.

CONS:
-WHERE THE HELL IS "LONELY IS THE NIGHT"!? IT WAS ONE OF HIS BIGGEST HITS!
-There are no soundtrack songs. The omission of Fast Times (The Best Years Of Our Lives) from the Fast Times At Ridgemont High soundtrack is inexcusable!
-There are no B-Sides/demos/rarites/new tracks/etc., meaning if you already own every album, there is no point in buying this.
-It's out of print and tough to find.

OVERALL:
Don't bother with this. Just get the Don't Say No album instead, as it's got most of his big hits. This compilation is way too scattershot, and it isn't really worth your time. I only gave it three stars because it's Billy Squier.

Too Long By Half.......2003-04-08

Billy Squier's anthology "16 Strokes" ought to be re-titled "8 Strokes and 8 Misses," for that more adequately describes the music contained therin. Squier scored success in the early 1980s as a shaggy-dooed and somewhat less polished Bon Jovi, starting with the 1981 album "Don't Say No," and the huge hit "The Stroke," (hence the title of the anthology). Arranged chronologically, the first half of the anthology is drawn from that album, as well as follow ups "Emotions and Motion" and "Signs of Life," which contain all of Squier's successful and semi-successful hit singles.

After that, there is little that anyone other than a diehard fan would ever want to hear more than once. The latter songs sound exactly like the earlier hits--minus the catchy hooks. Even the song titles (examples: "Love is the Hero," "Don't Say You Love Me, "Don't Let Me Go," "(L.O.V.E.) Four Letter Word") are tedious. Also, the CD booklet is remarkably skimpy, containing little information and no lyrics sheet.

Overall, an overly generous anthology from a relatively minor hard rock artist.

Two great albums does not make a "Best Of" disc .......2002-07-10

Billy Squier rocked in the 1980's. "Don't Say No" came out in 1981 and most of America was hooked. "Emotions In Motion" followed soon there after and Squier was riding the huge wave of success. His hits have been far and few between since then. Squire does rock on "In The Dark", "My Kinda Lover", "Everybody Wants You", "Don't Say You Love Me" and a few others. Easily his best and most popular release, "Don't Say No" suprisingly only has 3 cuts here on this "16 Strokes (Best Of)" disc. This is a shame. One of his best hits "Lonely Is The Night" is strangely absent... as are great rockers "Too Daze Gone" and "Whadda You Want From Me". From "Emotions In Motion", possibly the best song (and a big hit for him) "Learn How To Live" is missing here. Also, if you want to give Billy Squier his just dues, how about throwing a few tunes on this disc from "Tale Of The Tape" (1980) or anything from his Piper days. Any way you slice Squier you get some fun rocking songs, plenty of finger snaps, and drum sticks clinking together. He knows how to write a good pop tune. All 16 songs here bare his name as writer/creator. I give this disc 3 stars due to 2 missing classic songs (mentioned above); absolutely NO liner notes - you'd never know who his bandmates where, which songs came from which albums, the year they were released... etc; and 5 throw-away songs (tracks 12-16). Squier's "Reach For The Sky (Anthology)" is very good... it includes ALL his best work... but 2 discs is probably too much.

one for each good memory..........2001-06-03

Ah, it is shameful to love this pop-wanna-be-hard-rock pretty boy. AT LEAST half of the songs on this CD could be smitten from known recorded music and never missed, but I do have to admit I like In The Dark and My Kind of Lover enough to have bought this. If these two songs make you reminisce fondly on that kind of 80's [crud], this is work picking up off the [...] bargain rack for a cheesy road trip sing-a-long. If not, don't bother...

It All Sounds The Same.......2001-01-17

Sure he makes hooky schlocky hard rock, but who needs 16 tracks?

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