Remember Robin Beck, if not you will certainly remember her break through chart hit 'First Time', which courtesy of Coca Cola managed to make it all the way to No. 1 on the UK charts. 'First Time' was culled from Beck's debut album 'Trouble Or Nothing' which was a record that your humble scribe loved and contained a mixture both of big name musicians and excellent songs one of which, 'If You Were A Woman and I Was A Man'  just happened to be an old Desmond Child track that when re-written with a little help from one Jon Bon Jovi  went one to became You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi’s own break through UK hit. Beck's second album 'Human Instinct' which I managed to pick up whilst on holiday in Turkey of all places was a bit mellower containing a number of songs written by Simon Climie of Climie/Fisher fame. Unfortunately Beck's next two records 'Can't Get Off' and 'Wonderland' were only ever available as high priced imports and thus are not albums I have had the pleasure of hearing.  

So endeth the history lesson, however with Beck's husband James Christian already on the books of Frontiers artists it was only a matter of time before the Italian label persuaded Ms. Beck to return to her roots and record a new AOR album. Indeed rather like Christian's last solo effort, 'Meet The Man',  'Do You Miss Me' has been overseen by Frontiers stalwart Fabrizio Grossi, however unlike that former album, which contained songs mainly from the pen of Christian himself, Robin Beck has had little or no input into the song writing process for her own record and the result is somewhat soulless.   Grossi, as a producer, appears to use all the same settings on his mixing desk along with all of the same guitar and keyboard sounds served up throughout all of the albums in which he is involved. Although this tendency may make life somewhat easier for Grossi, it can become boring to both the listener and reviewer alike as the differences between albums becomes minimal, just substitute one singer for the next in a revolving door policy. Indeed it is this same criticism we, as rock fans, tend to throw at the manufactured boy and girl bands so beloved of the major labels and dominant in the charts at the present

It also must be said that although Beck turns in a professional performance throughout, there doesn't appear to be that much interest or emotional investment on her part and this again maybe due to the fact that the songs she is being asked to sing aren't her own. I would suggest that next time around she gets her husband to take a hand in writing and producing her material, then again that may just lead to divorce so maybe not.

An album for die hard fans only I am afraid

Let us know your views on 'Do You Miss Me'

Track List

Do You Miss Me
Walk on the Moon
Your Love is Tough
The Safest Place
What About Us
I Wanna Hear it From You
Stone by Stone
Find a Little Faith
Coming Back for More
I Don't Wanna Play That Game Anymore
Takin' a Ride
Bring it Back

Line Up

Robin Beck: Vocals
Steffi Hazan - Guitar
Nick Savio - Guitar
Francis Koch - Drums
Fabrizio Grossi - Bass