Fancy

Following the same formula as Atlantic Crossing and A Night on the Town, but not explicitly breaking the record into fast and slow sides, Foot Loose & Fancy Free was a limp effort from an increasingly complacent Rod Stewart…

Second Helping brought Lynyrd Skynyrd mass success and for the follow-up they offered Nuthin' Fancy. It was a self-deprecating title for a record that may have offered more of the same, at least on the surface, but was still nearly peerless as a Southern rock record. The biggest difference with this record is that the band, through touring, has become heavier and harder, fitting right in with the heavy album rock bands of the mid-'70s. The second notable difference is that Ronnie Van Zant may have been pressed for material, since there are several songs here that are just good generic rockers. But he and Skynyrd prove that what makes a great band great is how they treat generic material, and Skynyrd makes the whole of Nuthin' Fancy feel every bit as convincing as their first two records.

Fancy (real name Manfred Alois Segieth) is a German disco singer who was popular in the mid to late 1980s. Segieth's career commenced in 1984 as a European-based pop singer and songwriter. His role as a musician rapidly expanded as a producer, which lead to his music receiving worldwide airplay. The international disco hits "Slice Me Nice" and "Chinese Eyes" reached second place on the US Billboard Dance Charts and the Top 10 USA Billboard for 1985 with "Chinese Eyes" and "Come Inside". Fancy had a number 1 in Spain with "Bolero". A further nine of his singles charted in both the top 10 and top 20 portions of the Media Control Singles Charts, this mainly covered the German charts during the mid to late 80s. "Flames of Love" has received worldwide exposure since 1988; as it was his highest charting hit.

Kicking off with the swagger and machismo of one of the quintessential 70's anthems, "Hot Legs", FOOT LOOSE AND FANCY FREE is a blistering joyride, a swaggering period piece that,like all of Rod's best work, immerses itself in the prevalent style of the time– by 1977, funk-tinged rock was all therage, and FOOT LOOSE is a carnival of wah-wah guitars ("You're Insane"), epic arrangements ("You Just Keep Me Hanging On"), and unabashed earnestness (the nostalgic and confessional "I Was Only Joking".) …