Stephen Bishop – THIMK (A PopEntertainment.com Music Review)

PopEntertainment
Aug 19
3 min read

Updated: Aug 22

Stephen Bishop – THIMK (Life's A Bish)

Stephen Bishop has had a long, impressive career as a singer / songwriter, even if he never quite became a superstar. Now, nearly fifty years after his breakthrough album Careless (1976), which spawned the big hits “On and On” and “Save It For a Rainy Day,” Bishop is closing the book on his recording career.

In the acclaimed career he had several other hits and has recorded 20 albums over the years. Some of his other best-known songs at “It Might Be You,” and “Separate Lives” and the theme songs to the films Tootsie and National Lampoon’s Animal House. In fact, perhaps his most-seen performance ever was Bishop singing the folk standard “Cherrystone” and having his guitar smashed to bits by John Belushi in the toga party section of Animal House.

He insists that THIMK – which is made up of a mix of new and older songs – will be his last album. And if he’s going out, he’s going to go out in style.

Bishop has made a lot of friends and admirers over the years, and his final album includes a staggering roster of guest shots, including Sting, Eric Clapton, Art Garfunkel, Jimmy Webb, Graham Nash, Dave Grusin, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, David Pack, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, David Benoit and Marilyn Martin.

That isn’t even counting his band of all-star session musicians – bassists Nathan East (Eric Clapton, Phil Collins), Leland Sklar (James Taylor, Phil Collins, Toto), and Sean Hurley (John Mayer, Alanis Morissette), keyboardists Greg Phillinganes (Toto, Stevie Wonder, Bee Gees), and Steve Porcaro (Toto, Michael Jackson), singer Leah Kunkel (James Taylor, Art Garfunkel), multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz (Jackson Browne, k.d. lang, Eric Clapton); harmonica by songwriter Jack Tempchin (Eagles, Glenn Frey), drummers Nic Collins (Genesis, Phil Collins), Jake Reed (Katy Perry, Laufey) and Steve Gadd (Paul Simon, Eric Clapton).

However, for all the guest star wattage, this project is very much Stephen Bishop’s vision. None of the visiting players hijack any of the tunes. Take, for example, the opening track and first single, a reminiscence and a wry love song to his mother, “Now That I’ve Hit The Big Time,” which features subtle backing vocals from Sting and a graceful guitar line from Eric Clapton. With big names like that playing on the song, you’d expect them to stand out more, but this album is about the songcraft, not personal showiness.

Considered one of the stars of “yacht rock” (although I hate that term!), Bish sounds terrific here with some of the greats of that “genre.” Michael McDonald and David Pack (lead singer of Ambrosia) add gorgeous vocal support to the pretty acoustic ballad “One More Night.”

The samba-vibed “Under the Rainbow” also hits some gorgeous heights with the help of Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Marilyn Martin (who had sung the hit version of Bishop’s “Separate Lives” with Phil Collins all those years ago). Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America add pretty harmonies to the sweet love ballad “Really Wanting You.” Other standout tracks include the plaintive “She’ll Always Be My Girl” with Graham Nash and the charming nostalgia of “Only the Heart Within You,” which is garnished by gorgeous vocals by Art Garfunkel and Leah Kunkel.

One of Bishop’s hit songs which is revisited here is “It Might Be You,” which is recast as a jazzy quiet storm ballad recorded with the song’s co-writer and fellow musician Dave Grusin providing a tasteful keyboard bed for the tune. And while it is just lovely, honestly it doesn’t improve on the original recording, in fact I doubt anyone will prioritize listening to this new version over the old single.

However, overall this is a strong collection of songs. So if Stephen Bishop is really hanging it up after THIMK – and there is no reason to believe that he won’t, unless he maybe misses the studio after some time off – this is a good way to sign out.

Jay S. Jacobs