Player - Player (1977) {2012, Japanese Reissue, Remastered}

"Baby Come Back" is one of those classic one-hit wonders of the '70s; the kind of breezy song that easily found its way to number one, and remained in the public consciousness for years later. It's the kind of song most listeners know when they hear it, yet they're not sure who it is -- and, if they do know who it is, chances are, that's all they know. They know that Player is responsible for that song, and that's it. Few people realize that Player had another Top Ten hit with "This Time I'm in It for Love," or that both of their first two albums -- 1977's Player and 1978's Danger Zone -- reached the Top 40 and went gold. They had more success than most one-hit wonders, and it was deserved, since they epitomized what mainstream soft pop/rock was all about in the late '70s -- and that was the sound of Los Angeles. "Baby Come Back" sat atop the pop singles chart for three weeks in early 1978. Later that year, Player was released, and it followed through on the promise of "Baby Come Back," particularly on "This Time I'm in It for Love," but also with its abundant offering of mellow keyboards, layered harmonies, and spacious production. This was laid-back but engaging, and the band displayed some serious musical chops, occasionally sounding like a sweet, streamlined Steely Dan.