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Description
**Can't Hold Back** arrives in 1986 as Eddie Money's sixth studio album, the moment where the former "American Idiot" of rock revivalism finally shed the baggage of his early career to reveal a performer with more confidence and sonic crispness than ever. Recorded across a sprawling array of L.A.-area facilities-Oasis, Fantasy, R.O., and Can-Am studios-the project is less a formulaic radio-ready effort and more a gutsy reclamation of the very essence of '70s rock 'n' roll. Richie Zito's production hand (save for "One Chance," helmed with David Kershenbaum) gives the record a cohesive sheen, balancing hook-laden melodies with lyrics that Money himself has written, proving he can still pen with relevance.
The album's centerpiece, the Ronnie Spector duet **"Take Me Home Tonight,"** is nothing less than a resurrection of sorts. Money, initially having recorded the track with another vocalist, reached out to Spector-who'd just been resurrected from her own storied past-and the result became one of his signature anthems, climbing to #4 on the U.S. charts. The RIAA eventually certified the album platinum in August 1987, cementing its commercial and cultural footprint. Other tracks like **"I Wanna Go Back"**-a Billy Satellite cover that originally appeared on his self-titled 1984 debut-add an interesting layer of recycling the catalog with pride.
There's also the curious case of **"Stranger in a Strange Land,"** co-written by Henry Small and Tom Whitlock, which found itself covered by none other than John Entwistle on his solo album *The Rock*. A nice bit of cross-pollination for the rock underground. The rest of the cuts-from the synth-laced **"Endless Nights"** to the sax-fueled **"Calm Before the Storm"**-show Money still capable of injecting his signature slightly sexy vocal character into every track. A fine example of a platinum-worthy return to form in the new wave era.
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- [Eddie Money - *Can't Hold Back* on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Hold_Back_(Eddie_Money_album))
- [Eddie Money *Can't Hold Back* on Ultimate Classic Rock](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eddie-money-cant-hold-back/)
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