The Night Has a Thousand Eyes marked
Bobby Vee's plunge into pop music, pure and simple -- if his two preceding albums had straddled the pop and rock & roll worlds, here he leaves no doubt as to the sounds for which he is aiming. With
Snuff Garrett running the sessions,
Vee goes through a dozen songs that include the title tune -- quintessential teen idol pop -- plus a quartet of
Carole King/
Gerry Goffin compositions, among them the now terribly disturbing "Go Away Little Girl" and an outstanding version of "It Might as Well Rain Until December," plus a good, loud rendition of "What About Me." But everything else here is pretty much soft pop -- quality soft pop, to be sure, but without anything resembling a dynamic or threatening edge. "Lover's Goodbye," adapted from "Brahms' Lullaby," sets the tone that all concerned seemed to be looking for, and if it's not totally dispensable, it can be overlooked by anyone looking for
Vee's early sound. ~ Bruce Eder