After turning some heads with his debut,
Billy Squier truly arrived with 1981's
Don't Say No, which kicks off in spectacular fashion with the triple opening salvo of "In the Dark," "The Stroke," and "My Kinda Lover" -- all of which become staples at rock radio. The album is a near-perfect example of early-'80s melodic hard rock, and even less enduring (but hardly inferior rockers) such as "You Know What I Like" and "Lonely Is the Night" keep up the intensity. And
Squier also finds time for the occasional ballad, like the disarmingly gentle "Nobody Knows." Completists may want to review his mid-'90s double-disc anthology, but as far as studio albums are concerned,
Don't Say No is undoubtedly his best. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia