Chicago '85...The Movie

Album Review

Chicago native Dave Hollister recalls his past situations on Chicago 85... The Movie. A great follow-up to his gold CD Ghetto Hymns, the singer/songwriter enlists top talent such as Mike City (who has worked with another Chicago native, Carl Thomas) to make his recollections crystal clear. The title actually refers to a rough period in Hollister's life when he found out that his father was actually his stepfather and in an act of rebellion began gangbanging. Chicago-based producer Steve Huff, who also had success with Avant, produced the lead single, "One Woman Man," which began quickly racing up the charts. On the solid mid-tempo slammer "Keep on Lovin' Me," Hollister sings about a woman he admires even when she curses him out and makes his bail. The singer almost reaches operatic vibes on the sparse "Destiny" with its swirling string arrangement. On the confessional "Doin' Wrong," Hollister gives one of his best vocal performances over a funky stop-and-go guitar/bass riff. The chugging "I Don't Want to Be a Hustler" spells it all out with Hollister apologizing to his mother because he wasn't raised that way. Amid the baby mama dramas and the thug-life odes, Dave Hollister communicates an authenticity through clearly expressed lyrics that makes Chicago 85... the Movie thrilling "viewing."