AMG Review of Subway Serenade

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Subway Serenade finds Looking Glass hooking up with producer Arif Mardin to re-create the vibe of their debut, right down to replicating the shimmering vibe of “Brandy” for “Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne.” Again, the group’s rock roots -- often revealed on-stage and popping up here on the rollicking “Sweet Jeremiah” -- were submerged by a pop production yet surfaced just often enough to make the record uneven. Again, this isn’t entirely unappealing: this may swing toward the middle of the road, but Elliot Lurie has warmth to his vocals and Mardin’s production captures the smooth, sun-kissed vibe of the post-hippie early ‘70s. It’s not a masterpiece or a lost classic, but as a period piece goes, Subway Serenade, like Looking Glass, is quite pleasant.