Christopher Cross - Ride Like The Wind

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6th track from "Christopher Cross" (1979). "Cross created the quintessential Yacht Rock album. It's got all the criteria: Michael McDonald on backup vocals, A major nautical motif that culminates in the angelic, 'Sailing,' and he's got a sound that out-smooths the smoothest in the biz, like honey flowing down a flamingo’s throat."

~Kirk D. (see the following)

Christopher Cross — Self-Titled (1979)

Cross found little support in his home state of Texas, so he took his talent to LA where he somehow bottled the lifestyle and let it pour slowly, all over the radio waves. His pristine voice was one of the first to be immortalized in ones and zeros, which is to say his self-titled album was among the first to be digitally recorded. In 1981 he sent soft rock sailing to new heights by becoming the only artist to win all of the Big Four Grammy awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, famously beating out Frank Sinatra and Pink Floyd. All hail the skipper of Yacht Rock!

He wasn’t the first, and his style isn’t rooted in jazz, but Christopher Cross created the quintessential Yacht Rock album. It’s got all the criteria: Michael McDonald on backup vocals, A major nautical motif that culminates in the angelic, "Sailing," and he’s got a sound that out-smooths the smoothest in the biz, like honey flowing down a flamingo's throat. Compared to Cross, McDonald sounds like a shopping cart tumbling down a giant cheese grater. We also have this record to thank for a sketch on SCTV starring Rick Moranis as Michael McDonald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0HzWMqLeiE

~excerpt from An Introduction to Yacht Rock by Kirk D.
http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2014/08/an-introduction-to-yacht-rock.html

Image Credits (images other than album art/artist publicity photos, in order of appearance): Lawren (perfect photo of album) / Kirk D. (album leaning on rock wall) / Eduardo Amorim / Adam Baker / Axel Zirkel / Robert Montgomery / Lies Thru a Lens / Thomas Vincent / Frank Tellez / Frank Tellez / CEBImagery / Howard Ignatius / mlhradio / stephanie carter / Bureau of Land Management / FraManzieri / Bill Gracey / Lies Thru a Lens / Andy / nicolas vadilonga (William Albert Allard / Bill Gracey / Eduardo Amorim / Lívia Stumpf / Jamie (vintage ad) / Lies Thru a Lens / Loving Earth / Lívia Stumpf / katie weilbacher / John Liu / Brazilfox / Lawren
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