It Never Rains in Southern California cover

Released 30 years ago

It Never Rains in Southern California

Albert Hammond · 1996

75 min · 22 tracks · pop music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

50 /100
Foothills
Higher than 23% of albums we've rated

The album blends melodic pop with storytelling but lacks strong cohesion and distinctiveness across all tracks.

What we noticed

  • The first four tracks feature a consistent mid-tempo pace, while the fifth track introduces a shift to a more reflective tone with its solo vocal arrangement.
  • The title track employs a memorable melodic hook that is repeated throughout, anchoring the album's thematic exploration of disillusionment.
  • Several songs incorporate layered harmonies, particularly in the choruses, enhancing the emotional weight of the lyrics.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
6/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
5/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Listen to the World 2:56
  • 2 If You Gotta Break Another Heart 2:39
  • 3 From Great Britain to L.A. 3:31
  • 4 Brand New Day 3:23
  • 5 Anyone Here in the Audience 3:57
  • 6 It Never Rains in Southern California 3:53
  • 7 Names, Tags, Numbers, & Labels 4:29
  • 8 Down by the River 3:04
  • 9 The Road to Understanding 4:23
  • 10 The Air That I Breathe 3:48
  • 11 Smokey Factory Blues 3:30
  • 12 The Peacemaker 2:42
  • 13 Woman of the World 3:08
  • 14 Everything I Want to Do 2:37
  • 15 Who’s for Lunch Today? 2:57
  • 16 The Free Electric Band 3:24
  • 17 Rebecca 3:07
  • 18 The Day the British Army Lost the War 4:04
  • 19 For the Peace of All Mankind 4:14
  • 20 I Think I’ll Go That Way 3:36
  • 21 Half a Million Miles From Home 2:51
  • 22 I’m a Train 3:18

What to play next

Revolution of the Heart
Listen next

Revolution of the Heart

2005
Hammond and West
Go back to

Hammond and West

1986
Full Albert Hammond discography Where to start with Albert Hammond Artists like Albert Hammond
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Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata