Karla Bonoff - Restless Nights (1979)

Karla Bonoff followed up her debut with “Restless Nights”, which was again produced by Kenny Edwards. The ballads are still full of the pleasures and pains of love's ups and downs, conveyed all to clearly with her Carole King-ish voice, but the upbeat songs yield more rock guitar, giving her country/rock hybrid more grit.
The first country-rockish song, "Trouble Again" is one of those down songs, haunted by lost love. Yet another song covered by Linda Ronstadt.
A split love affair is the subject of the title track, which is a sad ballad country/rock ballad. One of the woman's loves she describes as ice, the other as fire, and it's the latter who seems more the pillar of support. However, she makes it clear she's to blame: "'Cause I wasn't very good at being true/And now I look back at all the broken dreams/And wonder if I could have changed them."
The next three songs are all standout cuts, and demonstrate Karla's songwriting skills, except for the cover tune, and her conveying the emotion of each song. The shock of finding a love letter addressed to a loved one and the realization that there has been another woman is the topic of "The Letter" The quiet and soft synth keyboards underscore that quiet realization; also when she sings, "As you came up the stairs/You asked "Are you all right?"/"I'd better go" was all I said/But there in your room I saw something that/I really wish I never read." My second favourite song here.
She covers Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk In The Room" and the jangly rock guitar and pounding drums in the chorus gives this country-ish song a rock tinge. This is one of the up songs: "I can see expression on my face/I can strange sensation taking place/I can hear the guitar playing lovely tunes/everytime that you walk in the room."
"Only A Fool" is another quiet ballad, this time with an acoustic guitar accompanying those haunting quiet keyboards. The chorus tells what this song's about: "So don't say that it's love you lacked/I paid the price now we're paying the tax/I gave it all, and I got nothing back/Only a fool gives a heart like that." This song was also done by Maura O'Connell.
Pleading someone not to go away, that things will work out, telling them you need them is what the upbeat "Baby Don't Go" is about. "You're takin' all I got and now you're leaving/I thought love was something to believe in" she says in the opening. However, she warns, "And if you close the door/I can't wish you well anymore/You know you really turned on me/So don't come running back 'cause I know you'll never see." This song was also featured in the Atlantic City soundtrack.
Years before Sting sand "If You Love Someone Set Them Free", Karla did the similarly-themed "Never Stop Her Heart." depicts the follies of keeping someone caged and using the bird analogy, cutting her wings. There's also a conflict between wanting to be free and having someplace to belong. In the end, she is able to fly away, and how she does baffles the man.
If the "free bird" in the previous song decided to stick around and give up her traveling days, the rocking "Loving You" would be the song she'd sing. It's a song of confidence in one's partner.
Given Karla's songs of love gone bad, and her melodic voice, covering the traditional standard "The Water Is Wide" is apropos, and she does it so admirably. It's my favourite song here and I always feel something when I hear "Oh love is gentle and love is kind/The sweetest flower when first it's new/but love grows old and waxes cold and fades away/like morning dew." There is an accordion solo in the middle. I've heard Charlotte Church and Rory Block cover this as well, and Karla's rendition ranks way up with those two.
"Restless Nights" is better than the first album from the power and emotion Karla puts out in her song.

Track listing

01.  "Trouble Again"  (Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards)  - 3:37  
02.  "Restless Nights"  (Karla Bonoff)  - 5:18   
03.  "The Letter"  (Karla Bonoff)  - 2:47  
04.  "When You Walk in the Room"  (Jackie DeShannon)  - 2:59  
05.  "Only a Fool"  (Karla Bonoff)  - 6:04 
06.  "Baby Don't Go"  (Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards)  - 3:21  
07.  "Never Stop Her Heart"  (Karla Bonoff)  - 4:48   
08.  "Loving You"  (Karla Bonoff)  - 3:26 
09.  "The Water Is Wide"  (Traditional)  - 4:57 

Credits
Karla Bonoff - vocals, guitar, keyboards
Danny Kortchmar - guitar
Garth Hudson - keyboards, accordion
Russ Kunkel - drums
Rick Marotta - drums
Jackie De Shannon - backing vocals
Wendy Waldman - backing vocals
Steve Forman - percussion
Dan Dugmore - electric guitar
Ed Black - electric guitar
Waddy Wachtel - electric guitar
Kenny Edwards - backing vocals, bass
Don Grolnick - piano
Andrew Gold - guitar, keyboards
David Lindley - acoustic guitar
James Taylor - backing vocals
Don Henley - backing vocals
John David Souther - backing vocals
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – David Campbell
Art Direction, Design – Kosh
Engineer [Assistant] – Ernie Sheesley
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Photography By – Aaron Rapoport
Producer – Kenny Edwards
Recorded By – Jim Nipar
Recorded By, Mixed By – Greg Ladanyi

Notes
Recorded and mixed at The Sound Factory, Los Angeles. Strings recorded at A&M Studios
Mastered at A&M Studios
Genre: Pop, Rock
Length: 37:17

© 1979 CBS Records