Aldo Nova - Subject: Aldo Nova

Following his self-titled 1982 debut Aldo Nova (click here for that review), the Canadian rocker returned in 1983 with Subject: Aldo Nova. This one peaked at number 56 on the US Billboard Album chart. Today, we give this one a listen to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary this month.


Side one starts with “Subject’s Theme”, a minute and a half long, cosmic instrumental overture.

“Armageddon (Race Cars)” is a quick instrumental interlude which leads into the next track “Armageddon”, the explosively rocking B-side to the first single. I could easily see rock stations placing these first three tracks all together as they flow seamlessly from one to the next.

The first single, “Monkey on Your Back”, went to number 12 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. The lyrics tell the tale of Jimmy and Sally, two people with addictive past-times (drugs and prostitution, respectively).

“Hey Operator” harkens back to those days when we often used the operator to help us place long distance calls.

“Cry Baby Cry” tells of a cheating girlfriend and her man who cannot take it any longer.

The slow ballad “Victim of a Broken Heart” closes out the first side of the platter.

Side two begins with the short overture “Africa (Primal Love)”. It features a funky bass riff.

“Hold Back the Night” is full of uninhibited passion and the desire for this special night to never end.

The mid-tempo “Always Be Mine”, the second single, stalled at number 108 on the US Billboard singles chart. I do not remember this one from the radio at all; it just does not have any stand-out elements for me (hooks, etc.) that would have propelled it further up the charts.

I think the up-tempo, energetic “All Night Long” might have made a better second single. It features a lot of the strong synth elements that were omnipresent on the charts in late 1983.

The interlude “War Suite” is a short piece that reflects someone scrolling through the dial on their radio, providing a couple different snippets that could have contributed to bigger songs.

The “Prelude to Paradise” naturally leads into the final track “Paradise”. Again, these tracks work seamlessly together that they easily could have been one.

I cannot recall for sure if I heard these songs from Aldo Nova back in the early 80’s or not. If so, I know I had heard them for a long time since. Regardless, there is no denying that Subject: Aldo Nova is a rocking album. For fans of bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, I would very much recommend this record as well. The music has the same sound as those bands’ early 80’s offerings.