Return of the Great Dayne

Last week when I got a promo copy of '80s dance diva Taylor Dayne's new CD, "Satisfied," I posted a snarky note about its "Xanadu"-like cover and planned to dump it with the dozens of other CDs I never get around to listening to.

Then I saw Taylor on my fave late-night show,"Chelsea Lately," and I decided I owed the Long Island songbird a listen for all of those great songs and memories she'd given us back in the day. (The first time I ever went to a gay bar -- at age 20 with a fake ID -- a guy I met told me I was cute and had the DJ dedicate "Tell It to My Heart" to me!!) To me, Taylor was always a singles act, not someone I'd sit around listening to on my stereo. But with no chance for radio or MTV exposure for the old broad (does pop music get played anywhere these days?), I decided to give it a chance and boy am I glad I did. No, this isn't going to be the biggest release of 2008, but it only took one listen for a handful of radio- iPod-ready songs to jump right out at me. Still sounding very much like the Taylor Dayne of old but without sounding dated, the infectious pop of "My Heart Can't Change," (which I think should have been the first single), the white soul-infused "Dedicated" and the power-ballad-of-old "Crash" would all play on a TD Greatest Hits without missing a beat, as would the single "Beautiful," which comes complete with a "please the gays" video (one part Bruce Weber, one part Tina Turner "What You See Is What You Get").

Two covers garner mixed results: I could do without her take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge," mainly because I never liked the song in the first place. Her version of the Rolling Stones' "Fool to Cry" I like a lot. All in all, a very solid album from an artist who hasn't put out anything new in a decade. If nothing else, her position on the gay pride circuit will be further cemented, as if its status was ever in doubt. You go, girl! Learn more on Taylor's Web site here.

Watch the sexy "Beautiful" video below: