The Comateens - The Comateens
#81
March 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY
The Comateens
The Comateens
Genre: Two guys, a drum track, bass and guitar.
4.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Ghosts
Late Night City
All Ways
Strangler
Raceway
Requisite 80s Cover:
“Summer in the City” A frenetic calliope of an arcade 80s version that is exactly what this decade is what we remember.
Bowie’s “TVC15” is turned into a happy go lucky boardwalk promenade that so goes against everything David was about and I couldn’t enjoy it more.
“The Munsters Theme”. Yeah, it’s not on the album proper but it’s a hoot.
The best rock doesn’t take itself too seriously. The exception to that is, of course, great rock that does take itself seriously.
This is rock that decidedly can’t take itself too seriously. Because this is the anti-Suicide. Well, I imagine that because it feels like the anti-Alan Vega.
Instead, it’s freaking bonkers as all get out.
There’s no through line, no cohesion, cuz the North brothers and Byrd are just having a blast. In fact, I would say that, even though they list The Residents as influences, among others, they have a lot more in common with Adam Ant and They Might Be Giants. And xex and Barnes and Barnes and The Drums.
Sometimes I want my rock to blow the doors off and make a statement and fix the ills of the world.
Other times I really really don’t.
The Comateens help me when I really really don’t.
Every track in the highlights sounds different and yet similar to the rest. Each was a manic blast worthy of the Uncle Floyd Show. How have I never heard of these guys before??
The album is buried in the complete collections here, leaving out the one track, “Cool Chick” but including “The Munsters Theme” and that’s a cool thing.
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