The 1980 Listening Post - Mental As Anything - Espresso Bongo

 Mental As Anything - Espresso Bongo

July 11 1980

Mental As Anything

Espresso Bongo

Genre: Australian Pop Rock

2.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Come Around

I don’t know who was in charge of labeling this over at the ol’ Apple Music factory but this is definitely NOT “Hard Rock”, guys.

It’s pop rock in the Split Enz vein. 

The songs are appropriately bizarre: “Troop Movements in the Ukraine”? A song about a “Semitrailer”? A “Missing Plane”? 

Trouble is, they aren’t very interesting.

If you’re gonna sing about an “Insect Liberation” I want them to be warrior bugs and wear pirate suits. Not this. 

This sounds like a wedding band that tried to write their own material. And did not succeed. 

Harmless. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/espresso-bongo/1488129997

The 1980 Listening Post - Hilly Michaels - Calling All Girls

 Hilly Michaels - Calling All Girls

May 28 1980 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Hilly Michaels

Calling All Girls

Genre: New Wave

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Calling All Girls

Teenage Days

Shake It and Dance

U.S. Male

Turn Me On Your Radio

Devotion

Something On Your Mind

You know this guy. Listen to that title track. It explodes with New Wavosity and was ALL over MTV back int he day. Then you never heard it again. Like, you hear Plastic Bertrand more than this tune and this song is better than “Ca Plane Pour Moi”, which is an excellent example of the genre.

This came out on my birthday in 1980 and I would have been very happy in retrospect if someone would have given this to me. 

Hilly played with Sparks and this is Sparksalicious. 

This is produced by Roy Thomas Baker and it sounds like it was produced by RTB. It’s clean and crisp and multi-layered and just plain weird when it needs to be. 

Is RTB in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? He really should be. 

Greg Hawkes plays keyboards on this as well. 

Listen to “U.S. Male” and tell me that it doesn’t belong on Angst in My Pants. It’s actually better than 50% of that album and that album is great.

“Turn Me On Your Radio” should be a New Wave radio staple. Dammit.  

“Devotion” is a 1980s Glamtastic updating of that sound that BCRs couldn’t quite capture. Cuz you need RTB on the knobs to make that happen, boys. 

“Something On Your Mind” is an updating of that Kimono My House style that we all loved.

This album is a New Wave classic and people should talk about it more.

It’s a crime that we only have access to this via Google Drive downloads. Get it. You need this. But they are FLAC files and those are a bitch to convert. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QoumrVOkCc3FpmKHRC9WeVtiI3HmQwA-?usp=sharing

The 1980 Listening Post - Jim Capaldi - The Sweet Smell of Success

Jimmy Capaldi - The Sweet Smell of Success 

July 1980

Jim Capaldi

The Sweet Smell of Success

Genre: Soft Rock

2.75 out of 5

What can I say here?

Jim seems to fancy himself a bard of sorts. Someone who has been through it, seen stuff and really wants to write cautionary tales and stories. 

But those tunes are dull and not catchy at all. And replete with….strings. Ugh.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-sweet-smell-of-success/1187934285

The 1980 Listening Post - Jimmy Pursey - Imagination Camouflage

 

Jimmy Pursey - Imagination Camouflage

October 1980

Jimmy Pursey

Imagination Camouflage

Genre: Not what you’d expect

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Have a Nice Day

Situation’s Vacant

Just Another Memory

The front man for Sham 69 goes solo and it’s…weird. It starts off like a New Wave space opera and then gets…really aggressive. 

It’s like Bowie and Cooper were abducted by a punk band and forced to have their creativity siphoned off and poured into a beaker which was then imbibed by a genius whose brain exploded and burst this bizarre cornucopia of post-rock madness. 

The production is shite but the album is weird so…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qX4UoDW0IA

The 1980 Listening Post - Ronnie Spector - Siren

 Ronnie Spector - Siren

July 1980

Ronnie Spector

Siren

Genre: 60s icon in an 80s world

2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Hell of a Nerve

It almost works. Without Phil Spector, Ronnie puts her career in the hands of Genya Raven, who keeps a big and full sound.

It opens with a power punk Ramones tune, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” from Rocket to Russia and you get the sense that Ronnie wants to make a statement. This isn’t the 60s. She’s her own woman. 

She’s in great voice. “Hell of a Nerve” could have been a hit for Pat Benatar. Not sure why it wasn’t for Ronnie. 

This isn’t gonna make Ronnie a star, or any more than she already was. It’s a perfect example of someone trying to be relevant 15 years after…

Fun Fact: Chip Taylor, who wrote “Any Way That You Want Me” is Jon Voight’s brother. That makes him Angelina Jolie’s uncle. Weird. Dull song. 

The 1980 Listening Post - Billy Thorpe - 21st Century Man

 Billy Thorpe - 21st Century Man

October 1980

Billy Thorpe

21st Century Man

Genre: Future Rock Space Opera

4 out of 5 

Highlights:

1991

Solar Dawn

Billy Thorpe…who were you? 

Wanna bet Dennis DeYoung heard this and went, “yep. That’s the sound. That’s what we need to do.”

I don’t know his previous album, “Children of the Sun” but it’s anything like this it deserves a bit of an investigation. This is full on Space Rock Opera. All doom and dystopia and demanding an ELO-style light show. 

It’s been a while since we had a quality rock opera at the Post. This one is heavy on the instrumentation and effects and that only makes it more listenable to my ears.

It drags a bit as a marillion of these records do, but it picks up nicely towards the end with the energy of “Rise”. 

I’m not sure what “In My Room” is doing here unless it acts like a coda for a space opera that took place in the mind of a kid in his room.

Works for me. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgYl2oC8mE&list=PLIlCPF5twKnBB9FRJTAvcPSEtwr3V8hi4

The 1980 Listening Post - Billy Burnette - Billy Burnette

Billy Burnette - Billy Burnette 

September 1980

Billy Burnette

Billy Burnette

Genre: Legacy Rockabilly

2.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Sittin’ On Ready

Billy sang on a Ricky Nelson tune when he was 7. His family comes from the old school of rock and roll. And here he is giving us some pub rocking 1-4-5 that isn’t very electric or original. 

He later played with Mick Fleetwood and backed up Lindsey Buckingham. 

Yeah, this sounds like the album a backup band would put out. 

When he gets going “Rockin’ in LA” he sounds like he can’t keep up with the band.

This album has too many songs that replace a “g” with an apostrophe. Stop it. 

Points off!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc64cCKFwZ4&list=PLPmPO8n2PqmLs_adpeZpMy4xIstK-Y5Wt

The 1980 Listening Post - American Noise - American Noise

 American Noise - American Noise

1980 Housekeeping

American Noise

American Noise

Genre: Midwest Cheap Trick Wannabes

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Take it All

I Can’t Feel Any Pain

Kim Fowley has a couple co-writing credits here. And from what I’ve read, some of these guys would go on to work with Donnie Iris and Eric Carmen and you can hear all of that here.

Senior songwriter and frontman Craig Balzer died in 2011. This is some solid American Rock. 

After all the power pop we’ve had this year it’s nice to hear someone bite on Aerosmith and then play in that Kiss/Bryan Adams lane. 

Yes, that’s a lane. Listen to “Runnin’ Through the Night” and you’ll hear it. 

This kind of Cheap Trick sounding stuff should have been better received. It really crackles. 

The Fowley tracks are, sadly, the weakest. But that isn’t saying much since a lot of this record is excellent. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otB0CUuye8c&list=PL_C6Jk8TEfSQahUjbZA9y-_ajQYYCICk7&index=2

The 1980 Listening Post - Link - All For You

 Link - All for You

1980 Housekeeping

Link

All for You

Genre: Styxian Rock

3.25 out of 5

Requisite 80s cover:

“Space Oddity”. Pretty faithful if a bit too over the top theatrical. Like they wanted to make the Ziggy Stardust Jukebox Musical and this was their calling card. And lemme be the first to say…I would have paid to see this show. They must have crushed this live. 

I know that’s the cop out but tell me these guys don’t sound like they wanna be DeYoung and the gang. 

But the kick is they also wanna be The Knack. The Knyx!

“Low Blow” is sort of catchy and “Music in My Head” has that late 70s grogginess to it’s pop that could actually work…if they were better at it. 

Not terrible. Missing one track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI3e6B4mm8s&list=PLlvn8uktX5Ls9mgij5jwdIyAL-B3W3a1Q

The 1980 Listening Post - The Hitmen - Aim for the Feet

The Hitmen - Aim for the Feet 

1980 Housekeeping

The Hitmen

Aim for the Feet

4 out of 5 

Highlights:

I Still Remember It

These are songs. 

Oh…more?

I really have nothing to say here beyond describing the songs and that’s a pain in the ass.

How about this: Each release listed on Discogs has a number of people who have rated it. One version scored a 2. Another scored 4.5. Another scored a 3.5. 

It’s one of those records. You either decide to love it because you miss Elvis Costello or you realize that it’s nowhere near as good as Elvis and it sends you reaching for This Year’s Model.

Just listen to “Kid’s Stuff”. That’s the perfect example.

This is solid New Wave stuff. But the landscape’s littered with it. 

One of these guys (The vocalist/guitarist) would go on to compose the soundtrack to the Matrix sequels among others.

Another would help found Depeche Mode.

Another would write for and with Alison Moyet.

Another would work with Nick Lowe for a quarter century.

The bona fides are there. And, as often happens, it’s too much talent overwhelming the content. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApdlPXRktU&list=PLCZYiblW9sNUYcetMgng0Z9_Eh0iSQgM-

The 1980 Listening Post - Face Dancer - About Face

 Face Dancer - About Face

1980 Housekeeping

Face Dancer

About Face

Genre: Melodic Rock

2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Shakin’ Again

From what I’ve read “Face Dancer” is a reference to the novel, Dune. Which would, on its face suggest some sort of dark, dystopian sci-fi music. 

But, this is not that and, in fact, the name works even better for what this is, which is closer to Bay City Rollers than to anything futuristic. But with heavier guitars and power solos. So…like Glam Styx.

And nowhere is that more evident than on their version of “Treat Me Right”, a song by Doug Lubahn that was an explosive success for Pat Benatar the same year as Face Dancer’s version.

Not sure how that happens…

The album is perfectly fine for what it is but I gravitate toward the heavier stuff here. “Shakin’ Alive” sounds like it was a leftover Queen song from the Miracle/Innuendo sessions. It’s got “Hitman” or “Was It All Worth It” all over it. 

We’re missing 2 tracks here so a point or two off for that. Otherwise, not terrible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbd198boKWY&list=PLlvn8uktX5LsQWsoS94VNZPTsaIIuAC6i

The 1980 Listening Post - The Silencers - Rock N' Roll Enforcers

The Silencers - Rock N' Roll Enforcers 

July 1980 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Silencers

Rock N’ Roll Enforcers

Genre: Rock and roll enforcing. 

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Head On Collision

Remote Control

Johnny Too Bad

Shiver and Shake

I Can’t Believe It

Requisite 80s Cover: A lot of bands cover the “Peter Gunn Theme”. This version is a beast. It’s a two lane blacktop drag race with blood dripping from the mufflers. 

A cover of “Cold Sweat”. They are no James Brown but, hell yes for trying. 

From the first few seconds you know that The Silencers thought they were gonna be big. Like, maybe the New Boomtown Rats or something. (Those Johnny Fingers keyboards are what keyed me to this)

But they want to be more muscular than the Rats. “Head On Collision” was a single, wasn’t it? I swear I heard that song a bunch of times as a kid. 

It’s catchy as hell. I love the Devo meets Punk “Remote Control” and wish that was the theme song to the game show. RIP, Ken Ober. 

You spend a lifetime writing your first album and then you have to come up with your second while touring and trying to figure out who you are.

I think that happened here because they didn’t live up to this promise. 

Stellar record, though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj9352Fwwos&list=OLAK5uy_ndfq_tWIg-FrlD9ckJ9tq7u2BaVc-Wxps

The 1980 Listening Post - The Last Words - The Last Words

The Last Words - The Last Words 

August 1980

The Last Words

The Last Words

Genre: Garage Punk

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Games

The Stranger

Requisite 80s cover: A sludgy, messy version of “White Rabbit”. They don’t need it. I mean…ok. It’s there. 

Punk had to change. It really did. In the coming years bands like Bowling for Soup and Green Day and You, Me & Everyone We Know and so many others would add melodies and make it listenable. Until then, you got a lot of bashers who tried. 

This is one of those. They sound like Clash clones. But that’s good cuz the Clash were trying to put melodies on the bashing.

This is terribly produced but I get what they are going for. I like the saxophone. It gives the entire proceeding a “we don’t give a shit, this isn’t our job job” feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oylxyV_mPZA

The 1980 Listening Post - New Riders of the Purple Sage - Feelin' All Right

 New Riders of the Purple Sage - Feelin' All Right

July 1980

New Riders of the Purple Sage

Feelin’ All Right

Genre: Rock?

2.75 out of 5

Was there a Riders of the Purple Sage? Were they always “new”? I don’t know that I want to investigate that.

Some of this is really lovely. Like Bread. Or America. I wouldn’t go to it but I’m not gonna take to social media to trash them.

If you ever choose to listen to this record, and really, why would you, maybe you’ll agree with my assessment: These songs were all barely completed but they just went ahead and recorded them and moved on to the rest of their lives.

Sounds like it to me. 

Trouble is the songs aren’t really engaging. They’re okay for a band playing at 2 in the afternoon at a Beach Party. But I don’t go to those. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYZE8Zig_-k

The 1980 Listening Post - The Rollers - VOXX

 The Rollers - VOXX

June 25 1980

The Rollers

VOXX

Genre: Power Pop

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

God Save Rock and Roll

The Hero

The Jig

Requisite 80s Cover: “Rebel Rebel”. Look, Bowie’s Bowie. They put a live version here and I don’t know that the album benefits from what comes across as filler. I guess they didn’t think 32 minutes was enough for an LP.

You know who were actually really good? The Bay City Rollers. After their semi-experimental excursion on Elevator they are back to try to reclaim some of that sweet sweet American airwave exposure.

Les McKeon is out by this point and Duncan Faure (of Trevor Rabin’s Rabbit) is in. The album chugs with a bit more early KISS ferocity than you might expect. But, of course, the Tartan is running through their blood so, while they have the glam down they don’t have enough of a theatrical snarl. 

Judging by “The Hero”, Eric Faulkner really worships at The Beatles altar. And, in a different year this might have been a hit. But it’s very 1973. 

“The Jig” is a spectacular instrumental featuring one of them on viola. It’s not rock. But, who the fuck cares? The Rollers certainly didn’t. They were like the Fratellis of the 70s. 

Love them for that. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fplu4IgNhDs&list=PLSnEc0eT1ST5TTDxTU9XuosZfOzn_ThgG

The 1980 Listening Post - The Laughing Dogs - The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Maker

The Laughing Dogs - The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Maker 

July 1980

The Laughing Dogs

The Laughing Dogs Meet Their Maker

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Zombie

I’m Not What I Used to Be

I don’t really know how to describe this record. The songs are steeped in a love of late 60s guitar driven guitar rock. No song sounds like any other of the times and each are crisp takes on Psychedelic Garage nigh-Paisley rock. Whoever’s brain these songs came from sounds like and unlike every other band that attempts this. 

I wish the recordings were better. All we have is YouTube transfers. And we’re missing two…so you know what that means. Shame, really. These guys should have been at least as big as The Rubinoos. 

They run out of interesting steam towards the end. Again, shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo1JDOxCfBU&list=PLlvn8uktX5LudgC2mjD1m4yTPqkqaFJQW