The 1981 Listening Post - Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer

 Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer

#403

By Chris Kouzes

September 4 1981

Meatloaf

Dead Ringer

Genre: Rock

Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Chris’ Rating: 1 out of 5

Highlights

The album cover

Sonically sounds great

It’s not one second longer

I think you love and embrace the bombastic, bloated, over-the-top songs of Meatloaf or you don’t. I most certainly do not (and this is coming from someone who LOVES a lot of 70’s Prog Rock). But for the sake of moving out of my comfort zone, I foolishly volunteered to review this album, with the idea that maybe…maybe…my mind would change a bit. I should be open to revisiting past with an open mind, right? 

Bat Out of Hell came out in 1977 and it was inescapable, even for a 9-year-old me. But even then I didn’t like anything about it. I was listening and loving to my mom’s Beatles and Stones albums, Top 40 pop on WLS and just starting to wade into the world of FM with whatever WXRT was playing. Zero of what Meatloaf was doing at the time registered with me. Running around with untucked sweat-soaked ruffled shirts waving around a handkerchief was not my idea of good. But millions (billions?) of people definitely did and if you’re in that group, than God bless ya…

So when this album came out, the long-awaited follow-up to Bat Out of Hell, I didn’t waste one second on it. So fresh ears now, right? The opening strains of motorcycles revving. OK. Oh wait, the song is called “Peel Out?” Hhm, pretty on the nose, but still willing to give it fair shot. Six minutes later and NOPE. I’M OUT!! Holy shit, this is t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e. But out of commitment to Allen, I’m trudging on. Listen, if you like the first song, you’re probably going to like the rest, so no need to delve track-by-track. A couple of comments: the track “Nocturnal Pleasure.” First off, there’s no way any song with a name like this is going to be good. Oh, wait, you mean it’s actually a 38 second spoken word piece not by Meatloaf, but his co-conspirator Jim Steinman? Even worse than what I was expecting. The only redeeming quality this has is that it’s less than a minute. And then there’s the title-ish track “Dead Ringer for Love” buried towards the end of the album. I swear on the life of my children that I never thought I’d be so happy to think, “Oh thank God, here comes a track featuring Cher.” Unfortunately her turn in the song sounds nothing remotely like her. Cher sounds a lot more like Little Nell than Cher. Not being a Rocky Horror fan, I also never thought I’d be referencing RH in any way (of course the exception being making fun of a balding man refusing to give up his long hair in back ala Riff Raff). 

So is there anything good about the album? Actually, yes. The musicianship is outstanding, which includes the likes of Mick Ronson, Davey Johnstone, Max Weinberg, Roy Bittan, Liberty DeVito, Nicky Hopkins and several others. Even streaming through my car’s stereo system, this album sounds amazing. What I would to have half of the albums I love sound this good. 

Johnny Rotten is famous for wearing a “I Hate Pink Floyd” shirt in the early years of The Sex Pistols, certainly symbolizing what the band and punk in general were rebelling against. Had punk been delayed a few years, Rotten undoubtedly would have been wearing a “I Hate Dead Ringer” shirt.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2Y9CaNn1xUX2EJWIiBG45i?si=4BnC6TKbQ-el5mk1ePqwyQ

The 1981 Listening Post - Goddo - Pretty Bad Boys

Goddo - Pretty Bad Boys 

#402

September 23 1981

Goddo

Pretty Bad Boys

Genre: Canadian Rock

4 out of 5

Highlights:

If Tomorrow Never Comes

Forget About Forgetting

Let’s Talk It Over

I was bored one day and found my mind wandering and I thought to myself, “Self, maybe it’s not pronounced “Guhh-dough”. Maybe it’s “Goddo” and he’s like your buddy and Beckett was a jokester or had a lack of command of English. That would make sense, no? 

And that’s my Wednesday. 

I never heard of this sludgy metal band but apparently they were around for decades. And, since they are Canadian…do they have that special sauce? 

To me, they do. 

The Tappiness of the double entendres of “Feeling Strange Today” is offset but it’s charming innocence. 

There’s some weird shit on here, like the steel drum driven “Shooting Stars” but it’s so damned goofy I don’t hate it. And then the “hit” song “Pretty Bad Boys” which could also be John Mellencamp. Almost as if they are aping him. 

“Forget About Forgetting” could be Burning Brides and appear on the Rock Band DLC. I would have played the shit out of that song and I think ROky Erickson would have made “Vampire Eyes” even more menacing without losing any of it’s flavor. And “Let’s Talk if Over” is a booming glam rock cum Cheap Trick tune if I’ve ever heard. 

I’m a Goddo fan. [Insert Waiting for Goddo joke here]

*Yes, I know the leader of this band is Greg Godovitz. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/pretty-bad-boys/295422600

The 1981 Listening Post - The Opposition - Breaking the Silence

 The Opposition - Breaking the Silence

#401

September 23 1981

The Opposition

Breaking the Silence

Genre: Synth Wave

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Paddy Fields

Moving Targets

In My Eyes

Very Little Glory

It took a bit for me. I resisted. But, by the end, despite the programmed drums and the obviousness of it, I was taken by “Paddy Fields” and gave myself over to it and the the U2iness of “War Games”…it’s possible that The Opposition are as responsible for that “80s Sound” as anyone else. 

But this isn’t just a record of songs, it’s almost operatic in it’s approach. 

This record is like a bath. I don’t know if I’m supposed to enjoy it or just let it wash over me. 

I chose the latter.

And I’m not sure if I will ever return to it, but I loved my visit while I was there.

“Very Little Glory” is the Clash song they would have written if they were able to conjure up the majesty of gigantic arena rock. Not a slag just that it reminds me of them and I already mentioned U2.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/breaking-the-silence-remastered/1463751651

The 1981 Listening Post - Alice Cooper - Special Forces

 Alice Cooper - Special Forces 

#400

By Jon Rosenberg

Alice Cooper

Special Forces

Genre: Hard Rock/Punk/New Wave

Allen’s Rating: 2 out of 5

Jon’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Highlights:  

Prettiest Cop on the Block

Seven & Seven Is

Skeletons in the Closet

You Look Good in Rags

As a horror movie freak since the days of my yoot, I always found Alice Cooper’s creepy stage persona and Halloweenie antics amusing.  His music, not so much.  I mean the hits, like “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out,” are great 70’s FM radio fodder, but I was never compelled to explore his oeuvre further.  Special Forces might actually change that.

This is an album that Alice refers to as one of his “blackout albums.”  Apparently, he was so fucked up on booze and coke and God knows what else that he can’t even remember recording it or touring behind it.  Which makes it all the more impressive that it’s this good.*

Most of the sound here is hard rock, but there are hints of punk and even a little new wave vibe on a couple of songs.  “Prettiest Cop on the Block” is some kind of new wave/punk hybrid with a great groove and freaky lyrics that I can’t quite figure out.   The heavy cover of 60’s psychedelic band Love’s “Seven & Seven Is” works surprisingly well.  “Skeletons in the Closet,” with its gothic keyboard intro, sounds like the end theme song for an 80’s Hammer horror flick.  And “You Look Good in Rags” is a solid rocker with great guitars and more wacky lyrics.

If this is Alice Cooper’s low point, I feel like I owe it to myself to check out some of his earlier work.  We should all be so lucky and/or talented to record and completely forget about an album this fun.

*There’s video out there of Alice playing some of these songs on The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder in ’81 where he looks frighteningly gaunt and cadaverous, but the band sounds great!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7gTU2G8VgEWEADPONxO2yF?si=UlulVoObSmCUsQEW_cp2sw

The 1981 Listening Post - Suburban Lawns - Suburban Lawns

 Suburban Lawns - Suburban Lawns

#399

September 22 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Suburban Lawns

Suburban Lawns

Genre: New Wave

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Pioneers

Intellectual Rock

Anything

Janitor

At first I was going to make some Residents comparison but then I realized…this is more Barnes and Barnes Voobaha that that. It’s hyper, percussive and even more hyper. 

So many of these early 80s New Wavers listened to Talking Heads, decided to amp themselves up on some unsustainable amphetamine and just went for it.

This is one of those. Having listened to this immediately after King Crimson I am struck by just how much I prefer one over the other. Not that they are the same, but they aren’t all that dissimilar in that the music and the groove is more important than the content. 

But, this talk singing Fred Schneider gone bad meets speed junkie grooves gets me in the toe tappers. And the nasal bee stings of the vocals on “Anything” is Rezillotastic. 

Then there’s the laconic Iyall meets Siouxie vox on songs like “Janitor” with a chorus of “Oh, my genitals”. I mean…that kings King Crimson’s ass any day. 

It’s obvious that I prefer speed to mellow. I drink an Americano every morning followed before noon by an Iced Macchiato and I need Melatonin just to get to sleep cuz that’s a tonnage of caffeine coursing through these arteries. I wouldn’t know what to do with “mellow” if you offered it to me as a career.

This band should have opened for Romeo Void. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/suburban-lawns/1444071426

The 1981 Listening Post - King Crimson - Discipline

 King Crimson - Discipline

#398

September 22 1981

King Crimson

Discipline

Genre: Very Prog

3.75 out of 5

What I know about King Crimson begins and ends with the words “In the court of the Crimson King”. I’ve actually eschewed that song and everything KC for my entire life. The same way that I managed to avoid all of Genesis’ pre-Collins led work until I decided to dive into their catalog or how I managed to not see Gone with the Wind until I was in my 40s. 

The latter was a big ol heaping helping of meh. 

The former was a revelation of delicious experimentation and theatrirock. 

So, what is Crimson? 

It’s like The Residents occupied the brains and muscles of that version of Genesis and made an album.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve decided that pretentious things are less interesting to me than heartfelt and honest things. I would rather watch a 30 second tv commercial if it chokes me up than sit through 5 minutes of David Lynch’s weather report. 

The playing is immaculate but, come on, if I want to hear something like “The Trees” by Rush, I won’t go to “Frame by Frame”, I will cue up “The Trees”. By Rush. It’s kind of remarkable how much Chris Cornell sounded like he wanted to sing like Adrian Belew.

It’s all very well done and I do love the percussion but, in the end, it’s a journey to nowhere. 

For technical prowess I give it a 4.5 but for enjoyment…less. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/discipline-expanded-edition/1090440045

The 1981 Listening Post - Barry Manilow - If I Should Love Again

 Barry Manilow - If I Should Love Again

#397

By MacArthur Antigua

September 1 1981

Barry Manilow 

If I Should Love Again

Genre: Adult Contemporary

Allen’s Rating: 2 out of 5

MacArthur’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Highlights:

Don't Fall In Love With Me

I Haven't Changed the Room

"And maybe the old songs will bring back the old times /

Maybe the old lines will sound new /

Maybe she'll lay her head on my shoulder / 

Maybe old feelings will come through"

From the opening track of Barry Manilow's 8th studio album, "If I Should Love Again," you pretty much get the gist of the whole album: "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."  

While I can't say I dig Manilow, I respect the guy and his craft.  Dude knows hooks.  He's got a terrific voice.  He already had about 12 years in the biz writing songs, pounding out jingles and selling albums.  

If you're a fan of the Great American Songbook, and love yourself a schmaltzy ballad - then, brother, you've come to the right place.  And apparently, a good chunk of America agreed as it went single platinum in 1981.  The ballads on this album are so on-point and of the time, you could convince me they were all from successful rom-com soundtracks, and I wouldn't bat an eye.  

For me, what makes it tough to love this album is that it's practically all ballads.  I'm not saying I need Copacabana part II, but how about at least one song over 90BPM?  Below is the track by track reaction, but overall it's yeoman Manilow and perfect 1980's Adult Contemporary.  If you're not into that...well, yeah, nothing much to see here.

Track x Track:

The Old Songs.  Yearning Ballad.  Super clean production - I think there's a conga drum tastefully placed in there?  Is it meta for wanting to bring his audience back?  

Let's Hang On.  Franki Valli & The Four Seasons Cover?  Valli's original vocal has some grit and urgency, while Manilow's is just so clean and corporate. This is the quintessential doo-wop track, and it needs hand claps and soaring falsettos - this new version has strings and a disco hi-hat.  WTF?  This is the second track? Seriously?!?  

If I Should Fall In Love.   Dramatic piano ballad.  Interesting time change between the verse and chorus.  Outside of that, it's a decent piece of work.

Don't Fall in Love With Me.  More mysterious sounding, and it actually sounds more of the time.  Mid-tempo makes it up-tempo compared to the rest of the album.  Strong sax solo in the bridge.  I like the restrained performance - it's almost like he's whispering this request to the listener.  Gets in and out in 3:40 - solid work, Barry.

Break Down The Door.  A little more saucy - with a bit more of a head bob bassline, and a disco stomp (in a good way).  Maybe I like this because I needed a li'l more juice compared to the ballad heavy front-side.  Mid song, it leaves it's steady gallop to a propulsive bridge (akin to Hall & Oates "Maneater"), but then comes back to its starting strut:    

"Do you want me to plead? Do you want me to cry?

Any proof that you need, any promise you'll buy

Do you want me to break down the door?

Do you want me to break down the door?

Break down the door."  

Yeah the chorus read pretty pedestrian, but an energized Manilow makes it work.

Somewhere Down The Road.  ...and we're back to the ballad territory.  This is the "goodbye...for now" song.  However, with the sunny chord progressions, and triumphant trumpet riffs - this track best captures what All Music's Bryan Bess says about Manilow's superpower: "Making heartbreak sound hopeful."  This felt like the perfect track to close the album.

No Other Love.  Yeesh, back to back ballads.  And this is more sad bastard than all of the other ones: "No other love / In all of the world / In all of my life / There was no other love."  It's fine as a ballad, but it's hard for me to distinguish them when there's like 6 of them on one album.  However, about half way through the track, he appears to restart the song after an orchestral interlude.  It's a bit disorienting, almost like this song is a medley of two different songs?  Then after about a minute, he comes back to the "No Other Love" refrain, bigger and with key change. 

Fools Get Lucky.  No Other Love had a lush and dense arrangement - while this one does have strings, it's a bit more spare, and it serves the track better.  As much as he can make heartbreak seem hopeful; this track illustrates how he can make gratitude seem melancholy: "But fools get lucky / Fortune must like me / When people ask where you came from / I tell them that / Fools get lucky."

I Haven't Changed The Room.   Probably the most depressing song on the whole track.  But the songwriting is so succinct, and the arrangement of just piano and Manilow's voice is tidy.  This could've been from a Broadway musical, it's so tight.  At 2:20, it's like the Manny Pacquiao of the album - pound for pound (or measure for measure) the tightest track.

Let's Take All Night.  Even though it's a swaying paced goodbye song, it's still optimistic. As the narrator and his lover faces the inevitable goodbye, there's at least a sense of agency - a sort of spitting into the wind: "Smile for me / Why don't we / Make this the sweetest of memories / The love that we make now / Is all we have"

You're Runnin' Too Hard.  There's a bluesy piano bounce, and a thucka-thucka back beat.  This song is nothing like the others, yet it's still very much Manilow on-brand with his sauntering vocal and eager backing vocals. Even though the song is a bit of a lament, it may be the most fun he's having on the whole album. I kept waiting for it to break into the American Bandstand theme.

https://open.spotify.com/album/53qLWhsWV3ICiV2aXp2KB4?si=sV2W-ZuGSMm-o9PxgIk5Pw

The 1981 Listening Post - Sheena Easton - You Could Have Been With me

 Sheena Easton - You Could Have Been With me

#396

September 21 1981

Sheena Easton

You Could Have Been With Me

Genre: Pop

2 out of 5

Highlights:

A Little Tenderness

Did you enjoy “Morning Train”? Then you will enjoy “A Little Tenderness”. Cuz, that’s basically the same kind of thing. It’s candy. And some candy is delicious, like, say, Snickers Bars or Reese’s Pieces and some are not to your liking, like, I dunno, Nerd Rope. But some people love Nerds and others hate chocolate. And still others list Zagnut or Zero bars as their faves and that’s a good thing that those candy bars are out there for them. 

We all know that the Wunderbar or Starbar from Cadbury is the greatest candy bar of all time but, you can eat any of these on the morning train and be fine. 

We cover Sheena because she made a bit of a splash in the early 80s. This is a good record to prove that she should be excluded from future reviewing. 

The best song here is the one that wasn’t on the original release. It’s the theme to For Your Eyes Only and, tbh, I don’t know if it’s good or if it’s just been in my life forever. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/you-could-have-been-me-bonus-tracks-version-bonus-tracks/735019871

The 1981 Listening Post - The Passions - Thirty Thousand Feet Over Chine

The Passions - Thirty Thousand Feet Over Chine

#395

September 18 1981

The Passions

Thirty Thousand Feet Over China

Genre: Moody Wave

4 out of 5

Highlights:

I’m in Love with a German Film Star

The Swimmer

Runaway

I was really looking forward to this one after the surprise of their debut the year before. This one is a bit more moody but, it’s just as accomplished and it makes me wonder what The Passions did to anyone for them to have been relegated as footnotes to this sound. 

Songs like “I’m in Love with a German Film Star” and “The Swimmer” are radio friendly genre pieces that scream 80s to me and I have to wonder…have they show up on any revival tours? They should. As an opener, I think. But, they deserve more than just a quizzical look from erudite film historians such as myself. 

You know how some records are like the “Soundtrack to a dream”…but that just means they are ambient and pretentious? Not this one. If your dreams have rock soundtracks, this one would work perfectly.

I even enjoyed the club(esque) track at the end, “Skin Deep”. At least it was last. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/thirty-thousand-feet-over-china/1444012052 

The 1981 Listening Post - Bad Manners - Gosh...It's Bad Manners

 Bad Manners - Gosh...It's Bad Manners

#394

By Timmy Daniels

September 1 1981

Bad Manners

Gosh it’s...Bad Manners 

Genre: Goofball rock (Ed.)

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Tim’s Rating: 1 out of 5

This album hit #18 on the charts, just as a placeholder.

With the trumpet player and saxophone, it’s easy to lump this in as a bad version of Blues Brothers, but I dug deeper. And then I listened to the Blues Brothers instead and was happier.

“Walking in the Sunshine” — My first thought is that I’m listening to a theme song from a 1970s TV NYC show that failed.  No idea why that pops into my head.  Maybe it’s the aged sound, saxophone, & attempt to be ska by a British Band.  Man, once I got “this was probably the theme song for a failed pilot” in my head, that wouldn’t leave.  It even has that feeling you get when you hear the long “real” version of the tv show theme and realize: Nope, the shorter version is better.  All anyone needs of this song can be wrapped up in 60 seconds.  It’s not awful, but I’m not gonna sing it in the shower either.  Someone called them a third rate UB40 in the initial reviews and I wouldn’t fight them.

“Dansetta" — This sounds like the music that brings you back into a late night show, then stops as the host starts speaking.  Again, that’s about all we need of it. 10 seconds.  Maybe I just needed to hear it in a warm and fun environment.  Again, it’s not awful, but I don’t see why it would be memorable to anyone unless they heard it during a special time in their life.

"Can Can” — I can’t imagine why someone heard: "Galop infernal" by French composer Jacques Offenbach and thought: This needs to be updated... in Ska.  My face made that form it often takes when I’m wondering why someone would own a dog in New York.  Please pick up your poop: Bad Manners.

"Weeping and Walking" - Besides this being a summary of how I walked in general, last year… let’s see…  This has a James Bond-y feel to it. That song you hear and never think: “ll go buy this on vinyl.” But so far it’s the best song on the album.  And you know what, it’s growing on me.  Hell, I may use this as a perk me up.  The next time I myself am weeping & walking.  They screwed the pooch on a song-name miss: Weep Walker.  Thank you, I’m here all night.

“Casablanca" - This has a bit of an Argentina Tango feel to it at one point.  I’m not sure how I feel about it.  There’s a couple keyboard rifts that were borrowed and there were some odd changes.  Maybe I need to smoke more weed.  I’ll leave this one alone.  But it’s not getting a replay.

"Don’t Be Angry (Live)" - Don’t laugh at the brutality of this statement, but my first thought was: "Someone went to see them live?”  

I probably just hurt someone’s feelings.  I didn’t mean to; honesty can get the best of me.  Don’t worry, I love songs you hate.  Ever heard Alabama 3’s "You Dont Dans to Techo?" Love it.  Listen to it and send me a note; we’re even now.  

Okay.. now the good news: It’s got a really fun 1950s feel to it, birth of Rock & Roll, back when people still knew R&R was slang for sex.  The saxophone really shines in this one and the keyboard: yeah, tickle those ivories.  Maybe they were a just good live band.  I didn’t hate it.

"Runaway" Feels like what happened to this song.  They started with “something," and it ran away.  It’s what would happen if a band with a saxophone and keyboard suddenly tried ska for their first time.  It’s a little strange.  It almost feels like self-mockery in the way that punk can be at times, which isn’t off-putting to me.  I just didn’t enjoy it.  Which can be off-putting.  I prefer to enjoy songs; I’m weird like that.

"Never Will Change" is another song where I’m wondering if the whole “ska” thing was a tongue-in-cheek move.  It doesn’t feel like a serious song, this one feels more like something running through one’s mind in a mental institution.  Part of it has a Rocky Horror Picture show feel to it.  I do imagine this band would have been better served writing a cult musical instead.  "The new one" would be right after intermission.  "No respect" would be the villain intro song (think: Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors).  The ending song would be "Buona Sera," as all of the characters who fought the whole time come out and do a little dance number.  Villains and Heroes… Dancing together… Mass Hysteria!  

Curtain!

The rest of the songs are just your run-of-the-mill 80s Ska, not sure there’s much more to say about it.  I feel like this band needed to go through something brutally real, awfully honest, and then write about it. I like lyrics and songs that capture a moment, that dig deep.  Maybe that’s also what I like about doing stand up comedy.  It’s a lot more like good lyric writing and capturing the moment in my opinion.  Whereas this album is more about me wanting to flush my head in a toilet.  

Okay, that was a cheap shot.  If this is your number one pick, consider the source: I often listen to the Weird Al version of a song and think: “this is better than the original."

https://open.spotify.com/album/7hj9olHsogggH66RRuLxwc?si=-L24nIybQg-y6BQdvvb3bA

The 1981 Listening Post - Robert Calvert - Hype

Robert Calvert - Hype

#393

September 8 1981

Robert Calvert

Hype

Genre: New Wave/Rock

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Over My Head

Evil Rock

I’ve always been mixed on Hawkwind. I’m not really sure how to pigeonhole them and that’s a good thing, I suppose, but I have been putting this record off because of them. Honestly, it’s been sitting there and, instead of listening to 10 records in 3 days I’ve avoided anything on the list for about a week because I know that this record was next. 

I have been pleasantly surprised. I shouldn’t have waited for this foray into early 80s New Wave Space Rock. 

But let’s talk about something else. 

A few years ago I read a book called “The Alternative Hero” by rock drummer Tim Thornton. He was in a band called Fink and I know nothing about them but I was sort of impressed that he had done both. I don’t know why. But, lately, I’ve noticed that this is a thing. Greg Kihn is a novelist. That was news to me. Even Rick Springfield jumped into the novel writing gravy train. 

Why bring this up? This record is a concept record that pairs with Calvert’s only novel, Hype. And let’s not forget that Michael Moorcock, a novelist who played occasionally with Hawkwind, appears on this record, too.

I’ve never been able to follow along the story on concept records. It’s a failing of mine. However, I imagine the story is pretty well told, since Calvert’s adapting his own novel unlike that junk record we heard by Camel this year. 

At times it actually bashes (“Over My Head” “Sensitive”, which sounds like a song Lou Reed should study) and Calvert’s nervous warble voice is a style I actually love. It’ll make a comeback on Ima Robot’s debut which songs like “Ambitious” must have gotten a few spins in those guys’ homes. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/hype/1519060592