The 1981 Listening Post - The Judy's - Washarama

 The Judy's - Washarama

#337

July 1981

The Judy’s

Washarama

4 out of 5

Highlights:

High Society

Man On a Window Ledge

T.V.

Guayana Punch

This <30 minute LP comes from a New Wave/Power Pop/Punk outfit from Texas and it’s lacerating. The Judy’s occupy a sliver in the Venn diagram that encompasses Buddy Holly & the Crickets and Jonathan Richman. 

Recorded for what feels like a buck and a half, these kids are at turns hilarious and poignant. A track like “Rerun” are so obviously in the Weird Al wheelhouse but I don’t know that anyone merged Al and Devo as well as they did. 

But then there’s “Guayana Punch”. And in light of the current proliferation of conspiracy theories it’s not a bad thing to harken back to the Jonestown Massacre. Lots of artists dealt with the likes of Jim Jones but The Judys present that perfect Neu Punk attack. Weird that this never showed up on my New Wave of the 80s radar.

It’s DIY. And it’s not something I’m anxious to return to. But it’s fun in that Red Snerts way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXzaT_Z0FDY