Friday, March 4, 2022

The 1981 Listening Post - Chilliwack - Wanna Be a Star

 Chilliwack - Wanna Be a Star


#443

By Chris Natale

September 1981

Chilliwack

Wanna Be A Star

Genre: Rock & Roll

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Chris’ Rating: 3 out of 5


Highlights:

 Tell It to the Telephone

Live for a Living

My Girl


Chilliwack?  Yes, early MTV’ers...that Chilliwack.  The group of guys looking down into a 50-gallon drum, starting a fire in it, and doing a little harmonized do-woppy kind of thing.  Turns out it’s also the seventh largest city in the province of British Columbia.   Note to self: avoid “New Rochelle”, “New Bedford”,  or “Trenton” if I get a band together…


Wanna Be A Star was their ninth album, eleven years into their career.   The album appears to be a thematic one...focusing on the band’s quest for rock and roll famedom.  The first cut oddly starts with a Gregorian chant kind of intro.  Not my thing, but certainly original.  The album continues with several tracks very typical of that early 80’s anthemic sound.  Fast drums, heavy bass, and ever-present synthesizer accents frame the vocals.  Any producers who was in search for a track to accompany the montage in a movie that focuses on how the main character is preparing to take their big revenge missed a golden opportunity in “Too Many Enemies”.  You can just feel the angst.   Star is certainly not something I’d cue up for listening to now, but it was a solid performer for its time.


https://open.spotify.com/album/5wNswr8i8yHBRrijyMKADW?si=AojWPeRQS8KVkSH4h6FtbA

No comments: