Wednesday, August 3, 2022

The 1981 Listening Post - Philip Rambow - Jungle Law

 Philip Rambow - Jungle Law



#651

1981 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Philip Rambow

Jungle Law

Genre: Canadian Rock

4.5 out of 5





Highlights:

Don’t Come (Cryin’ To Me)

Jungle Law

Magnificent Obsession

A Star (In her Own Right)

Snakes and Ladders

Bike Boys

The Mansion On the Hill




Years ago I was part of a project called “Monkey Music Mix”. It was a blog where the owner would create music playlists (before streaming) and people would contribute ideas to it. Once I was allowed to set the parameters and what I wanted to know was the album that was considered a 5 star record that there was no way I would know.

I don’t remember many of them except one: John-Rae and the River. I loved that record. 

It was Canadian. It stayed with me for years and I still recommends tracks from that album.


Here’s another Canadian that I would have no way of knowing about and yet, this album is a fucking delight. The songs are spectacular, the proiduction, everything. 

In a weird way, Philip reminds me of Willie Nile. I think he’s actually better than Willie, in many ways. Remarkably, he spent a part of his life in the 80s as an A&R rep AND a private eye. I want to know more. 


The album is a bit Proggy at times (Which should come as no surprise since John Wetton plays bass on one track). Songs like “Snakes and Ladders” suggest Rambow’s loftier ELO ambitions. 

But rather than turning into “Mr. Blue Sky”, Rambow is more interested in being a songster. The album is all the better for that. 

The exploding drums and bass on “Bike Boys” is a great example of that Canadian Special Sauce finding it’s way onto vinyl and elevating what could be just a standard Springsteen rocker into something…delicious.




This album is songs 1-11 on Disc 2 of this compilation

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rebel-kind-anthology-1972-2020/1517820748

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