1980 Housekeeping
Stephen Romone Lewis
Hudson (AKA The Hudson Brothers)
Damn Those Kids
Genre: Holy Crap It’s The Hudson Brothers
Rating: 4 out of 5
Highlights:
Low Rider (no, not that “Low Rider”)
Sidewalk
Lowlights:
Unnecessary cover of Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
If what your life is missing is a thin Ron Jeremy, your search is over. Mark Hudson looks like a thin Ron Jeremy. Just had to get that out of the way.
Like most bands Hudson’s humble beginnings include 37 thousand name changes. Unlike most bands their history includes contracts with 7 different record companies, 3 TV shows (Bonkers! The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, and the prime time The Hudson Brothers Show) 2 movies (You remember Zero to Sixty right?) and, AND…AAAAAAND an appearance on the LOVE BOAT!!!!! Yup! The Love Boat.
I was addicted to the The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. It was a total freak out. I was 8. I had yet to discover reruns of The Monkees. Music + Weirdness = Bliss.
Damn Those Kids is Hudson’s recording swan song. The production and musicianship is 1st rate throughout.
Side one is a nice collection of pop rock tunes paying homage to Todd Rundgren. Linda Ronstadt does a duet on “Afraid to Love”. Kent Fillmore effortlessly tosses off some prog quality GTR fills and solos. But…there is no earworm. Every song is simply a solid album track.
Side two continues the AM radio ditty formula until after “Sidewalk”, the catchiest tune on the disc, then things change.
“Lonely” sounds like a David Gates and Bread ballad. I’m not complaining. Gates is a guilty pleasure, but after 7 up-tempo rockers it feels like suddenly swimming in pudding. Then comes an uninspired cover of Steam’s “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” and a 10 second cover of the Beatles’ “Anytime At All”. They literally only sing the last line of the chorus. The album ends with “Joni”, another ballad. They may have written it to combat their bubblegum, teen idol status. Sample lyric: “Joni, I want you to blow me… (LONG PAUSE). Just blow me a kiss or two…”
I think success sort of killed the Hudson Brothers’ chances at SUCCESS. They were promoted in Tiger Beat as heart throbs but the success of the Razzle Dazzle Show with pre-teens must have turned off the Clearasil crowd, and their minor success as heart throbs probably squelched the success of their adult sketch comedy shows.
After Damn Those Kids the brothers went solo. Mark Hudson became a music producer and songwriter. He worked with Ozzy, Aerosmith, Cher and Ringo. Brett Hudson became a TV writer and producer working for Bravo and Court TV. Bill Hudson appeared on 3 episodes of Doogie Howser, MD, and got to sleep with Goldie Hawn, Jill St. John, Ali McGraw and Cindy Williams (Remember Laverne and Shirley?). He gave the world Oliver and Kate Hudson, but don’t blame the guy for that, he also did the 3 best episodes of Doogie Howser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufnk9TIyJGk
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