The 1980 Listening Post - Viva - Born to Rock

 Reviewed by Jim Coursey

Released: 1980 Viva Born To Rock Genre: Pop / Hard Rock Rating: 3 out of 5 Highlights: Fire Blue Jeans Forever Viva’s debut album would be mildly surprising to anyone familiar with their later and more traditionally metal work (assuming anyone is familiar with their later work). There’s a bit of metal guitar here and there and some chunky hard rock riffs, but it’s a bit more glossed up and poppy than heavy. You can at least hear the impact from Barbara Schencker’s keys here. There are a couple of mildly catchy tunes, but a lot of the fare is pretty forgettable. And as much as I like international rock, the English language lyrics fall somewhere between incomprehensible and silly. Consider one of the nominal highlights, “Blue Jeans Forever”, which boasts a Spark-ish falsetto chorus and possibly unintentionally Sparks-ish ridiculous lyrics (as best as I can make them out): Some fever goin’ around the world In a way I never seen I guess Easy to catch the rabbit one, you two, Well pick it, that’s five friends I jump into my sack of skin And I strap into my boots I drag my pocket on my summer day And I’ve got nothing too loose Blue jeans forever have all my sympathy Blue jeans forever it’s a real thing for me Blue jeans forever this is a real thing for me Blue jeans like a small live shoe Than in a way I like ‘em well For sun my sizzled into one But I know I’m hotter than hell A fever all around the world In a way I never seen I guess Easy to catch the rabbit one, you two, Well pick it that’s five friends Blue jeans forever have all my sympathy Blue jeans forever it’s a real thing for me Blue jeans forever this is a real thing for me (repeat ad nauseam) As one of America’s great cultural exports, blue jeans probably didn’t need an anthem at this point, but if this is their anthem they have “all my sympathy” indeed. Now, given all the blue jean love, why does the album cover features a bunch of German rockers posing in patent leather pants? I would have figured they’d raid Billy Joel’s “Glass Houses” wardrobe instead. While we’re at it, Viva’s graffiti-esque text treatment looks rather similar to that of La Düsseldorf’s 1978 “Viva.” [1] I’ll take Krautrockers La Dusseldorf any day over this though. ********** 1. https://www.discogs.com/master/25072-La-D%C3%BCsseldorf-Viva