The 1981 Listening Post - States - Picture Me with You

 Reviewed by Michael Gaynor

Released: 1981 States Picture Me With You Genre: Power Pop (don’t get your hopes up) Rating: 2 out of 5 (best I can do) Highlights: (not really) Was the lead singer trying to sound like (Martin Short doing) Katherine Hepburn? I’m following them on facebook now, don’t say I’m not willing to take one for the team. Title Track – let’s rip off The Knack because power pop IS ripping-off. Angel of the Morning – I’m glad I got the chance to look up how many (so many) better versions of this song I’ve liked on Spotify over the years. The synth whistle in the Night Ranger-ish intro is hysterical. Saturday Night – at least it rocks a little bit. Covering The Rollers would have been a much better idea. Love on the Line – chorus doesn’t suck. Tell Me It’s Love – also rocks a little bit. Love You Girl – I think there’s a comma missing. Hey, it’s 1981, let’s get our friend with a sax for the 3rd “Love” song in a row! Let’s Roll – possibly the best song on the album. Actually I like the intro, and then he has to go and start singing. Jenny – could have been the best song on the album, the synth is good on the chorus but otherwise excruciating. Just a Dream – a different singer? Honestly can’t tell. Nice Trick-esque chorus. Get It – no, not covering Dave Edmunds (who I’m sure was covering somebody because that was his jam), doesn’t suck. Nice little Day Tripper reference tucked in at the very end (see, I actually listened to all of them all the way through).

The 1981 Listening Post - The Little Roosters - The Little Roosters

 Reviewed by Michael Gaynor

Released: 1981 The Little Roosters The Little Roosters Genre: Poor Man’s Ian Hunter Backed By Guys Who Didn’t Make The Cut For Cheap Trick Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (but tbh this stuff is right up my alley) Highlights: I Need A Witness She’s So Strange Doesn’t suck for less than 35 minutes. People Break Down – Lead off rocker, kinda like it. I Need a Witness – Horns! Better than People Break Down, maybe should have led with it. Ain’t Proud – Harmonica! She’s So Strange – Rhymes with “She comes from the Ukraine,” for real. Def like it. I Have a Dream – Horrible synth. Hot Black and Sweet – You get the basic trope. Pity for You – Backup vocals need to be bigger. Disease – Back to rockin’, good idea. More horns. (Meet Me with Your) Poison – A little Burundi Beat thing goin’ on? Not bad. Like something off of Fun House, only not as good. Uhura – Full-blown Burundi Beat. That’s 1981 for you. Bad Bob – End the album on a comedic, shambolic, Faces-sorta note.

The 1981 Listening Post - Madness - 7

 Madness - 7

#473

By Michael Gaynor

October 2 1981

Madness (“Madness, Madness, they call it Madness!”)

7 (idk why, 7 members on cover?)

Genre: Bluebeat

Allen’s Rating: 2 out of 5

Michael’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Highlights: 

Cardiac Arrest

Shut Up

Grey Day

Benny Bullfrog

Full disclosure: I once spent a couple hours watching every Madness video on youtube (and it was pre-covid so I’m pretty sure there were other things I could have been doing). I love English bands that are huge at home but are one-hit wonders who can’t get arrested over here (see also: Dexys). I played the shit out of “One Step Beyond…” on the cassette deck in my mom’s minivan in high school. 

7 is two steps beyond and pre-“Our House” (which can never, ever be overplayed it’s so musically and lyrically beautiful). 

“Cardiac Arrest” has the signature bluebeat bounce. 

“Shut Up” has music hall echoes and a classicalish piano riff. 

“Grey Day” has a darker reggae sound (as does the bass line in “Day on the Town”). 

“Benny Bullfrog” is your typical “nutty” Madness tune (like “Chipmunks Are Go” on “One Step Beyond”).  

Great album? No. Good album by a great band? Yes.

p.s. Grateful to The Listening Post for making me research this album, “It Must Be Love” is a fave (song AND video), it wasn’t on this album originally (only 1st 13 tracks) but it’s on there on spotify, anyway I discovered to my delight and surprise that it’s actually a cover of an early 70s English hit by Labi Siffre, a Black, gay musician/poet/playwright! It’s a lovely song, check it out! (Maybe you all already knew this.)

https://open.spotify.com/album/5TdKeSLPSowWxKkenaEK04?si=ozb9uSc3Qp68mN_08HTc1A

The 1981 Listening Post - Duran Duran - Duran Duran

 Duran Duran - Duran Duran

#242

By Michael Gaynor

June 15 1981

Duran Duran

Duran Duran

Genre: New Romantic

Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Michael’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Highlighteds:

Girls on Film

Planet Earth

Is There Something I Should Know

First, two disclaimers: 1. I’ve never actually seen Barbarella. 2. In 5th grade I HATED Duran Duran because (a) 10 year old girls LOVED Duran Duran, and (b) people kept saying they were the new Beatles. 

Now, the review: Duran Duran peaked with their eponymous debut. It would have been much cooler to make one really pretty good album and call it quits. But there’s a reason besides make up and haircuts that they sold a gazillion records, they were good. And they sure nailed the New Romantic thing (Ferry + Bowie + 70s funky disco, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that these Birmingham boys were all into Northern Soul growing up) right out of the gate. Three undeniable hits (idk if there were any other singles): Girls on Film (John Taylor’s bass line is sick, listen to Blur’s Girls and Boys for a flat out homage), Planet Earth (unstoppable refrain, plus a new romantic reference), and Is There Something I Should Know (“you’re about as easy as a nuclear war” might be the best line ever written). The rest? Meh. Anyone Out There coulda been a sleeper but the ending is too abrupt. Night Boat is no Night Boat to Cairo (apples and oranges). Sound of Thunder just recycles the exact same synth effect from the start of Planet Earth intro (c’mon, Nick, not enough buttons?) but is otherwise ok. Friends of Mine is the darkest track. Tel Aviv is just a long, self-indulgent, almost-instrumental Klezmer thingy, again with the abrupt ending (somebody must have told them it was arty). Further the affiant sayeth not.

Wow. That was unexpectedly fast.

Did you enjoy this?

Sure, am a music nerd

Well, I’d love to have you do some more. If you’re interested, of course.

The way it works now is: anything that is “unassigned” you may request and for each you receive I will also assign you something else. 

That way it’s not just the popular records that get reviewed

Got it

I think we have most of the first quarter covered so there’s puhlenty of time

Cool, let me know when.

Go ahead and look at the sheet. Make your requests and I will assign. 

I’m pretty good at gentle reminders as well. Glad to have you on board!

I’ll gladly take Madness.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7rCjItVh49HVMaHqxFKPRZ?si=Ng-96Y63S_ygKBrLOcnjpw