The 1982 Listening Post - Nine Below Zero - Third Degree

 Nine Below Zero - Third Degree

January 5 1982

Nine Below Zero

Third Degree

Genre: Jam (The, not A)

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Eleven Plus Eleven

Sugarbeat (and Rhythm Sweet)

A neat companion to their debut it doesn’t contain the surprise of discovering a new band but they carry that Jam banner and wave it with pride. The bass line on “Wipe Away Your Kiss” is so Bruce Foxton it hurts. 

Side One explodes but settle in to a pretty pedestrian pub rock and then cranks up the heat again on Side Two with the dance party throwback “Sugarbeat (and Rhythm Sweet)”.

From there it’s obvious…this fad is wearing. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExM1vP-rhH4&list=PLlvn8uktX5LuXTgTyO5hDF5ltMM_n0Fsi

The 1981 Listening Post - Nine Below Zero - Don't Point Your Finger

Nine Below Zero - Don't Point Your Finger 

1981 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Nine Below Zero

Don’t Point Your Finger

Genre: Mod Revival Garage Rockabilly

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

One Way Street

Doghouse

Three Times Enough

Requisite 80s Cover: “Rockin’ Robin”. They don’t really do anything special with it but the harmonica playing’s spot on. Trouble is, it makes them sound like what they truly are: a terrific party band that you hire for some kid’s Bar Mitzvah. Maybe a wedding. But you don’t plunk down $$$ to see them on tour. 

These guys opened for The Who, apparently. Had they been around 6 years earlier they might have sold a bunch of rekkids. This thing opens with a soulful barn burner and rips into a pubtastic Chuck Berry bite (“Doghouse”) that every band worth their salt could include in their repertoire. 

These guys aren’t rewriting the rules or anything and I don’t think they had the novelty to compete with Stray Cats or anything but tunes like “Helen” and “Treat Her Right” are great six string slingers and if I had this record back in the day I might have played it at least as much as, say The Beat Farmers’ record. (And probably should have shown up in a Tarantino movie at some point. The latter, especially.) 

You know what I’m reminded of as I drink this album in?

Danny Blitz. Anyone remember him? 

I met Danny at a Wheat From Chaff show where I sang “Life During Wartime” with The Andersons and promptly forgot the words and someone ran up with the lyrics so I could finish. 

Danny asked what kind of music my band was afterwards and I mentioned X and some others and he looked at me and said, “You’ll fit in just fine”. 

I saw Danny at a few other shows and events and, though we never became pals I considered him a friend.

Danny wrote one of the greatest tracks of the 90s, “If Ozzy Was My Dad That Would Rock” and I will link it at the bottom. 

Danny kept the rock and roll spirit alive. His hair. His guitar. His attitude. 

That’s what these guys are doing. 

I miss Danny. 

Rest in Rock, Mr. Blitz. 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va-psrS9B34&list=PLlvn8uktX5LsqKBjdaYClgpNsHYan1oNL