The 1981 Listening Post - The Rats - Intermittent Signals

 The Rats - Intermittent Signals

#161

1981 Housekeeping

The Rats

Intermittent Signals

Genre: Garage

2.75 out of 5

Three chords. The Ramones did it. Hell, everyone understands that, right? 

On their second record The Rats sound like a second rate garage band, with a handful of chords and a fist full of mediocre licks, little money for recording, a sense of what they think punk lyrics should sound like and that’s about it. 

They do have a lot of energy and I’ll give them that. But it’s not good. Slightly better than they first. And that’s really just because I’m in a good mood. 

The Rats complain about a lot but it feels like they are carpetbagging. I don’t buy it. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/intermittent-signals/651653831

The 1980 Listening Post - The Rats - The Rats

The Rats - The Rats

#206

1980 Housekeeping

The Rats

The Rats

Genre: Garage Punk

2.25 out of 5

Highlights:

It’s Too Late

The leader of this punk band, Fred Cole, knocked around in all sorts of acts in the 60s and 70s and then, apparently, was invited to play on a bill with Ramones, heard that sound and decided to try his hand at that, with his wife on Bass, he having just taught her to play. 

The result is less the punk sound of the day and more like a Nuggets era band that found their way into a studio in the middle of the night, ripped off a bunch of recordings on the fly and tried to make something of it.

It’s not very accomplished, catchy or dynamic. This is the musical equivalent of Gen X on Tik Tok. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rats/653715149