The 1982 Listening Post - Pink Flamingos (AKA Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos) - We Never Close

 Reviewed by Paul J Zickler / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Released: 1982 Pink Flamingos (AKA Dave McArtney & The Pink Flamingos) We Never Close Genre: NZ Pop Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5 Paul’s Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Paul's Highlights: Just Like In The Movies We Never Close Proserpine Allen's Additional Highlights: Voodoo Another band with a ubiquitous name, this iteration of The Pink Flamingos were fronted by Dave McArtney, a Kiwi pop craftsman and soundtrack composer whose first band, Hello Sailor, were a beloved on-again/off-again act in New Zealand for three decades. Pink Flamingos appears to have been Dave’s shot at the big time, as they signed with Polygram Australia and relocated to Sydney. Alas, superstardom was not forthcoming, and after three records, McArtney went home to Auckland, eventually teaching at the Music & Audio Institute of New Zealand for the last 10 years of his life. There are echoes of familiar late 70s pop here, but I hesitate to use any names, since the associations most of the Listening Post fam would make might not be very positive. Besides, any music from down under is going to have its own spin on things. Let’s try this: imagine an affable, clever Michael McDonald or a sincere, non-boring Rupert Holmes. Now add a dash of Costello/Brothers Finn creativity, a dollop of Beatles influence and you’ve got a potentially potent mix. Unfortunately the production mostly buries the guitars behind a sterile rhythm section and only occasionally lets the chunky piano and tasteful synth melodies emerge to carry the day. These are finely written pop tunes with inventive turns of phrase, sung quite nicely for the most part. There’s some weird panting/growling in “Voodoo,” and the ballad “Girl” stretches McArtney’s vocal skills a bit with its emotive chorus and plaintive high notes, but for the most part he knows his strengths and plays to them. “Just Like in the Movies” is a gem and probably should have been a hit beyond the southern hemisphere. The lovely “Proserpine” dives deeply into McArtney’s near-namesake, opening with Ticket to Ride drums, throwing in staccato piano chords, and panning multiple sound effects behind an international tale of lost love. The title track, “We Never Close” really could have fit on a Squeeze album, albeit with a different arrangement. I should also point out that, if you’re going to call your band Pink Flamingos, you’d damn well better write a song named “Divine.” And they did. The only major misstep is an odd ode to Pompeii called “Believe in the Ruins,” which alternates falsetto with off kilter guitar bursts and a near-Day Tripper riff, ending with a bit of indecipherable spoken narration. Points for experimentation, I guess. The last track, “Too Shy” tries to throw a bit of ska/two-tone rhythm in, but these musicians simply do not have it, and the heavy handed production doesn’t help. Nor does the fake Jamaican accent of the bridge. Still, the failed attempts at stepping out of their lane only reinforce how solid they were staying in that lane. Ultimately, Dave McArtney could have fit in somewhere on that long continuum from Buddy Holly through Ray Davies to Andy Partridge and Chris Stamey. Maybe in New Zealand he did. I just wish we had a better produced sample of what he and his bandmates were able to do. (Allen’s note: I am in measured agreement on this. New Zealand has been a treasure trove of excellent rock & new wave on this project. This is no exception. I imagine it’s as difficult to get to the US from NZ in 1982 as it was from Australia. Perhaps more so because we were able to hear Midnight Oil and Rick Springfield and AC/DC and Split Enz. But if you want to hear good Indie Rock from New Zealand from today I direct you to the excellent band The Beths whose first two records I really enjoyed and are releasing their third in September.)

The 1981 Listening Post - Diesel - Watts in a Tank

 Reviewed by Paul J Zickler

Released: 1981 Diesel Watts In A Tank Genre: Hard Rock Album, Pop Single Rating: 3.3 out of 5 Highlights: Sausalito Summernight All Because Of You Sausalito Summernight. You know this song! “Hot summer night in Sausalito / Can’t stand the heat another mile / Let’s drop a quarter in the meter / And hit the sidewalk for awhile… All aboard! / Sausalito Summernight.” Was this not a hit everywhere? I remember this song so well. It was all over the radio, with that earworm riff and groovy bass voice on the title line. It’s a terrific blast of pop joy, a top ten road trip song: “The engine’s thumpin’ like a disco / We oughta dump her in the bay… / Look out over here / Watch out over there / Can’t afford a blowout cuz we haven’t got a spare.” The album version stretches out for a full five minutes, including a wonderfully weedly guitar solo and extended fade out on the chorus. I even remember the album cover, which I probably looked at longingly at PayLess a few times, deciding whether it was worth buying or not. Surely the band that made such a killer song must have produced a terrific album to go with it, right? OK, first off, I had no idea these guys were Dutch. I really pictured some swell California dudes, riding down 101 in their overheated jalopy, long hair blowing in the warm coastal breeze. Apparently I should have been picturing clog-wearing, tulip waving fellows in a Saab instead. Turns out the lead singer, Mark Boon, who co-wrote it with guitarist Rob Vunderink, lived in California for 5 years as a kid before returning to the Netherlands at age 16. So I guess he had some good memories and just enough expertise to pull off the vibe. I also found out that this was the FOURTH single released from their album. They weren’t even sure they wanted to release it. This is because it sounds almost nothing like the rest of the record, which is mostly an attempt to “rock out” with varying levels of success. Clearly Diesel viewed themselves as rockers, and Sausalito Summernight didn’t really fit the image. Finally, it didn’t really occur to me as I thought about and listened to the song, but even the Wikipedia entry points out that it’s a straight up Steve Miller Band soundalike. That killer riff is basically a slightly longer version of the one from Keep On Rockin’ Me Baby. And then there's that "All aboard," which is pretty much a line from Marrakesh Express. It doesn’t diminish the quality of the song in my mind, but maybe the guys were a little embarrassed by how derivative it was? Anyway, it went to number 25 in the US and number 1 in Canada, which may be why I remember it so vividly, since I spent a lot of the summer of 1981 visiting my cousins in Vancouver. Unfortunately for Diesel, the Dutch didn’t get it. It was never a hit back home. And then there’s the rest of the album. If it didn’t include Sausalito Summertime, I would have approached this review totally differently. I’m going to listen to the other 10 songs and evaluate them on their own merit. Yes, I’m already 500 words in, but nobody’s going to read past the second paragraph anyway, so who cares? Here goes: Diesel were a Dutch hard rock group with a fairly mainstream pop edge. Front man Mark Boon could hit many of the requisite metal high notes, but often favored a less aggressive sound. Their two guitar attack was capably backed by drummer Pim Koopman, and lead guitarist Rob Vunderink doubled on piano and keyboard on the power ballads. Sure, they were never going to give the Scorpions a run for their money, but everybody in the band could sing the harmonies, the guitars could lock in, and the production here is pretty silky. I’m sure they rocked some concert halls in their day and gave the Nederlanders a head banging good time. Watts in a Tank wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1981, but three of the album’s songs were already hit singles in their homeland well before then. Alibi actually came out in 1979, followed by Goin’ Back to China. While neither of these make my highlight list, at least they’re sufficiently rocking tunes. The third single, Down in the Silvermine, is a puzzler. It’s kind of a slowed-down version of Slade’s Run Runaway, and lacks any kind of energy or drive, at least to my ears. Weirdly it was by far their biggest hit. Maybe silver mines were the happening thing that year? As alluded to above, Diesel lacked originality at times: the opening bars of Good Mornin’ Day are literally the opening bars of the Beatles’ Good Morning, with the word “day” replacing the “guh” sound. I mean, they added an extra beat or two at the end, but it’s blatant. The verse melody of Ready for Love is lifted from Led Zeppelin (who of course lifted it from a blues song). That being said, they did a pretty solid job of nailing that European metal-lite sound, particularly on bluesier, AC/DC style slow jams like All Because of You and Bite Back. Only slightly less successful are the mid-70’s sounding hard rock thumpers like Remember the Romans and Alibi. But nothing here is awful. Every song has a decent solo break and/or some soaring harmonies. Even the sappy ballad, My Kind of Woman, avoids total bathos. This ten song debut isn’t very memorable, but if I were a fan of the genre, I probably would’ve appreciated it. OK, so Sausalito gets 5 stars, and the rest of the album gets 3. Not sure how to do the math, but that’s my review.

The 1981 Listening Post - The Lydia Taylor Band - The Lydia Taylor Band

 Reviewed by Rod Brogan

Released: 1981 The Lydia Taylor Band The Lydia Taylor Band Genre: Corporate Rock Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Highlights: Some Guys Always Late After a 1979 self-titled debut album, Taylor broke through commercially in her native Canada with this LP. It even garnered her an American distribution deal on Three Dog Night and Wendy O. Williams' label Passport Records. The first side opens with a 3 punch combo of hit single Some Guys, All Night, and Always Late. While none can be called an ear worm, they've got a good beat with some corporate rock guitar tones and catchy choruses. Taylor chased the styles of the times, singing in a sweet but powerful Ann Wilson voice on this album before she adopted a more Laura Brannigan rasp in the wake of Gloria for her '83 EP Bitch. Written almost exclusively by her guitarist Richard Zwicewicz, what counted as hard rock in 1981 makes Huey Lewis sound like Metallica. A lot of the instrument parts sound like montage music from early 80s teen comedies. There are some real bouncy catchy synth fills, but they sound like Disney's Main Street Electric Parade. The guitar work on track 5 Dreamer is the strongest, even though it's one of the more tepid songs overall on the album. Indeed, Lydia herself becomes more of a cameo on the song. That's what happens when the guitarist writes 8 out of 10 of your tracks. The songwriting and vocal performance, particularly on B side opener Miracles, have aged well, it's the synth sounds that trap The Lydia Taylor Band firmly in a time warp. You don't know if you're listening to a rock album, or you just finished a round of Qbert. The second side is as weak as the first side is catchy, to the point where you might as well credit Gibby Lacasse with "drums on filler 6, 7, 9, and 10," and which may explain why Taylor recorded an EP next. Her chief songwriter simply couldn't come up with the material. The album ends with a cover of AC/DC's Highway to Hell, and the less said about it the better. Falcon, the Canadian record company which signed Taylor, went bankrupt soon after, so perhaps there wasn't the money to pay outside writers. Unfortunately for Lydia Taylor, she couldn't get out of her contract and drifted out of the music industry. She had the voice and personality to be a pop rock female force on the early 80s scene, she just didn't have the writing and promotion. Some girls have none of the luck.

The 1981 Listening Post - Lucifer's Friend - Mean Machine

 Reviewed by Paul J Zickler / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Released: September 1981 Lucifer's Friend Mean Machine Genre: Metal Rating: 4 out of 5 Highlights: One Way Street To Heartbreak Fire And Rain Cool Hand Killer Bye Bye Sadie Lucifer’s Friend was a band made up of German musicians with a British lead singer, John Lawton. They released several hard rock albums, starting in 1970, but according to what I read, they “lost their way” musically after signing with Elektra in 1978, drifting into a funkier sound and away from their roots. Mean Machine marked a return to metal, albeit what sounds to me like a very commercially viable metal. Somehow, it failed to hit, and the band went silent for 13 years, before reuniting for one more album, which flopped even worse. Thing is, I’m not really a metal fan, but this is good stuff. I hear elements of Rainbow, Judas Priest, the usual NWOBHM suspects, but also Deep Purple, Van Halen, AC/DC, hell, even early Chicago. They’ve got a piano/organ player! Their songs are varied and complex! And maybe most importantly, John Lawton is a hell of a singer! The one and only year I played organized football, in the 8th grade, we had a coach who thought it would be cool to have us reenact the climactic scene from The Longest Yard, a silly Burt Reynolds movie none of us had seen, by making half of us chant “the Mean Machine” over and over while the other half pretended to be evil prison guards trying to stop our version of Burt from scoring the winning touchdown. I’m sure Coach Springer meant well, but I have always associated the phrase with that day, which was awkward and embarrassing. Just thought I’d throw that in for some local color. Now back to our record review, already in progress. My highlights may not be your highlights, especially if you’re an experienced metalhead. Album opener One Way Street To Heartbreak incorporates what feels like a super effective metal trope: call and response vocal section leading into a big repeated chorus, followed by a speeded up tempo and fadeout. Fire And Rain features a piano section slightly reminiscent of Starship’s Jane, but proceeds to shred any comparisons with an unexpected bridge and some big time vocal histrionics from Lawton. I really enjoyed Cool Hand Killer, a driving thumper that ends side one. The organ/guitar interplay in the last few minutes really worked well, and even the Eruption-style solo that precedes it (titled Mean Machine) didn’t distract from the actual song’s epic power. Bye Bye Sadie grabbed my ear with Chuck Berry riffs, held on with a melodically strong chorus, and sealed the deal with a tightly composed ending. I could find moments in every song that stand out. The truth is, they all ROCK (insert devil horns emoji here). It’s possible I’m just in a good mood today and genuine fans could criticize this record and explain why it failed to break out. Either way, I’m glad I got to review a metal album I actually liked. Pretty sweet deal.

The 1981 Listening Post - Bullet - Execution

 Reviewed by Tom Mott & Jim Coursey / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Released: 1981 Bullet Execution Genre: Überrock Krautmetal Tom's Rating: 4.1 out of 5 Jim's Rating: 3 out of 5 Tom’s Highlights: Execution Cold Hearted Woman Dancer On A Rope* Gimme Some Power Jim’s Highlights: Execution Gimme Some Power Note: due to a mixup, Tom and Jim both wrote reviews and bumped into each other at the checkout line. Tom’s review: 1981’s Execution is a clone of AC/DC and Deep Purple. 1.5 stars.--AllMusic user review Execution is a clone of AC/DC and Deep Purple, but with a sharp metal edge (and no organ). This one blasts out of the gates and delivers the goods straight through. Ich habe jetzt Metall in meinen Adern! Vier Sterne!--TomMott user review *Double highlight. Listen to it on repeat! Jim’s review: From the looks of the album cover, you would be forgiven for thinking you’re headed for a ride on the Starlight Express. Its futuristic sheen implies some synth orchestra pulsating over a disco beat with occasional stabs from a rock guitar. But I was told this was a metal album – should I ask for my money back? Thankfully, within 30 seconds, Klaus Thiele’s heavy vibrato soars over the opening guitar riffs, and we’re off. [1] The music here as throughout the album is meaty and generally mid-tempo, more in the lineage of AC/DC than proto-speed metal. Meanwhile, between the falsetto, the poor enunciation, the throat full of phlegm [1], and the wall of reverb, the lyrics are consistently hard to understand, but at least the vocals get the vibe across. I can, however, make out the lyrics to “Cold Hearted Woman,” and you can pretty much figure out from the title where this one is headed. If I’ve learned anything from listening to more 80s metal albums, it’s that metal bands make very poor dating choices. Cold-hearted women. Evil women. Succubi. Guys, if you want to avoid dating demons, maybe you should consider dropping all the devil stuff? Overall “Execution” offers a fine, if unmemorable, listen that would be worthwhile for fans of the genre, but probably not going to make it onto anyone’s Desert Island Discs. ********** 1. The long drawn out wails on “Give Me Some Power” in particular offer plenty of opportunities to tactfully suggest Klaus clear his throat.

The 1980 Listening Post - Mass (GR) - Angel Power

 Reviewed by Rob Haneisen

Released: 1980 Mass (GR) Angel Power Genre: Germans Who Wished They Lived In NYC And Hung Out With The Ramones Rating: 3 out of 5 Highlights: Angle Power Too Much Business Call it If Mass came out in the 2000-2010 era when throwback hip and raw rock bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and The Hives were all the rage they would have been hailed in the alterna-music press as the next big thing. The problem was, they came out in 1980 when their kind of counter-culture unrefined hard rock was most definitely a niche audience without the glam and fanfare attached to later scenes. It’s too bad, because Mass’s 1980 album “Angel Power” is a blend of Iggy Pop meets Motorhead. It’s got that rough, snotty rock sound you could hear in similar bands from the New York CBGB scene (think the Ramones with less doo-wop) but maybe these guys were a bit fond of speeding things up either through influence or design. And you could certainly put them in the same league as the Jim Carroll Band (remember “People Who Died” from his 1980 “Catholic Boy” album that resurfaced in 1995 as part of the Basketball Diaries movie soundtrack?). Not bad for four guys from Germany. There’s certainly a punk element too but honestly the guitarist Dave Schreiber is too good for punk. While many of the riffs and beats get repetitive and formulaic after 5 or 6 songs, when the lead guitar kicks in for a solo it seems bonzo-good for this genre. It’s not that it’s super clean, a la Eric Clapton or Jeff Beck, it still holds its raw, authentic energy but the level of shredding on many songs is the equivalent of marrying-up. The opening guitar pyrotechnics on “Bad Times” is straight up Angus Young from AC/DC “Powerage” heyday. Lyrically, there are some simplistic chuckles delivered by Jack E. Burnside (who died in 2022). On “Good Times” we get “Gonna have a good time tonight/ Rock n Roll music gonna play all night/ Don’t worry baby it won’t take long/ Only takes a minute just to sing my song.” And he’s right, the songs are certainly efficient, or maybe this is a nod to his bedroom endurance. We get more succinct wisdom on “Too Much Business” where the singer laments “Living life takes too much money.” Ain’t that the truth.

The 1980 Listening Post - New England - Explorer Suite

 #244

by Aaron Conte

New England 

Explorer Suite 

Genre: Power pop rock metal 

Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Aaron’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5 

Aaron’s Highlights:

Honey Money

Conversation

A distinct whiff of Air Supply, Supertramp, Redd Kross, and Motley Crue. Jaunty rollicking melodies straining through Peavy amps and some seriously tight high male vocals with vibrato naturally. Not King Diamond soprano, but it's what you think it is. These guys had a hit in the late seventies and were managed by Bill Aucoin of KISS fame. This is their second record and it sounds like it was recorded in Motley Crue's filthy carpeted basement. Keep the volume low when you first put it on because someone forgot to raise the bass in the mix. It's a tire screech on eleven, and it takes a while to adjust to it because the whole album sounds this way. These guys can write a catchy melody for sure and they also employ one of my favorite things ever which is the descending finger barre power chord. Lots of double tracking and over dubbing here (for the audiophiles out there). Super compressed drums and the oddest choice of keyboard sounds which is where the Motley Crue/Supertramp comparison comes from. Otherwise it's very middle of the road vanilla music played by "rock musicians", and I use that term lovingly with a wink wink. You can imagine Johnny with his hair all sprayed up, stage clothes on, smelling like Safeguard, coming down for dinner with his parents in suburban Massachusetts. Dad won't look up from his pot roast, sister is suppressing laughter and mom is worried she'll find some homo mags under his bed when she goes in to secretly smoke out the attic window. But Jimmy's not gay! No mom and dad, he's a rock musician. Very quiet and withdrawn. A master of his instrument, and figuring out how to break his band. (hint: stop singing in that fake English accent!) You can tell these guys meant it, and if I haven't said it yet, they really were a good band, meaning they play well, and I guess now is when you see through my review. Nothing to see here folks, park's closed. They probably never had a chance because management was known for flash and gimmicks, the industry was becoming a different beast, and they really just wanted to be good, but they had Survivor, Queensryche and Loverboy on their tail, plus AC/DC had just released Back in Black so no, this record never had a chance. 

TRACK BY TRACK 

"Honey Money" - still confused why this isn't "Money Honey" seeing as how its a song about reasoning why the guy can't get the girl. Driving chorus which is played with a different dynamic than the verses. Very good idea because otherwise this would be a throw away for a lead off track. 

"Livin' in the Eighties" - almost sounds like a demo version of the song that would appear on the "real" record, except this is the real record and I guess they were in a hurry? Carousel organ mixed with a primitive drum/guitar riff. A close approximation of Motley Crue's "Looks That Kill" played by Clarabell (that was a clown in the 50's for all the young people reading this.) I really wanted this to be better but then suddenly there's a bridge that satisfies and makes everything alright. Somehow by the end of the song it works considering the album is titled "Explorer Suite”. 

"Conversation" - suddenly it's a different band now. Air Supply after having a stiff drink. Really needs to be heard to be believed. 

"It's Never Too Late" - Can Casio organs be metal? Yes they can in New England. Pre-Bon Jovi but within the Redd Kross age....I think this where Jeff and Steve McDonald (RK) got the idea that their band could play power pop instead of punk rock. 

"Explorer Suite" - synthesizers ala ELP and choral arrangements. Long Island's The Lemon Twigs surely know this album, and they make way better versions of it these days. Look them up. This band is now called "Long Island". They are no longer "New England". Billy Joel called; he wants his ideas back. 

"Seal It With A Kiss" - bad idea. An adrenaline drum beat that reminds me of the days when I played drums in bands, and the songwriter would come to practice with an idea that wasn't the most inspired so in an effort to keep things moving I would have to supply him with this "boom bat boom boom bat" stupid beat. Skip this one. It even ends terribly, so maybe let it play through just to hear the train wreck. 

"Hey You're On the Run" - sure are. Let's get this session overwith boys. As a wise man once told me, "just getting in the studio is worth .5." so I added .5 to my score for this album. 

"No Place To Go" - ok ok not bad, it's just that I had a problem when musical theater began imitating rock and roll. "Hair", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Godspell", I hated it all, so when a rock band, albeit a pop rock metal band, pulls something like this out and I smell the greasepaint, I have to shrug it off. Power ballad I think the business calls it. 

"Searchin'" - very Boston. Just listen to Boston. They're from New England too. 

"Hope" - well I had a feeling they would do this; Renasainse Faire lute style guitar with giant drum rolls, Saga synths. Well done guys. Those lessons really paid off. Pass. 

 

"You'll Be Born Again" - unless you're Stryper, and wear it on your sleeve, it's wrong to do this to your audience. I'm sorry readers but rock and roll is at it's best when it's taking life for granted, running roughshod over warnings and rules, really scaring you or challenging a pervading opinion of goodness. When a band uses the phrase "born again", it's time to run far far away in the opposite direction unless that's what you're looking for in your rock and roll. Maybe this is what Johnny had to do to quell his parents misgivings about him being a rock musician. Probably taking some good old Massachusetts Irish Catholic religion a step too far into Christianity is what helped grandma cash out her pension to keep the band alive. I'm not really a jerk I just have to call it like I see it, and at times my resting review face is a bit bitchy. It's 1:30pm on a Sunday in May of 2020. Time for a drink. 

https://open.spotify.com/album/6L4lJf7UKnRtkm4KS9kB3o?si=6UChKdfDT0eNooJD5pNIBg

The 1981 Listening Post - Chinatown - Play It to Death

 Chinatown - Play It to Death

#513

March 23 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Chinatown

Play It To Death

Genre: NWOBHM

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

It’s all the same metal attack throughout but it also all works.

I especially enjoyed “No Time to Kill” and the power ballad “Time Will Tell” and 

I knew these two kids in my 10th grade class, Sam and Keith, and all they talked about every day was their stereos and when the new Bruce Springsteen album was coming out. 

I didn’t have a stereo of my own, we had an 8 track in the family room downstairs. When my parents were working on the weekends I would pop an 8 track in there and crank it up loud enough so I could hear it in my room upstairs. 

After jealousy got the best of me I saved up enough to get a Technics turntable, an amplifier/cassette-to-cassette recorder and a huge pair of speakers. 

I would make my father drag those beasts up to Bar Harbor so they would be waiting for me during the summer.

Eventually dad had a cabinet built for me to hold the stereo and all my records. 

This is in my room, which is another long story for another time. (It was a barely converted attic, but really it was an unfinished room across the hall.

I would plant myself in there when they were at work and crank up the speakers as loud as they could go and I would air guitar to…well…anything.

On any given day it might be Ozzy. Or the Leonard Bernstein soundtrack to Mass. Or West Side Story. Or Queen. Or 1776. 

My mother came home one day and told me should could hear my stereo blasting as she came down the hill, two houses away.

I was pleased but embarrassed. Musical choices are kinda private, no? 

Whatever. 

I think this album is a live recording and we have a rule against that but it’s the kind of record I would have wanted to play fucking loud as hell and I had already written most of this when I realized…shit…I have a rule against live records, don’t I? But this is their only wax offering. They never went into the studio, even though it sounds like they did. Kiss Alive never sounded this good. 

Fuck it. These guys aren’t reinventing anything, they just know how to pummel and shriek. Steve Pragnell could have subbed in for Bon Scott if AC/DC had heard of them.

And I’m here for Steve Hopgood’s overblown solo in “Rock and Roll Legend”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ97jsTgPaE

The 1981 Listening Post - AC/DC - For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

 AC/DC - For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

#602

By Jon Rosenberg

November 23 1981

AC/DC

For Those About to Rock We Salute You

Genre: Hard Rock

Allen’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Jon’s Rating: 5 out of 5

Highlights:  

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

Let’s Get It Up

C.O.D.

Breaking the Rules

OK, I love this album.  It will probably cause some controversy when I say this, but I think it’s even better than Back in Black - or at least its equal.  Unlike BiB, the specter of death does not hang over FTATR.  The period of mourning for original singer Bon Scott is over and now it’s time to party again.  As expected, all of the songs here contain crunchy riffs (courtesy of the Young brothers, Angus and Malcolm, on lead and rhythm guitars respectively), a throbbing backbeat (from Cliff Williams on bass and Phil Rudd on drums), and screeching, larynx-shredding vocals (from “new guy” Brian Johnson).  Returning to produce is “Mutt” Lange, who reportedly took three days just to get the sound of the snare drum just right.  Was it worth it? Probably not, in the great scheme of things.  But the album does sound fantastic.

Did I mention that I love this album?  Every song.  Personally, I don’t think there’s a weak tune to be skipped over, but there are a few that I sometimes put on repeat: The epic title track kicks things off with a grinding, slow-burn of a groove that gradually escalates to a literally explosive climax, complete with cannons firing.  An instant classic, the song has since become the traditional show closer for their live concerts, and, yes, you better believe they have real cannons on that stage!

Another favorite is “Let’s Get It Up,” which I’m amazed hasn’t found its way into a Viagra commercial by now.  When I was young and naïve, I assumed that most AC/DC songs were about sex.  Now I’m sure of it!  Regarding “Let’s Get It Up,” Brian Johnson told Kerrang! Magazine in the 80’s that the song is, "Filth, pure filth. We're a filthy band."  And who can argue with that?  

Also great is “C.O.D.,” a nasty little ditty about getting your mail delivered.  No, actually, in this case the title means “care of the devil” and it’s a love song.  Of sorts.  With some delightful wordplay that only a rock band of AC/DC’s stature could get away with.  But don’t lower your fists and lighters just yet: “Breaking the Rules” gives us the quintessential “hesher” anthem.  “I get my kicks in my own way!” wails Brian, and I for one believe him.  The perfect soundtrack for that keg party in the woods – remember those?  At least until the cops show up.

So yeah, I’ll always consider For Those About to Rock We Salute You to be the ultimate AC/DC record: big, loud, dumb and fun.  Let’s call it rock ‘n’ roll comfort food – all carbs and sugar and deep-fried to perfection.  It’s good for what ails ya!

https://open.spotify.com/album/7DUvURQ0wfA1kgG8j99frR?si=lTxkSqjbSpC6yOauzDiOiQ

The 1981 Listening Post - Slade - Til Deaf Do Us Part

 Slade - Til Deaf Do Us Part

#570

By Rob Slater

November 13 1981

Slade

Till Deaf Do Us Part

Rob Slater

Genre: Father of AC/DC, Grandpa of Quiet Riot, Brother of Sweet, and on this album Son of    QUEEN!

Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Rob’s Rating: Solid 4.75 (was a 4 on the first listen.)

Highlights:   

“M'hat M'coat” - Amazing, bluesy instrumental

"Ruby Red"

"That Was no Lady that Was My Wife"

"Knuckle Sandwich Nancy"

Nevermind, they’re all good.

This album’s running theme (joke) is Rock ‘n’ Roll Religion. You can see it in five of the titles and hear it in many of the other lyrics.   

The opening of "Rock and Roll Preacher (Hallelujah I'm on Fire)" is, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to...” This isn't Prince, but makes you wonder if he heard it and a few years later it inspired the beginning to his song. Though there are the more obvious inspirations.

"Lock Up Your Daughters" starts out sounding like Queen. Can you say, “Tie Your Mother Down.” Actually it continues to sound like Queen.

Both of these songs make you realize where AC/DC must have gotten some of their inspiration.

The first track rock and roll preacher sounds a lot like for those about to Rock We salute you except I think there's gunfire instead of cannon fire. Interestingly enough, Noddy, got the nod to audition for AC/DC after Bon Scott died. I think he would have been much better for AC/DC, though a major blow to SLADE (Who he didn’t tell about the audition). His naughty song writing chops would have kept things at a Bon Scott level, I think. Though we probably wouldn't have Back in Black, which would be a shame.   

"Funk Punk & Junk" (B-side of "Ruby Red") Bonus track on the new extended edition is a GREAT song. (And Slade almost always did extra B-sides of good songs that didn’t make the album. Massive amounts of music over the years.)

They remind me a lot of Sweet as well, though Sweet had a fair amount of U.S. success. It's hard to believe that these guys had put out 9ish (Some were mixes of releases) studio albums by this point. You could certainly see how Quiet Riot did fairly accurate respectful covers and made them into monster Hits in the US. But why not Slade? The mention that they’re a bunch of ugly blokes, but that didn’t seem to hurt AC/DC. They were usually costumed unusually.   

It would take an invite by Ozzy Ozbourne to open the Reading Festival as a replacement that lit the American fire. In 1981 they released TWO albums. This was the second. We'll Bring the House Down was a collection of previously released and new works. This one was all new and aimed for a harder sound. It was successful at that, but still did not bring them the recognition they deserved on this side of the pond. It would take "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway" (Which I loved.) in a few years to finally break into the American market, sadly they stopped touring in ‘83 before the Quiet Riot singles even came out.   

I wished I’d gone back then and found all this great music. If I don’t get The Very Best of Slade for Christmas or Birthday in February, (Their #1 album came out on my 7th birthday.) I will be buying it for myself! Now, excuse me, I’m going to go listen to it again.   

https://open.spotify.com/album/5TaKuX3UNuNwNLLmAFRsHG?si=BP3Si4DkT_aZQwWiD-EgjQ

The 1981 Listening Post - The Angels (AKA Angel City) - Night Attack

 The Angels - Night Attack

#546

November 30 1981

The Angels (AKA Angel City)

Night Attack

Genre: Rawk

2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

City Out of Control

“Well, that last record didn’t work, mates. What say we just try to be AC/DC for a while?

Well, that didn’t work. What is it? Are we terrible? 

That can’t be it. I mean, can it?”

It can.

They try for the pop road with “Fashion and Fame” but that feels like they are trying to write a single and it’s much ado about little. But count me in on the aggressively scratchy follow up “City Out of Control” which, along with “Living on the Outside”, (just go with me on this) feels like they listened to a lot of INXS and The Alarm. 

The album unfolds strangely, with the better tracks omg side one being at the end of Side One.

And the band continues this on Side two where they sow their heartland rock oats and we get harmonica mixed in with the rock. 

I feel this album’s order is messed up…hang on a sec…even though the US release has a different order they still manage to screw it up.

A shame. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/night-attack/168389701

The 1981 Listening Post - Starfighters - Starfighters

Starfighters - Starfighters

#532

1981 Housekeeping

Starfighters

Starfighters

Genre: NWOBHM

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:
Don’t Touch Me

How many Youngs are there? 

This is another Young. Steve. You know his uncles. From the Easybeats. 

Well, yes.

But also that other Metal band. Which he joined in 2014. 

Man. I know there was a terrific documentary about The Bee Gees recently but the world needs a doc about the Young family. So important to the pantheon of Rawk!

This is a pedestrian metal record. But it reminds me that the world is filled with them. The band The Answer opened for AC/DC when I saw them a ~decade ago. Remember them? Nope. But they served their purpose. Someone’s gotta open for the gods. And, if they made a few fans, maybe they get on the hamster wheel.

This album is perfectly acceptable 80s metal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JimYi8Fgo4s

The 1981 Listening Post - Budgie - Nightflight

 Budgie - Nightflight

#504

October 1981

Budgie

Nightflight

Genre: Heavy Metal

3 out of 5

Highlights:

Don’t Lay Down and Die

I always got this band confused with the drummer for Siouxie. His name was Budgie, right? I also wondered, aloud, (to myself, often): why would either of them name themselves after a teeny little bird? Hardly seems as intimidating as the sounds they were proffering. 

Ah well. 

You know what this record reminds me of? Queen’s debut. It’s a decade past so, it’s sort of out of date but, it’s 2021 as I write this and nothing from 2011 sounds ancient to me. Is that the tyranny of time? Did music just get to a point where it’s impossible for anything less than a decade old to sound out of date? I mean, Imagine Dragons first album still pops up on modern playlists and that album is as old as Queen I was when Budgie’s record came out. 

Sigh. 

Time. You’re a bitch. 

All of this sounds like AC/DC meets RATT and they both just sort of half ass writing songs. In the end this feels like an update of psychedelic rock from the 60s than metal. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg5Kc-2uJSw

The 1981 Listening Post - Kix - Kix

 Kix - Kix

#418

By Chris Roberts

Kix

Kix

Genre: Breakfast Rocks

Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Chris’s rating: 4.25 of 5

Highlights:

Heartache

The Itch

Contrary Man

Give Kix’s debut a taste spoon. Yes, aside from Guns N’ Roses, late 80s hair metal sucked. Yes, Kix is one of the worst band names ever. These things are problems, but they are minor problems. This album is so much rowdy, glam rockin’ fun you’ll forget you live in an alternate universe where Kix are for kids, silly rabbit!

The album blasts off with air raid sirens and “Atomic Bombs,” which is your classic nooky-in-the-shelter ditty, triangulated to annihilate the fans at the live show. Nuke them from space, Kix, it’s the only way to be sure! It’s followed by “Love At First Sight,” which feels like it fell off side one of GNR Lies and needs antibiotics. As a 1-2 punch, these songs are a gas, but you can see how just a little Aquanet can do a lot of damage.

But! A power pop nugget called “Heartache” is number 3. It’s a shameless Knack-off. A dance party with a mosh pit inside. The Archies, “Footloose” and the Eagles of Death Metal’s “Complexity” rolled into one, which might make it the greatest song of all time. Or at least the greatest song I heard in the car on the way to Oakland yesterday. 

Next up, “Poison,” isn’t lethal by any means, more of what you heard on 1-2.  However, the fifth track, “The Itch” is absolutely infectious. Summoned out of The Cult’s Sonic Temple and released by the unwashed handclaps of AC-DC! By the time singer Steve Whiteman cries out “I got ants in my pants! Let’s dance!” I knew I needed a leather studded Hartz 2-in-1. How “The Itch” didn’t become a monster hit like “The Stroke,” I don’t know!

Next, the fight-the-old-folks anthem “Kix Are For Kids” explains how bad the band name is, right there in the title. WHY DIDN’T THEY JUST CALL THEMSELVES TRIX, AN INFINITELY BETTER CEREAL. Still, can you question the logic of band insisting in naming themselves after cereal in the first place? I can’t help but wonder what U2’s career would have been like if they’d called themselves “The Lucky Charms.” Perhaps they’d have gone straight to “Lemon” and “Hold Me, Kill Me, Kiss Me, Thrill Me” in 1980 and skipped all that moping around in the desert. But I’m pretty certain the cereal-based name worked against Kix in the long run. Kix the Name feels like they were trying to use up leftover letters, or were drunk, or probably both. Honestly, until I got “The Itch,” I would’ve been far more interested in a Frankenberry or Grape Nuts band. 

On “Contrary Man” and “The Kid” Kix throw some more Cheap Trick, Sweet and Slade into the mix until the album fades out… phew, done in under 30 minutes! Wait, there’s one more? It’s “Yeah Yeah Yeah.” It’s fine fine fine… until suddenly we’re in the middle of a live album? Steve Whiteman starts talking to the audience. He’s telling a story, but it’s not only gross, but he does part of it in an Elmer Fudd voice (he gets his cartoon rabbits confused just like his cereal) and I’m suddenly aware… this band will one day tour with Poison. Ew. Ew. Get it off my plate!

Overall, it’s a good time, party record. If, like me, you were diagnosed with Metal Health or Pyromania, you’ll absolutely dig it, but “Heartache,” “The Itch” and “Contrary Man” are for everyone.

https://open.spotify.com/album/55v6WixbFjT9hSqjLTYS70?si=1gVFgJt5Q2GZ8YLz4L48ig

The 1981 Listening Post - Air Supply - The One That I Love

 Air Supply - The One That I Love

#373

1981 Housekeeping

By Jed Francese

Air Supply

The One That You Love

Genre: Soft Mellow Australian Soft Mellow Rock for Soft Mellow Men Who Aren’t Afraid of Their Emotions (Ed. Note)

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Jed’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5

So I’ve asked for an Air Supply record to review because Allen made an innocent comment to me when I was asking for albums along the lines of, “Well, I still need people to do Air Supply”.

I loved that because my mother liked the band so much. I grew up on this shit.

Most of my peers were listening to The Ramones or KISS or Talking Heads or AC/DC...I was hearing my mother spin Jimmy Buffett & Air Supply & Juice Newton. And I don’t regret any of it.

It may have taken me a bit to get to records that weren’t super vanilla Adult Contemporary but it’s not all that bad!

So my record is “The One That You Love” from ‘81; and my rating would be 3.5 out of 5...

but I have to say in the same breath that the title track & “Here I Am” are gold. Sure, it’s cheesy gold, like Velveeta I guess, but gold nonetheless. The production is great, the harmonies are great - so frankly - F you if you don’t have a soft spot in your heart for Air Supply.

Then there’s the bad news...for all of the heavy talent & solid production - boy is there a lot of filler. The records I want to review are solid front to back, just keep flipping her over because it doesn’t ever lag or get weak. Yeah, that’s not this. Maybe it’s an ear worm thing...maybe it’s a sentimental thing? But the three or four tracks on the album I dig - I really love. Go ahead, call me lame Bobby, I’ll always be The One That You Love.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1aEMnQLoZHDjibEDcisTMJ?si=tqXs7tgBQVuJxi3sCDpgYA

The 1981 Listening Post - New England - Walking Wild

 New England - Walking Wild

#291

By Rob Slater

June 15 1981

New England

Walking Wild

Genre: Father of AC/DC, Grandpa of Quiet Riot, Brother of Sweet, and on this album Son of  QUEEN!

Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5

Rob’s Rating: A. “Nice beat, easy to dance to, I give it a 4.5 out of 5, Dick.”

Highlights: 

Most of the songs are great in their own very eclectic way. These are my faves so far. But I'll be going back to listen for more and post them in the comments when this review comes online.

Don't Ever Let Me Go

Holdin' Out On Me

Get it Up

DDT 

Okay, I promised Allen a quick turnaround review on this one. Not necessarily my strong suit, but I do work well under deadline. Thanks, Allen.

Where the heck did New England go? You might say it's still there, and in a way, so is this band. Most of them have continued to work in the music industry even though this was their last album together. Two of the guys went on to form the band Alcatrazz. Which you can actually hear elements of ob this release. It makes me want to go back and listen to their first two albums. 

I've only listened to it twice before writing the review, so it's not my usual in-depth. 

Second impression

1.        Walking Wild. '80s synth pop. Not bad, not super catchy. 80s keyboards with metal guitar underlayment.

2.        Holdin' Out On Me. Sounds like Slade or a Judas Priest Lite. Or earlyBrian Johnson AC/DC. Nice switch from the first one. I love it. 

3.        Don't Ever Let Me Go. Sounds like sticks (Styx. TYVR) and later Queen combined. I like this one too.

4.        Loves Up in the Air. Nice '80s ballad with echoes of Dennis DeYoung and Jonathan Cain. Kind of generic, but I'm a sucker for this kind of song so I like it. Maybe also some Bee gees. If Dennis DeYoung and Jim Stienman got together and Dennis got to make the production choices, that would be this song. 

5.        DDT. It's a 1980s 50 song with fake keys but that rhythm and that feel. Still fun. Makes my hips shake and my knees bend. Then it hits the chorus, and you've got to smile. The title DDT stands for Dirty Dream Tonight as in “Be my DDT.”  Reminds me of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Nice.

6.        Get It Up.  rocks it sounds like Electric Light Orchestra. Maybe they should call it Eclectic Light Orchestra. ;-) 

I like the other four, but haven’t differentiated them. A couple have definite Beatles, Styx, Queen and ELO influences. The only one that jumped out was Elevator. It’s hilarious.

7.        L-5

8.        She's Gonna Tear You Apart

9.        Elevator. Hilarious.

10.        You're There

I think  I'm going to have to listen to everything these guys put out and buy this album. It's a really cool mix of Pop with nods to many influences. Even though it's got a lot of '80s keyboards, the metallic eclectic guitar-

“Geez, Rob. How many times can you use that word in a review? I don’t think it means what you think it means.” 

“Eclectic, eclectic, eclectic. Humperdink, Humperdink, Humperdink. I’m not listening.”  

… and the rhythm section balances it out and makes me want to move, sing along, and hear it again. 

New England rocks. I'm glad the name Boston was taken. The reviews list Tommy Shaw, Guffria and Sweet. After the second lesson they played at Tommy Shaw’s Girls With Guns; man I love that song. They played Hardline, Aldo Nova and RTZ. All of these fit. These are good representations of part of the album but there's the hard stuff and the right stuff but they're all melodic.

Not really sure, why they didn't make it.. I think perhaps they are one of those bands, like my favorite from Canada, Blue Rodeo, that are so eclectic that the American audience can't sink their teeth into a whole album. But I can. It tastes great.

That's the quickie review.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5A1d4rmtYy2HxzqhOpQ1mD?si=KG830JF6T2Ko-ucbtaIhRw

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

        New England - Walking Wild

Review by Rob Slater

Genre: Father of AC/DC, Grandpa of Quiet Riot, Brother of Sweet, and on this album Son of  QUEEN!

Genre: Eclectic guitar and eclectic piano, eclectic rock. All over the place.

Rob’s Rating: A. “Nice beat, easy to dance to, I give it a 4.5 out of 5, Dick.”

Highlights: 

Most of the songs are great in their own very eclectic way. These are my faves so far. But I'll be going back to listen for more and post them in the comments when this review comes online.

Don't Ever Let Me Go

Holdin' Out On Me

Get it Up

DDT 

Okay, I promised Allen a quick turnaround review on this one. Not necessarily my strong suit, but I do work well under deadline. Thanks, Allen.

Where the heck did New England go? You might say it's still there, and in a way, so is this band. Most of them have continued to work in the music industry even though this was their last album together. Two of the guys went on to form the band Alcatrazz. Which you can actually hear elements of ob this release. It makes me want to go back and listen to their first two albums. 

I've only listened to it twice before writing the review, so it's not my usual in-depth. 

Second impression

1.        Walking Wild. '80s synth pop. Not bad, not super catchy. 80s keyboards with metal guitar underlayment.

2.        Holdin' Out On Me. Sounds like Slade or a Judas Priest Lite. Or earlyBrian Johnson AC/DC. Nice switch from the first one. I love it. 

3.        Don't Ever Let Me Go. Sounds like sticks (Styx. TYVR) and later Queen combined. I like this one too.

4.        Loves Up in the Air. Nice '80s ballad with echoes of Dennis DeYoung and Jonathan Cain. Kind of generic, but I'm a sucker for this kind of song so I like it. Maybe also some Bee gees. If Dennis DeYoung and Jim Stienman got together and Dennis got to make the production choices, that would be this song. 

5.        DDT. It's a 1980s 50 song with fake keys but that rhythm and that feel. Still fun. Makes my hips shake and my knees bend. Then it hits the chorus, and you've got to smile. The title DDT stands for Dirty Dream Tonight as in “Be my DDT.”  Reminds me of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Nice.

6.        Get It Up.  rocks it sounds like Electric Light Orchestra. Maybe they should call it Eclectic Light Orchestra. ;-) 

I like the other four, but haven’t differentiated them. A couple have definite Beatles, Styx, Queen and ELO influences. The only one that jumped out was Elevator. It’s hilarious.

7.        L-5

8.        She's Gonna Tear You Apart

9.        Elevator. Hilarious.

10.        You're There

I think  I'm going to have to listen to everything these guys put out and buy this album. It's a really cool mix of Pop with nods to many influences. Even though it's got a lot of '80s keyboards, the metallic eclectic guitar-

“Geez, Rob. How many times can you use that word in a review? I don’t think it means what you think it means.” 

“Eclectic, eclectic, eclectic. Humperdink, Humperdink, Humperdink. I’m not listening.”  

… and the rhythm section balances it out and makes me want to move, sing along, and hear it again. 

New England rocks. I'm glad the name Boston was taken. The reviews list Tommy Shaw, Guffria and Sweet. After the second lesson they played at Tommy Shaw’s Girls With Guns; man I love that song. They played Hardline, Aldo Nova and RTZ. All of these fit. These are good representations of part of the album but there's the hard stuff and the right stuff but they're all melodic.

Not really sure, why they didn't make it.. I think perhaps they are one of those bands, like my favorite from Canada, Blue Rodeo, that are so eclectic that the American audience can't sink their teeth into a whole album. But I can. It tastes great.

That's the quickie review.