Monday, August 9, 2021

The 1980 Listening Post - Billy Thorpe - 21st Century Man

 Billy Thorpe - 21st Century Man



October 1980

Billy Thorpe

21st Century Man

Genre: Future Rock Space Opera

4 out of 5 



Highlights:

1991

Solar Dawn



Billy Thorpe…who were you? 

Wanna bet Dennis DeYoung heard this and went, “yep. That’s the sound. That’s what we need to do.”


I don’t know his previous album, “Children of the Sun” but it’s anything like this it deserves a bit of an investigation. This is full on Space Rock Opera. All doom and dystopia and demanding an ELO-style light show. 


It’s been a while since we had a quality rock opera at the Post. This one is heavy on the instrumentation and effects and that only makes it more listenable to my ears.


It drags a bit as a marillion of these records do, but it picks up nicely towards the end with the energy of “Rise”. 

I’m not sure what “In My Room” is doing here unless it acts like a coda for a space opera that took place in the mind of a kid in his room.


Works for me. 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgYl2oC8mE&list=PLIlCPF5twKnBB9FRJTAvcPSEtwr3V8hi4

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