The 1980 Listening Post - Chisholm & Spence - Chisholm & Spence

Reviewed by Allen Lulu Released: 1980 Chisolm & Spence Chisolm & Spence Genre: Soft Rock Rating: 2.75 out of 5 Requisite 80s cover: A sludgy, plodding version of Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work”. Stick to the original. This soft rock offering feels like a calling card for a songwriter. From what I can tell, all the songs are written by Brian Spence and Chisolm serves as the Oates to his Day Hall. I recently learned that Oates’s partnership in that duo has always really been more of a “well paid, glorified back up singer” than a real team. Both of them have alluded to that. I think duos were considered a marketable thing in the 70s and this feels a lot like that sort of project. But, deeper investigation shows that they were part of a group called Bilbo Baggins. Chisolm was the lead vocals and Spence was a 17 year old kid. As he grew into a songwriter, maybe the drummer realized that the butter was better spread on the Spence bread. You ever write a review because you have to but you have nothing to say because the songs are all pedestrian and rather dull?  

Welcome to Chisolm and Spence. The best thing about this record is that they never recorded another one.