The 1980 Listening Post - The Teddy Boys - On Air

 Reviewed by MacArthur Antigua

Released: 1980 The Teddy Boys On Air Genre: Canadian Praire Power Pop Rating: 2.25 out of 5 Highlights: He Only Goes Out With Boys Straight outta Winnipeg, Canada, this band actually started as a heavy metal outfit named “Barrelhouse.” However, unable to make it work, they tried to hitch on the rising new wave movement and emulated the Merseyside sound on their debut and only LP - “On Air.” “Things That You Do” kicks off the album and serves to be a thesis statement: peppy snares tango with confident guitar licks, a bassline that darn near veers too close to ska - all of which serve as the sound bed for a rapid lead vocal in the verse countered by full harmonies on in the chorus. “Just A Mistake” follows up to try to switch pace - even as mid-tempo, it’s their closest attempt at a ballad with a lilting chorus (“Just a Mista-a-a-a-ke”) over a preening baseline and strut of a backbeat. Ok, not bad. Before you can take a breath, track three comes and it’s “He Only Goes Out With Boys,” which topic wise for 1980 was a pretty bold choice. However, this was no pride anthem: “I wanted you to see for yourself I thought you’d hear it from somebody else But you never could’ve been surprised ‘cause you looked in his starry eyes… AND HE ONLY GOES OUT WITH BOYS… ONLY GOES OUT WITH BOYS… ONLY GOES OUT WITH BOYS, THAT LIKE LIKE YOU-U-U Sonically, it’s my favorite track on the whole album, as it totally nails the power pop genre. However, it’s quite a gift to somehow take a controversial subject, and perhaps take the most boring angle on it - debriefing a date with a female friend, and doing a “I told you so” and claiming victory on one’s “gay-dar.” Someone on youtube uploaded a MuchMusic interview with the band (https://youtu.be/fLBT4fq_SrU?t=110) as they were on the come-up, and they shared how this song was banned in most parts of Canada (that wasn’t Toronto) - and they didn’t understand why, though they did appreciate the attention they got from it. Meh. The rest of the album, the Teddy Boys try their hand at some adjacent subgenres - southern rock (“Life In The Big City”) and blues (“1,2,3,4 Love Affair”). There’s another track called “Valentino” which utilizes a staccato beat on a woodblock, and jangly electric guitars which vaguely suggest a Gypsy Kings-folkloric vibe. They’re mediocre songs, but I guess you can’t blame a band for trying. They’re better off sticking to the power pop formula like on “Stranger In Your Room” or “Pushin’ for Love.” The instrumentation is decent, the vocals and harmonies are better, though the songwriting is lacking. At their best, they’re a discount Squeeze except without any lyrical charisma. After this album, the band shedded The Teddy Boys title and renamed themselves as Berlin and released the “Young Warrior” LP in 1982, which was more straight ahead 80s rock and less new wave/power pop. However, they would be embroiled in a lawsuit with another American band named “Berlin” (“Take My Breath Away”, “Metro”) After several years of being caught up in this, they folded due to the debt from legal fees.