The 1982 Listening Post - Go-Go's - Vacation

 Reviewed by Tom Lynch

Released: August 11 1982 Go-Go's Vacation Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5 Tom’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Genre: Former Punks Discover Pop And Get Rich Highlights: Vacation He’s So Strange I Think It’s Me We Don’t Get Along The Way You Dance Meh: (everything else) Truly Bad: Cool Jerk Beatnik Beach First, let me say this was my first foray into anything Go Go- related beyond the hit songs. We all know the beginning of Fast Times with We Got The Beat. This ain’t exactly that, but that’s ok. My first impressions of this particular album: 1- Aside from Vacation and Worlds Away, it all basically is the same song with varying tempos. Standard pop with a new wave angle that doesn’t have much to say. It’s not bad; just 10 of 12 songs are really repetitive 2- The ladies can play. Kathy Valentine and Gina Schock (bass and drums respectively) carry this album musically. Throw in nicely textured guitars and, unlike many new wave influenced early 80s bands, non-overwhelming keyboards, and you have a great mix. There are a couple of moments, like the watered down Ventures sound on Beatnik Beach, the talking to the band part in Cool Jerk and misplaced sax solo on This Old Feeling that just had me asking why? Which leads me to #3 and my biggest revelation: Belinda Carlisle is a lousy singer. She doesn’t have vocal strength. See seems winded on many of the songs, is hard to understand and has a limited range. She throws in the occasional growl, but is not impressive. You can see how production was her friend. While listening to this album, I felt like I was watching Valley Girl. This whole record could replace almost every song and not feel weird. It’s very formulaic 1982. It doesn’t suck in that it gives you everything you’d think of for that era. I can imagine being in a bar in 1982 (just like Randy in Valley Girl!). This whole album is like their set list: one big hit, the requisite ballad and a whole lot of decent but not memorable “edgy” pop. It probably was cool to see them in a small venue. Most of their songs seem perfect for drunk underage kids to pogo their asses off to. Just don’t spill a Bartles & James on the Members Only jacket please. You can see how this kind of reflects the LA punk scene roots the Go Gos had, but just commercialized since they were now big stars. All in all, Vacation doesn’t have a lot to say lyrically. The musicianship is fine for what they do. The vibe is fun, catchy and not serious. Belinda isn’t good, but somehow it all worked.