The 1981 Listening Post - Queen City Kids - Queen City Kids

 Reviewed by Mark Wagner

Released: 1981 Queen City Kids Queen City Kids Genre: Power Chord Driven 4 Beats Per Minute Rock Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Highlights: Down Again Quick Hits: Album-certified gold, reaching number one in Regina and Winnipeg Canada. The band was inducted into the Western Canada Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Reunited to help one of the original members pay for their wedding. Have you ever been shopping knowing you have your favorite brand name for the item, but will still look at all the other options on the shelf and try another brand? It is OK. The other product is good but you wanted better. You go back to THE product. This is Queen City Kids (QCK). It’s a good album, but others did it better in 1981. When I listen to this album - I hear almost every other song from this era with the guitar-driven, thumping base and drum, harmony chorus, and howling. Thought the song Down Again is the most radio-friendly song with a very hooky chorus. I do not want to minimize the impact Queen City Kids had in the rock history of Canada. They opened for big names such as Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, and Blue Oyster Cult. QCK did get a record deal from Columbia. The small band that could from Regina Saskatchewan, formed in 1969 when they were high school teenagers. I tip my Moosehead beer to them.

The 1980 Listening Post - Shnazz - Shnazz

 Reviewed by Mark Wagner

Released: 1980 Shnazz Shnazz Genre: Shnazz Rock Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Highlights: I Think We're Alone Now Shnazz’s debut album was released on Hawaii local label Shadow Record Co., which released two records: Shnazz’s self-titled debut and Shnazz’s 45 “ I Think We’re Alone Now ”. They also released the Shnazz cassette tape of the just-mentioned self-titled Shnazz album. ["Shnazz" count - 5] Schnazz’s radio play single? - you guessed it “I Think We’re Alone Now”. (Tiffany released it in 1987 for those thinking about doing a google search) Besides the single, only a little stands out from this Shnazz album. There is the typical early 1980s mix of compression and a thin flat sound. Shnazz are a tight band and can play their instruments. But there are others that did it better and had a much better name. As the band with a name that does not inspire confidence (thank you SC) Shnazz lived up to their name. [Updated "Shnazz" count - 9] I deep-dived into the internet to find the source of Shnazz. I came up a Shnazz short but did find this tidbit from a 2008 Hawaii Thread titled "Anyone Remember Shnazz". I’m positive in 1980 I would have liked this band, Shnazz, playing the local bar circuit. "In the late 70s Fritz and Shnazz were the featured band at the 23rd Step in Kailua. They also did a version of Band on the Run at a high school prom, entitled "Band with the Runs" that got them banned from ever playing at any public school again. They were great! They were also the featured band on the Rella Mae Booze Cruises in the early 80s." If you want to check them out, check out the snippet of a Shnazz live show on YouTube. The lead singer could be related to David Hasselhoff. Link to YouTube Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7w-aWu7TA [Final "Shnazz" count - 16!]

The 1981 Listening Post - Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies

 Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies

#682

By Mark Wagner

1981 Housekeeping

Praying Mantis

Time Tells No Lies

Genre: NWOBHM

Allen’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Mark’s Rating: 4 out of 5

Highlight:

Children of the Earth 

This freshman entry for the sibling band Praying Mantis clocks in at 9 songs with a total playtime of 39:04. The engineer was Mike Shipley, who engineered some of the 80s and 90s biggest names, including Def Leppard, Scorpions, Vixen, Ratt, The Cars, Devo, and Flock of Seagulls to name a few. The album art designed by Rodney Matthews (Thin Lizzy, Magnum, Rick Wakeman, Asia, Hawkwind). Signed to Arista Records after supporting Iron Maiden on tour. Praying Mantis was/is known as an early influencer for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) using a twin guitar approach with harmonies and melodies. 

The album kicks off with the teenage feeling blue song “Cheated”. A song about the loss of love. “I’ve seen darkness/ I’ve seen the light / I felt the pain, oh the pain / In the dead of the night”.  The twin guitars kick off with a catchy melody, have perfect harmonies, and radio-friendly. I’m not too sure how this song did not end up in an 80s movie. 

Next up the band take their turn with Kink’s “All Day and All of the Night”. This version would make any bar band proud. Feel like I should have a Miller Champaign of Beer in hand yelling/singing along with my best air guitar impression. 

The next 3 songs Running for Tomorrow, Rich City Kids, and Lovers to the Grave all showcase the band’s musicianship with more melody, harmonies, and well-constructed songs. Song’s themes range from the demon’s on a train, upper-class privilege to stay alive, and forever love. 

Panic in the Streets kicks off side 2. If you wanted a song about vampires wanting freedom and willing to fight for it - this is your song. Two great very different guitar solos in the song with a quick rhythmic ending that sounds like feet running. 

“Beads of Ebony” and “Flirting with Suicide” are up next, and very similar to the previous 6 songs. I’ve listened to this album many times, and at this point, I’m at the “I’ve heard this in the previous 6 songs” stage. I am at the fridge to see what I can have as a snack while these two songs wrap up.

The album wrap-up song “Children of the Earth” has attained over 1.9 million plays on Spotify. This is a song that fits nicely to the NWOBHM genre - mythical death, souring driving guitar, tapping guitar solos, a true show closer - Death and destruction / Has ruined our lives / But now it's the end as mankind truly dies / For we are children of the earth / Orphans of the universe.

The band would break up shortly after this album due to management conflict. They were dropped by Arista Records, and without the big label support, the band floundered. Praying Mantis has had a resurgence in Japan in the early 90s that is still there today. New albums released and more tours since then. This includes a Full Concert release from a 1995 tour in Japan that can be found on YouTube - Praying Mantis - Captured Alive In Tokyo City. 

The Spotify album has a bonus track “High Roller” that could be a Kansas song. This one confuses me a bit.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4LXymJcEmn1Hw9GmfEqmem?si=dogG5xJLTBSjnhmjsiYcbA

The 1981 Listening Post - Altered Images - Happy Birthday

 Altered Images - Happy Birthday

May 14 1982

By Mark Wagner

Altered Images

Pinky Blue

Genre: Helium Pop-New Wave

Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 0

Thom’s Rating: 2.75 out of 5

Highlights:

I Could be Happy

See Those Eyes

Jump Jump

Forgotten

Pinky Blue (Maybe)

This Glaswegian ensemble has all the hallmarks of anyflimsy-synth 80’s brand of Pop-New wave, with lead vocalistClare Grogan vacillating between Bjork, Blonde or Kirsty McCall.

This is the middle child of 3 studio albums in total. Unfortunately, this sophomore effort falls short for me, compared to1981’s debut Happy Birthday (by @markwagner). In my opinion this recording is lacking teeth and is mostly a gumming on near forgettable synth-song craft. I think Altered Images are earnest in their attempts, and there are some sincere moments of auditory pixie bliss. The few moments I did enjoy are, “See Those Eyes” and “I Could be Happy”. “I Could be Happy” begins with a 3-minute musical intro, which is both catchy, considered, and pleasant. This track could’ve found itself in any number of John Hughes films, from quieter moments of introspective scenes featuring Molly Ringwald.

Additional takeaways; Song Sung Blue and Funny Funny Me, sound like a direct swipe on several Wii games I have played, or perhaps they influenced the Nintendo Musical Directors.

This album, or should I say this musical style gets monotonous quickly, and I find myself pining for the more tolerable and iconic sounds of Kate Bush, Blonde, Go Go’s and then a few years later The Sugar Cubes.

Ultimately, the Altered Images helium like intake of Clare Grogan’s voice leaves me lightheaded needing a translator to fully comprehend what she is saying,

and in Yoko fashion, I simply don’t understand her.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5ar59izbr11HjbbvzktpqV?si=dqydqCutR1O8aB61O1TeEw&dl_branch=1