The 1981 Listening Post - Sniff N' the Tears - Love/Action

 Sniff N' the Tears - Love/Action

#654

1981 Housekeeping

Sniff N’ the Tears

Love/Action

Genre: If you like Al Stewart….

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Without Love

I’m back to talking about band names. I really think the best days of this band are behind them. Or maybe they were always a middle of the road offering but, since one guy seems to be in charge, why not just call it “Paul Roberts Band”? Or “Paul Roberts’ Project”? Or, better yet, “Paul Roberts’ Sniff n’ the Tears”?

I don’t hate a single track on the thing, which consists mostly of mid-tempo rockers allowing for various members to take up solos on the breaks and Paul’s raspy rock voice perfect for 1977. 

Sweetly gentle, unfettered songwriting that can’t offend and wouldn’t if it wanted to. 

Songwriting as storytelling is something that we are sorely missing today, with all the confessional bloodletting going around. I’m glad Paul was still giving it a shot even though it was way out of vogue. 

It gets a little weird when they try to rock out with the new wave offering “Don’t Frighten me” but I’ll allow it. It’s better than anything Tim Finn ever did.

I’m listening to this on Mother’s Day morning, while waiting for the rest of the family to wake up, sipping a Grand Lungo Cappuccino and that is exactly the right setting for this album.

I liked this album more than history does, apparently. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/love-action/1549687237

The 1980 Listening Post - Sniff n' the Tears - The Game's Up

 

Sniff n' the Tears - The Game's Up

#255

June 15 1980

Sniff n’ the Tears

The Game’s Up

Genre: 70s Radio Rock

2.75 out of 5

Before this project I had never heard Sniff n the Tears. And, based on the name and whatever pictures I had seen I assumed they were a skinny tie Power Pop/New Wave band. 

Au contraire, Allen. They hew much closer to the New York semi-retro styles of Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. More the former, with a touch of the latter. “Moment of Weakness” could be “Chucky’s In Love”. “What Can Daddy Do” is American Dire Straits. And none of it is more inspiring that that. 

This is the kind of record by the kind of a band you find playing in a bar in Santa Monica on a Sunday afternoon. The guitarist makes O faces as he solos and the band so laid back they either just came from or are about to head to the water for some boogie boarding. 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbUHvB3g3MI&list=PLlvn8uktX5LtQC0PKsz8LxGW6jnvaebKF