The 1981 Listening Post - Straight Eight - Straight to the Heart

 Straight Eight - Straight to the Heart

#696

1981 Housekeeping

Straight Eight

Straight to the Heart

Genre: Rock

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Only the Truth Hurts

These guys were on Pete Townshend’s label. 

Yeah, you read that right.

But they just sound like…The Cars. Without the charm or charisma. Or the songs, sadly.

There’s one banger here. “Only the Truth Hurts” which suggests what they could have actually been. 

The title track is pretty Ocaseky but the next one, “One More Chance” is so Ocaseky it almost hurts. 

The lead singer would go on to Modern Romance and we will get to them…

On the album "No Noise From Here/Shuffle 'n' Cut/Straight To The Heart" - Tracks 25-34

https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-noise-from-here-shuffle-n-cut-straight-to-the-heart/1047616871

The 1980 Listening Post - Straight Eight - Shuffle N' Cut

Straight Eight - Shuffle N' Cut 

1980 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

Straight Eight

Shuffle N’ Cut

Genre: Garage Rock

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

I’m Sorry

I Can’t Stop

Tonight

When I’m Alone

On the Rebound

Will You Love Me

Don’t Turn Your Back

The flagship band from that shortlived Pete Townshend label put out another record in 1980 and it might be their best. 

It’s one solid Power Pop rocker after another. I don’t see these guys wearing skinny ties, though. Nope. This is punchier than both their other albums. 

Smartly, they put their longest and least interesting song, “Tombstone” at the end of Side One, where it belongs. 

And then you flip it and, boom, “On the Rebound” starts it all up again. 

Why, when we talk about Shoes or 20/20 or The Records or even The Spongetones, has no one ever mentioned this album by Straight Eight? Shame, really.

Maybe it’s in comparison to the other Straight Eight records but I thought this one was spectacular. Only a couple tracks, like “Satisfied”, were sub par. 

Tracks 13-24 here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-noise-from-here-shuffle-n-cut-straight-to-the-heart/1047616871

The 1980 Listening Post - Straight Eight - No Noise From Here

Straight Eight - No Noise From Here 

1980 Housekeeping

Straight Eight

No Noise From Here

Genre: Garage Rock

2.75 out of 5

The first of the three Straight Eight albums from Pete Townshend’s label is little rocker with not that much going for it save ok guitar licks and garage jamming.

Imagine KISS (poorly) covering Rolling Stones songs but getting them all wrong and turning them into something…else.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/no-noise-from-here-shuffle-n-cut-straight-to-the-heart/1047616871