The 1981 Listening Post - The Jags - No Tie Like a Present

 The Jags - No Tie Like a Present

#201

May 1981 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Jags

No Tie Like a Present

Genre: Power Pop

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

I Never Was a Beach Boy

The Train and the Plane

Silver Birds

The Sound of G-O-O-D-B-Y-E

Fearing a Tornado

Requisite 80s Cover: Cat Stevens’ “Here Come My Baby”. What The Jags do here is create a perfect Jags-fan Power Pop, Skinny Tie version of this song. It’s excellent enough that it sounds like they wrote it. So, I can forgive them opening the record with it. Not by much, though.

Ok, readers. You tell me, cuz I’ve lost all perspective.

Is this really great Jam/Vapors Power Pop, the first really good one of 1981 or do I just love it because I love this style and 1981 has been a wasteland? 

I really can’t tell anymore.

“The Train and the Plane” is a pseudo Costello joint that pummels into the epic western instrumental “Silver Birds”, which is majestic and powerful as all hell.

You know how every New Wave band had some kind of Faux-Reggae track on their 1980 offerings? So do The Jags here with “Small Change” but it’s filled with energy and snot and puts to shame just about all of those other tracks.

Evening Standards was one of my favorite discoveries of 1980 and “Back of My Hand” has become a favorite track, to the point where if compelled me to pick up my old Takamine and get it tuned and learned to play it. (I’m not half bad on it!)

I didn’t think I would enjoy a follow up to that record nearly as much as I do No Tie.

Poor Jags. What they should have been.

We are missing one track so it’s impossible to give this 5 stars. But I’m tempted.

Why are these albums not available to stream? Or even on CD??? I really want to own these.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FICCk1QME24&list=PLlvn8uktX5Ls6vqLmBXU8knKWXDwqnBxM (Missing 1 track - Mind Reader)

The 1980 Listening Post - The Jags - Evening Standards

 The Jags - Evening Standards

#84

1980 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Jags

Evening Standards

Genre: WHY DOESN’T THIS STREAM??????

5 out of 5

Highlights:

Back of My Hand

Desert Island Discs

Woman’s World

She’s So Considerate

Little Boy Lost

Single Vision

Evening Standard

(Should I stop? Is there a bad track on this thing????)

Party Games

Tune Into Heaven

The Last Picture Show

The Tourist

That’s the whole record. Not a bad track on it. A matter of the genre. 

From the Costello school of the uncool this band could be the template for The Oneders in “That Thing You Do”. 

I have few words. These guys would have been superrich if the style was in vogue at the time of the Brill Building and they provided songs for other acts. 

This is delicious Power Pop. Does it sound like other Power Pop of the era? Yes. But that don’t make it not good. When this form is at the height of it’s powers it’s amazing. That’s this album. 

Holy hell, these guys can write and play.It’s like discovering Fingerprintz and Dirty Looks for the first time. Is there a faux reggae tune? Of course! There has to be! It’s skinny tie New Wave! Every album’s got one of those. This one is “Woman’s World” and it’s stellar. Do I care that “Little Boy Lost” sounds like Elvis Costello? Nope. He doesn’t own that sound. Do we get this if not for him? I don’t know. There’s a line from the 60s through Elvis into the kettle of Power Pop. This is a ladle full. 

I’m actually angry that this is not available in any other form. 

The 1980 Listening Post - The Jags - Evening Standards

The Jags - Evening Standards

#84

1980 Housekeeping LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

The Jags

Evening Standards

Genre: WHY DOESN’T THIS STREAM??????

5 out of 5

Highlights:

Back of My Hand

Desert Island Discs

Woman’s World

She’s So Considerate

Little Boy Lost

Single Vision

Evening Standard

(Should I stop? Is there a bad track on this thing????)

Party Games

Tune Into Heaven

The Last Picture Show

The Tourist

That’s the whole record. Not a bad track on it. A matter of the genre. 

From the Costello school of the uncool this band could be the template for The Oneders in “That Thing You Do”. 

I have few words. These guys would have been superrich if the style was in vogue at the time of the Brill Building and they provided songs for other acts. 

This is delicious Power Pop. Does it sound like other Power Pop of the era? Yes. But that don’t make it not good. When this form is at the height of it’s powers it’s amazing. That’s this album. 

Holy hell, these guys can write and play.It’s like discovering Fingerprintz and Dirty Looks for the first time. Is there a faux reggae tune? Of course! There has to be! It’s skinny tie New Wave! Every album’s got one of those. This one is “Woman’s World” and it’s stellar. Do I care that “Little Boy Lost” sounds like Elvis Costello? Nope. He doesn’t own that sound. Do we get this if not for him? I don’t know. There’s a line from the 60s through Elvis into the kettle of Power Pop. This is a ladle full. 

I’m actually angry that this is not available in any other form.