The 1985 Listening Post - Flash and the Pan - Early Morning Wake Up Call

Flash and the Pan - Early Morning Wake Up Call

#291/926                                    LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

July 15 1985

Flash and the Pan

Early Morning Wake Up Call

Genre: New Wave

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Early Morning Wake Up Call

Midnight Man

Look at That Woman Go

Is it just me? can you hear Robert Palmer’s “Lookin’ for Clues” lurking inspirationally in the title track? Or maybe it’s something else. But it all sounds so very 1980 New Wave.

But also not dated. You know what sucks about this record??

Nothing. Well, except for the fact that it’s only on YouTube. I would add most of this to my Apple Music library and be happy when any songs come up. 

It’s funky and it rocks. It reminds me a bit of Doug and the Slugs but with more rock and less swing. There’s a cheekiness that also calls to mind The Tubes’ pre-Inside Out work. 

This album is terrific. I don’t even mind the programmed drums cuz I really like every single song. 

Makes me wish I’d heard of Flash and the Pan before. Score another one for Oz!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBJ7ztNazTVCco0nrJwbssctwonhzxRKI

The 1985 Listening Post - Chaz Jankel - Looking at You

Chaz Jankel - Looking at You

#291/925

1985 Housekeeping

Chaz Jankel

Looking at You

Genre: Rock

3.75 out of 5

I was at a director friend’s office one day. It was 1988. I was a young actor who was bored, lonely and often very hungry. He let me go and hang out and eat their snacks. I ate a lot of his snacks. I’m pretty sure I wore out my welcome. But he never said anything and he cast me in about 9 commercials over 3 years. He made some of his editors cut my demo reel for free. Introduced me to a few interesting people as well. Like Joe Pytka, who was there one day because my friend cut all of Joe’s commericals. Joe was not impressed. Never hired me. 

There was also a day when I was hanging out and this directing team was in talking about their ideas for their version of a cinematic Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I was starstruck. Couldn’t speak. I know I auditioned for them at some point but I can’t recall if they cast me or not. It was a long time ago. But I think it was a Bud Lite commercial. Tiny Lister was in it. Phil Lamarr, too. 

Anyway. They didn’t go on to direct that movie. But they did a lot of other stuff. One of the directors was Annabel Jankel. She’s a legend. A legend, albeit, that also directed the Super Mario Brothers movie. 

Speaking of brothers, Chaz is hers. 

And he was a Blockhead with Ian Dury.

And this is an album he made. 

It’s fine. Lots of percussive rhythms. Sounds like generic jazz rock to me. Generic Jazz Rock as made by a big latter day Genesis fan. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbgHb3PaAI0

The 1985 Listening Post - The Lazy Cowgirls- The Lazy Cowgirls

The Lazy Cowgirls - The Lazy Cowgirls

#290/924                                  LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

1985 Housekeeping

The Lazy Cowgirls

The Lazy Cowgirls

Genre: Garage Rock

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Anymore

Rock of Gibralter

What Are You Talkin’ ‘Bout, Baby?

Tearful Pillows

It Hit Me

Drugs

You’re Gonna Miss Me

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I don’t care much for Chris Desjardins. So, it’s a complete surprise to me that he’s behind the knobs on this electric LA pub punk band’s debut. 

I don’t understand the 1.5 rating from Allmusic. Someone’s holding a grudge. Maybe the reviewer’s girlfriend said she liked the way the bald guy on the cover looked and he got mad cuz he looks like him.

I dunno. This is like a punk Jason and the Scorchers to me. LOTS of energy. A drummer (Alan Clark) who wants to drive them through a brick wall and an infectious energy that is of the sort that I eat up. This is The New York Dolls with the edge and energy of the Rezillos, if you can believe it, and less cross dressing. 

I bet the cover of Roky Erickson’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me” Chris D’s idea. One that he would’ve wanted to cover with The Flesh Eaters but you know what? I bet it would be bad in his hands and in the hands of The Lazy Cowgirls it’s a fucking revelation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taSYeT-MzFE

The 1985 Listening Post - Laura Branigan - Hold Me

Laura Branigan - Hold Me

#289/923

July 15 1985

Laura Branigan

Hold Me

Genre: Pop

2.25 out of 5

There are only so many ways that I can liken pop chanteuses to American Idol but I think it really is appropriate with Laura. She’s a vocalist who picked some good songs and had the backing of a label and offers very little to move the medium forward in any way. The title track with it’s dominating saxophone could be a Quarterflash song. Because that’s how you wanna model your career: after a band that had one hit, half a decade earlier. 

The songs are dull, the presentation equally so. 

I couldn’t wait for this to be over. 

Oh, man. “When I’m With You” bites so hard on “One Night in Bangkok” it made me sick. 

The rest of it is so pedestrian 80s pop that it’s completely disposable. 

Skip it. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBJ7ztNazTVCbSaoK1omod3Hg22wtB-oq

The 1985 Listening Post - Sex Gang Children - Blind

Sex Gang Children - Blind

#288/922

July 1985

Sex Gang Children

Blind

Genre: New Wave

4 out of 5

Highlights:

I’ve Done It All Before

Strike Blind!

From the opener “Dead Metal” all the way through “Strike Blind!” this sounds like a Goth companion piece to Adam and the Ants’ Dirk Wears White Sox. I say that with affection. This album is steeped in late 70s New Wave art punk. Boy, does this make it weirdly anachronistic. And there’s no judgment for that, I just wonder who would be around to be interested in this. 

And maybe that’s why it’s so hard to find any information on the 85 vinyl release. Everything I find is about the 1992 CD reissue. Some of it is angular and lovely (The Lennonesque “I’ve Done Is All Before”) and some of it is garabgey nonsense (“The Quick Gas Gang”)

The PiL meets Ants vitriolic theatricality makes the entire thing feel much longer than it really is. 

It’s very possible that the reason this album has disappeared can be found in the lyrics for “Strike Blind”, the link to which I’ve included at the bottom. I can’t tell if it’s racist or a commentary on racism but the very first 3 words struck me hard as religion in music seems to be at a fever pitch in the 80s. 

https://open.spotify.com/album/1owsFAKnzJ74qmZZXsnPWW?si=ElnY23d1S4WWXYuKFnZBLw

https://www.elyrics.net/read/s/sex-gang-children-lyrics/strike-blind-lyrics.html

The 1985 Listening Post - Jacobites - Robespierre's Velvet Basement

Jacobites - Robespierre's Velvet Basement

#287/921

July 1985

Jacobites

Robespierre’s Velvet Basement

Genre: Jangle Pop

3.25 out of 5

Oh, great.

Opening with a remake of their track, “Big Store”, I so want to enjoy these guys. But, you know what? They are not great at what they want to be. Which is bright, erudite subway buskers turned recording artists. The landscape is littered with paisley retro jangle poppers during this time. I’m not surprised they disappeared. This isn’t awful. But it isn’t all that inspired either. And 20 minutes longer then it should ever ever be. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azC86BClCVE

The 1985 Listening Post - Shock Headed Peter - Not Born Beautiful

Shock Headed Peter - Not Born Beautiful

#286/920

July 1985

Shock Headed Peters

Not Born Beautiful

Genre: Post-punk

2.5 out of 5

Like a lot of noise rock I don’t really know what to do with this. I’m sure there are people for whom this is soothing and pleasant, I’m not one of them. To me it’s a soundtrack to a horror movie that never happened but also one that wants to overshadow the movie and BE the story.

More often than not songs aren’t cohesive and just move from one idea to the next so, if I listen I am confused. If, however, I just put it on in the background a) I don’t get too bothered by the lack of cohesion and b) I annoy everyone else in the house. 

 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBJ7ztNazTVCiXYFQK9KfQvZzTa9VD43f

The 1985 Listening Post - David Knopfler - Behind the Lines

David Knopfler - Behind the Lines

#285/919

July 1985

David Knopfler

Behind the Lines

Genre: Rock

1.5 out of 5

In 1999 I booked a pair of commercials for 1-800-collect. It was during the 800 number wars. Oh, man, that was the mother load. They ran the shit out of those things. I’d never made the kind of money I did on those spots in such a short time. It helped that Damon Wayans and Ed O’Neill were in them with me. They were reviled things. I made it to the “Jeers” in TV Guide’s Cheers and Jeers. They spelled my name wrong but, hey, I was in there!

There was another actor in those spots. Nice guy. Okay actor. Seemed like a nice enough guy. He was Scott Wolf’s younger brother. He reminded of his older brother, slightly. But not quite as charismatic. Almost. Not as talented but alllllmost. Not as charming but alllllmost. 

That’s this record. 

Mark Knopfler’s younger brother. The Gary Wolf of rock. 

This is awful. Imagine Mark Knopfler, a mediocre singer at best. Now imagine him tone deaf as well. 

Boom. 

I mean, vomit. 

Okay. The last song, which sounds like it was written by Roger Waters, was nice. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb3qi9Pp2I0&list=OLAK5uy_lSRJzwUDegzKGkQH1Rqzj3xkgduplgKTM

The 1985 Listening Post - The Damned - Phantasmagoria

The Damned - Phantasmagoria

#284/918

July 1985

The Damned

Phantasmagoria

Genre: Goth Rock

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Street of Dreams

Shadow of Love

Is It a Dream

Maybe I just like dave Vanian’s voice more than Captain Sensible’s. I haven’t loved anything of theirs since Machine Gun Etiquette and I really hated Sensible’s solo outing. 

The is a lot more Goth-y and theatrical than I recall them being. It’s moodier and more evocative than their previous stuff. Is “Sanctum Sanctorum” a wee bit self-important? Umm…yeah. But it’s still more interesting to me than a lot of what came before. Is it fair to compare a band to their previous offerings? I don’t know. It’s the only frame of reference I have. If this was the first Damned record I’d ever heard I don’t know if I would enjoy it as much. 

Side Two opens with the single “Is It a Dream” and they pull off quite a Psychedelic Furs impression. And “Grimly Fiendish” is what you would get if XTC went full goth. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYncIHyPK2W5aaGWFqYHyzAfoxncddRhC

The 1985 Listening Post - The Fuzztones - Lysergic Emanations

The Fuzztones - Lysergic Emanations

#283/917

1985 Housekeeping 

The Fuzztones

Lysergic Emanations

Genre: Garage

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

1-2-5 

Ward 81

Someone more knowledgable than I will be able to explain who the Fuzztones were. Normally I wouldn’t include an album of covers but these garage songs are so obscure I’m not sure they would even make to to the first Nuggets collection. 

Or maybe they are widely known and I am just ignorant. That’s very possible.

But, even Rudi Protrudi’s originals work as perfect emulations of that fuzzy psychedelic sound. 

Everything here is excellent, like a Time Warp to the 60s but with clear stereo mixes and punchy attacks. 

You know what bill I’d have liked to see happen? The Fuzztones opening for The Hellacopters. This is the punk aesthetic reaching back to it’s Kick Out the Jamsian origins. Hauntingly fun and dangerous. It’s a Chuck Barris car show on vinyl.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lysergic-emanations-remastered/1016944162