The 1980 Listening Post - The Strand - The Strand

 The Strand - The Strand

May 1980

The Strand

The Strand

Genre: Stadium Rock

2.5 out of 5

Lowlights:

Dirty Little Girl

Produced by Jeff Porcaro. I mean, what else do you need to know?

Does it sound like watered down Toto? Yes. But without any hooks. 

However, singing a mid-tempo ballad like a love song but it’s “Dirty Little Girl”….makes you kinda wanna die inside. 

We’re missing 2 tracks and that’s now the limit for YouTube albums. Any more and we won’t cover them.

I don’t need to deduct points for that, though. It’s pretty trashy on it’s own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-R9y-o2jWs&list=PLlvn8uktX5Lvdx6of9Okp9mOTA0V8lUcl

The 1980 Listening Post - The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Ozark Mountain Daredevils

 The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Ozark Mountain Daredevils

May 1980

The Ozark Mountain Daredevils

Ozark Mountain Daredevils

Genre: Southern Rock

2.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Runnin’ Out

Ugh, the repetition. “Sailing Round the World” is like they just thought, hey, that’s a neat little turn of phrase, let’s repeat it for 4 minutes and that’ll be song 3!

This is just one boring Southern Fried tune after another. None of the players are that spectacular, so the meet the songs perfectly in that regard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMFvqQVPgK0&list=PLz6cAheObZcjTW_vPUHph50aX2wvU0ySl

The 1980 Listening Post - Couchois - Nasty Hardware

 

Couchois - Nasty Hardware

May 5 1980

Couchois

Nasty Hardware

Genre: Power Pop/Rock

2.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Roll the Dice

Can we create a category called “Yeah, they were giving record contracts out like lollipops at the candy store in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”?

This is simple soft rock/melodic rock pop that is way out of step with the era. The retro glam/Power Pop that shows up all over this would have been a great addition to the 1974 pantheon of music. I found myself wishing each song was better than it was. “Pretty Young Girls” might be a hit for Smokie or someone in the early 70s. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTlWdgF-Fds&list=PLPP54VVFkn-lGg25qTU0P1wICYTHziqFy

The 1980 Listening Post - The Marshall Tucker Band - Tenth

 The Marshall Tucker Band - Tenth

June 15 1980

The Marshall Tucker Band

Tenth

Genre: Soft Country Rock

2.75 out of 5

I don’t know that I should put much energy into writing a review here since it’s obvious MTB didn’t put much effort into this album.

I never got into Southern Rock let alone the jazzier, mellow tones of this sort of laconic boogie rock. 

It feels like more jamming than actual songwriting.

“Jimi” which I assume is a tribute to Hendrix, is an instrumental and the best track here.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/tenth/1324122361

The 1980 Listening Post - Dave Mason - Old Crest on a New Wave

 Dave Mason - Old Crest on a New Wave

June 15 1980

Dave Mason

Old Crest on a New Wave

Genre: Rock

3.25 out of 5

Its right there in the title. The acknowledgment that times are changing and you either get with it or you are left behind. Dave is the old crest. He’s not keyed in so he’s trying his best to sound relevant. 

Did you know that Michael Jackson duetted with Freddie Mercury on a couple tracks during the “Hot Space” era? One of them was made public on the Forever compilation. It’s ok. Not a David Bowie duet by any stretch but you get why they would want to work together.

I have less ability to understand what Michael Jackson is doing on THIS record. On such a mediocre tune as “Save Me” which is decidedly NOT the Queen song and is the least interesting thing here. 

The rest of the record is all pretty much straight forward MOR rock. No song is awful. No song is good. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/old-crest-on-a-new-wave/327440933

The 1980 Listening Post - D.L. Byron. - This Day and Age

D.L. Byron. - This Day and Age 

June 1 1980 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

D.L. Byron

This Day and Age

Genre: Power Pop

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Listen to the Heartbeat

21st Century Man

Big Boys

Get With It

Love in Motion

No Romance, No Weekend, No Love

Lorryanne

Who is D.L. Byron? I know he wrote a single for Pat Benatar (the massive “Shadows of the Night) but this record is something I’ve never heard of. It’s produced by Jimmy Iovine and, you kn ow what?

It’s damned good. 

He also wrote a memoir. But…who didn’t?

And he runs his own label…which is to put out his own music.

He sounds like Elvis Costello at times. But his music is really edgy and tight. G.E. Smith comes to mind. And Warren Zevon. 

Side one is a banger and bop after banger and bop. 

What happens when you flip this shit over?

It’s a freaking party. This is like hearing The Jags for the first time. Just another winner for 1980

https://music.apple.com/us/album/this-day-and-age/1340492365

The 1980 Listening Post - Yachts - Without Radar

 Yachts - Without Rader

May 1980

Yachts

Without Radar

Genre: New Wave

2.5 out of 5

It had been argued to me as a youth that New Wave required keyboards that sounded spacey and futuristic. 

Yachts seem to have bought into that idea. 

Two things that don’t work here: The synths and the lead singer. 

Well, and his lyrics. 

This is an ugly Power Pop record. 

From Wiki: "They hammered out these rocking pop songs surrounded by swirling washes of cheap keyboards.”

Yes. 

Very Cheap.

“Lush” is the only tune I actually kinda sorta liked. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/without-radar-expanded-edition/1361269664

The 1980 Listening Post - Ironhorse - Everything is Grey

 Ironhorse - Everything is Grey

May 5 1980

Ironhorse

Everything is Grey

Genre: Bachman Music

3.25 out of 5

Randy Bachman is back at it. Here’s yet another side project without the Turner or the Overdrive. 

Bless this guy. He keeps plugging along. He isn’t that interesting. He’s kind of unctuous. He writes kind of dull songs. But someone keeps giving him a record contract. 

What does it say that I like the Frank Ludwig penned tunes best? “One Way to Fly” and “Somewhere, Sometime” are written by Frank or co-written and they are the songs with the most life here.

Next. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/everything-is-grey/633723187

The 1980 Listening Post - Breathless - Nobody Leaves This Song Alive

 Breathless - Nobody Leaves This Song Alive

May 1 1980

Breathless

Nobody Leaves This Song Alive

Genre: Rock

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Hardest Part (of Loving You)

Wild Weekend

Can You Feel It

Is this a Donny Iris and the Cruisers record but without Donny? Mark Avsec is the keyboardist here and Kevin Valentine is the drummer. 

So, someone wanted to turn Jonqh Kohlen into a rock hero but he doesn’t have the charisma of Donny but some of the songs really give me that Power Pop vibe. And they can get T. Rexy at points (“Wild Weekend”), the rock out on "Can You Feel It” and they get downright Glamthem on the title track. 

That last tune is working too hard to be a stadium closer and I don’t know that they could afford the light show it would require. But points for trying!

https://music.apple.com/us/album/nobody-leaves-this-song-alive/916238481

The 1980 Listening Post - The Cretones - Thin Red Line

 The Cretones - Thin Red Line

March 1980

The Cretones

Thin Red Line

Genre: Power Pop

3.25 out of 5

Should we make “Real Love” a highlight? It’s a good tune and it was a slight hit but…I don’t know. There are better tunes on this. Like “Everyone’s Mad at Katherine”, which has a sort of New York Boardwalk feel to it. 

Three of the tracks here, “Mad Love”, “Justine” and “Cost of Love” would find themselves on Linda Ronstadt’s mad Love album. They are better there. She had an ear, man. 

I would say pass on Cretones’ versions of these tunes and go listen to Linda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io-ZU8Xmr7c