Hitmen, The - Aim For the Feet

Name: The Hitmen
Album: Aim for the Feet
Year: 1980
Style: New Wave, Power Pop
Similar Bands: Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Buddy Holly,
"One-Word" Review: Nasally, Upbeat-Happy-wave
Based Out Of: London UK
Label: Urgent Records, CBS, Columbia

Cover, Record

Record, Back

Aim for the Feet (1980)

1. O.K. 3:34
2. Private Eye 2:50
3. She's All Mine 4:13 (Single)
4. Kid's Stuff 3:46
5. Guess Who 3:50 /
6. I Still Remember It 2:31
7. Slay Me With Your 45 2:39 (single B-Side)
8. Eyes Open 2:25
9. Bad Timing 2:28
10. Hold on to Her 4:09

Album Rating (1-10): 8.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Pete Glenister - Guitar, Backing Vox (Kirsty MacColl, Alison Moyet, Terence Trent D'Arby, Bruce Foxton, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Fischer-Z, Bryan Ferry, Bojangles, Johnny Marr, Slow Fade, New Asia, Frida, Tom Robinson, Anne Linnet, Matt Moffitt, Bronski Beat, Marquis De Sade, State of Play, Double, Fou Gorki, Bros, EG Daily, Waterfront, Toni Halliday, Dreams Come True, Mary Coughlan, Inga Humpe, Helen Watson, Geoffry Williams )
• Ben Watkins - Lead Vox, Guitar (Brilliant, Flowerpot Men, Juno Reactor, The Empty Quarter, Apollo XI, Electrotete, IOU, Jungle High, New Asia, Psychoslaphead, Sunsonic, Alison Moyet, The Youth, Oubliettes)
• Stan Shaw - Keys (Elvis Costello, Bruce Foxton, Nick Lowe, Pepper Adams Quartet)
• Mike Gaffey - Drums, Backing Vox (EG Daily, Bernard O'Neill)
• Neil Brockbank - Bass (Wooden Horse, The Cheaters, Nick Kamen, The Orgone Box, Sterling Roswell, Geraint Watkins, Tanita Tikaram, Jack Penate, Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont, Sterling Roswell, Jim Lauderdale, Los Straightjackets)
• Bill House - Producer
• Ross Honeysett - Photography
• Jules - Design
• Chris Bellman - Mastering

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but i'll be really surprised if this is not some sort of angular new wave band that might verge on punk, based on their outfits.

Album Review: While it is new wave, stealing or borrowing bits from Costello & Parker, there are also a lot of vocal cues taken from Buddy Holly. The songs feel like the artistic individuality of those other artists have been stripped away, leaving a compact and commercially fun, one-dimensional party band- not to say that is a bad thing. The upbeat happiness in these tracks far outweighs anything darker that may be implied from their name, or songs like "slay me," "bad timing" or "private eye." The vocals in "Kids Stuff" sounds very very similar to Elvis, even if the music a synthetic new wave that he'd never dream of. Supposedly, their second/final album is much better.

Stand Out Track: Private Eye, Kids Stuff

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