Name: Sue Saad & The Next
Album: s/t
Year: 1980
Style: New Wave, Power Pop, Rock
Similar Bands: Kim Carnes, Patty Smyth, Scandal, Pat Benatar, Blondie, Girlschool, Cold Blood
One Word Review: Sleazy Power Rock
Based Out Of: LA, CA
Label: Planet Records, Elektra / Asylum Records
Sue Saad and the Next - Cover & Record
Sue Saad and the Next - Back & Record
Sue Saad and the Next (1980)
- Your Lips-Hands-Kiss-Love 4:11
- I Want Him 3:15
- Cold Night Rain 2:46
- Won't Give It Up 3:33
- Danger Love 4:10 /
- Gimme Love / Gimme Pain 3:18
- It's Gotcha 3:05
- Prisoner 3:40
- Young Girl 3:57
- I I Me Me 3:13
Album Rating (1-10): 7.0
Members & Other Bands:
Sue Saad - Vox (Calliope)
James Lance - Drummer, Producer, Vox (Calliope)
Richard Perry - Producer
Richard Perry - Producer
Tony Riparetti - Guitar, Vox (Calliope, Beastie Boys)
Billy Anstatt - Guitar
Bobby Manzer - Bass
Gabriel Veltri - Recording Engineer
Bill Schnee - Remix Engineer
Doug Sax - Mastering
Ron Coro - Art Direction & Design
Johnny Lee - Art Direction & Design
Aaron Rapoport - Photography
Kathleen Nelson - Production Coordination
Michael Solomon - Production Coordination
Gabriel Veltri - Recording Engineer
Bill Schnee - Remix Engineer
Doug Sax - Mastering
Ron Coro - Art Direction & Design
Johnny Lee - Art Direction & Design
Aaron Rapoport - Photography
Kathleen Nelson - Production Coordination
Michael Solomon - Production Coordination
Unknown-Ness: I have never heard of this band. But I like their borderline new wave punk look, and focus on blacks and reds in the artwork. They are literally standing outside of a garage, so the idea of them being a garage band is not lost. The main question is how tame the vocals will be: smooth, or jittery, but either way, this looks like a cookie cutter new wave band from 1980.
Album Review: Sue Saad was one of the first new wave bands to be signed to
Planet Records. This album was produced in less than 20 days and only cost
$50,000 3x less than most albums at that time. Their second album was self
produced, and just came out this year (2016) as a digital purchase. Toward the
end of their career, they got involved with soundtracks and Sue Saad was even
in the film Radioactive Dreams. Because
of the film, Lance & Riparetti were hired to record more soundtracks on
their own. Lance moved on, and Riparetti continued solo, at one point worked
with the Beastie Boys, and eventually setting up his company Sound Logic to
continue low budget soundtrack production.
“Your Lips-Hands-Kiss-Love” revs up with
spoken, echoy female vocals over a pulsing riff, and then a power pop guitar
spews its hook, and the song begins to take it’s staggering form. The chorus is
a bit call and response, as each word in the title is sung with a bit of follow
up. It is pretty fun. The song fades out with the vocals and the power riff
playing off each other.
“I Want Him” is another driving, slightly
dark melody, with jangley, jittery guitar notes buried under basic power pop
chords. Not too special, but it still posesses a nice build and delivery. The
vocals are a bit raspy as they gain energy, like a higher pitch Janis or
Jefferson Airplane, or even 10 Wheel Drive or Cold Blood.
“Cold Night Rain” starts out quiet and
meandering. The slow kick drum comes on about 45 seconds later, and it seems
like a power ballad. The vocals are powerful, reminding me a little of the
current Philly band Sheer Mag. The song just kind of ends without warning.
“Won't Give It Up” has a fun, bouncy
skiffle beat, and is playful from the get go. The chorus is also just as fun,
pushed on with a fun bass line, with a little vocal and guitar call and response.
It has a little of the Jam’s Motown inspired feel, like on Town Called Malice
(but not nearly as catchy).
“Danger Love” at its base, is dark. There
is some renegade guitar work that tries to stick it out on its own, and keeps
the song interesting. But the rest of the song bounces along nicely. It is
basically trying to be sleazy hard rock.
“Gimme Love / Gimme Pain” carries on with
the raspy female vocals that feel very authentically emotional, like they are
going to crack at any point, particularly in the chorus. The song is built up
nicely, and delivers through a sturdy, building, bridge with a pleasant & catchy
chorus.
“It's Gotcha” starts off with an intense
jittery guitar, and never lets up. This nervous, coked up, driving drum and
guitar melody never lets up, and only releases a bit of the energy in the
chorus. The nice thing about the song is that it could just be two dimensional,
but they make efforts to keep the sections different and interesting. After two
run throughs, there is a bit of a psychedelic breakdown and mocking melody, but
the driving beat remains underneath, it finishes out with final flourishes and
ends with some power chords.
“Prisoner” slows things down, with a slow,
chugging head banger. The vocals carry lots of emotion, but the music lets her
have full range without interference.
“Young Girl” adds a little sly ska
rhythmic guitar under the brooding, reflective lyrics…thinking Elvis Costello
Watching the Detectives. The chorus reminds me a little of the Fiddler on the
Roof song “If I were a Rich Man,” with a very 80’s rock vibe.
“I I Me Me” ends the album on a rocking,
near B-52s surf note. The song is straightforward, without any kitchy B-52’s elements,
except the short surf hook. It a driving song, and the whole band shares in the
chorus. There is an odd breakdown that reminds me a little of Devo, again minus
their specific sound, perhaps just in melody progression.
Stand Out Track: It's Gotcha
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