Doug & the Slugs - Music For the Hard of Hearing

Name: Doug & the Slugs
Album: Music For the Hard of Hearing
Year: 1983
Style: Pub Rock, New Wave, Roots Rock
Similar Bands: Blasters
"One-Word" Review: Witty-Whimsical-Oddball Pub-Wave
Based Out Of: Vancouver, Canada
Label: Ritdong, RCA Victor

 Cover, Lyrics, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

Music For the Hard of Hearing (1983)

1. If You Don't Come 4:00
2. Nobody But Me 3:16
3. Making It Work 3:27
4. Take It Or Leave It 3:10
5. St. Laurnet Summer 4:30 /
6. Who Knows how to Make Love Stay 4:00
7. Operator 3:00
8. Cover of Love 3:10
9. When the Doorbell Rings 3:20
10. She's Looking At Me 3:00

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Richie Cordell - Producer
• Glen Kolotkin - Producer, Engineer
• Ron Cote - Engineer
• Doug Bennett - Vox, Album Design
• Simon Kendall - Keys, Basso Profundo (Marsys Playground
• John Burton - Elec Guitar
• Rich Baker - Elec & Acoustic Guitars
• Steve Bosley - Bass
• John Wally Watson - Drums
• Mr. Thick Productions - Producer
• Dee Lippingwell - Photography
• D.Baswick - Photography
• Wayne Jordan - Artistic Interpretation 
• Jeff Lesser - Pre-production, Arrangement ideas

Unknown-ness: I don't know this band at all, but based on the artwork & color scheme, it looks like really fun  new wave music...Even the band name & album title are quite silly. I have really high hopes for the music, based on the cover.

Album Review: So this comes across as light, silly new wave. Some songs sound like Americana Roots rock, particularly the vocals. They do an interesting, new-wavey cover of the Isley Brothers' "Nobody But Me." "Who Knows How To Make Love Stay" is a really fun bit of blue-eyed soul. Operator is a good driving Farfisa organ song, with a gruff Captain Beefheart supporting vocal. "She's Lookin At Me" is a fun piece of upbeat synth pop. D&TS were much bigger in Canada than here, with multiple to 40 hits. In their early days, they held massive themed parties wherever they could to draw up a following. To keep control of their music and releases, they made their own Ritdong label for production.  Band Namesake and vocalist Doug Bennett died in 2004 from liver cirrhosis.

Stand Out Track: Operator, Who Knows How To Make Love Stay

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