Photos (the) - s/t

Name: The Photos
Album: s/t
Year: 1980
Style: New Wave, Punk
Similar Bands: Joan Jett, Bleached, Blondie; Undertones, Go-Go's, Aimee Mann
"One-Word" Review: Girl-Pop-Punk
Based Out Of: Eversham, England
Label: Epic, CBS

 Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Lyrics, Record

The Photos (1980)

1. I'm So Attractive 3:39
2. Shy 3:44
3. She's Artistic 3:01
4. Irene 3:46
5. Maxine 3:10
6. Evelyn II 3:30
7. Friends 4:31 /
8. Do You Have Fun 3:23
9. Barbarellas 2:59
10. Look At the Band 3:17
11. Loss of Contact 3:36
12. All I Want 2:47
13. Now You Tell Me That We're Through 3:29
14. I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself 3:48

Album Rating (1-10): 8.5

Members & Other Bands:
Wendy Wu - Vox (City Youth, Strange Cruise, Che Zuro)
Steve Eagles - Guitar, Vox (Satan's Rats, Blurt, Bang Bang Machine, Sidi Boy Said, Crackout)
Dave Sparrow - Bass, Vox (Satan's Rats, Wendy Wu, Leather Ladder, Che Zuro)
Olly Harrison Drums Percussion (Satan's Rats, Wendy Wu, Motards, Che Zuro)
Horace Barlow - Piano, String Arrangement
Tim Foster - Vibes
Roger A. Bechirian - Producer, Remixing, Engineer
Colin Thurston - Producer
Neil Hornby - Engineer
Neil King - Engineer
Lynton Naiff - String Arrangement (Affinity, Ice, Real Thing, Billy Ocean, Delegation, Robert Plant)
Keith Breeden - Design
Malcolm Garet - Asst Design
Chris Gabrin - Photography

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this generically named band, but the cashier assured me that it was really good, apparently the second band name for a previously great punk band...of which I was not familiar with nor remember. I was attracted to the pastel color blocks and new wave outfits on the cover. Figured it could be some good new wave when I picked it up, and was reassured when I bought it.

Album Review: The album is a nice collection of girl fronted poppy-punk. There is a bit of natural edge to Wendy's vocals. Many of the songs come from the same school of the Ramones, Buzzcocks, and although they seem to not like it, pop sense and swagger of Blondie. They were unceremoniously touted as the British Blondie: a moniker they did not approve of, as they felt a comparison to Siouxie Sioux, Ramones or Undertones was more accurate. Some of the songs have elegant string arrangements, many carry the chugging power guitars of punk, and even the album ender, a Burt Bacharach cover, sounds like an Aimee Mann ballad. Out of the ashes of Satan's Rat, the band sought out a female lead singer, settling on Wendy Wu after the vocalist from Big in Japan rejected the invite. They were picked up almost immediately by CBS, and the album came with some mainstream push (reportedly including the promotion of a free camera) that the band was not entirely comfortable with, and they broke up shortly after recording a never released (until much later) second record.

Stand Out Track: All I Want

Links:
Spotify (not the full album, but has extra tracks at the same time)
Wiki
Punk Girl Diaries
Facebook
Last FM
Fade to Grey
Discogs
Steve Hoffman Music Forum