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Friday, April 3, 2020

Proof (the) - It's Safe

Name: The Proof
Album: It's Safe
Year: 1980
Style: New Wave
Similar Bands: Squeeze, Hawks, Cars
"One-Word" Review: Catchy Squeeze-like New Wave
Based Out Of: New Jersey
Label: Nemperor Records, CBS Records
 Cover & Record
Record & Back
It's Safe (1980)
  1. Stay Sixteen 3:39
  2. First Rate 3:22
  3. I Would Be There 3:07
  4. I Won't Give an Inch 3:14
  5. I Want You 2:08
  6. It's Safe 2:30 /
  7. No Answers 4:14
  8. Crazy Nites 3:05
  9. Hello 3:50
  10. That's That 2:04
  11. Love in a Hurry 2:07
  12. Does it Show 3:00
Album Rating (1-10): 9.0

Members & Other Bands:
  • John Leckie - Producer, Engineer 
  • Tom Cohen - Lead Vox, Guitar (Private Sector, Dave LaRue, Minas, Ben Schachter)
  • Michael Hommel - Bass, Vox (Private Sector)
  • Michael Newman - Guitar, Vox 
  • Jeff Cohen - Drums (Private Sector)
  • Jeff Hendrickson - Asst. Engineer
  • Greg Calbi - Mastering
  • Siggy - Crew
  • Chuck - Crew
  • Bozo - Crew
  • Michael Batlan - Mgmt
  • Debbie Schwartz - Mgmt
  • Janet Perr - Art Direction
  • Robert Lewis - Photography
  • Kit Grover - Set Design
Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band. Love the angles of the title and band name, as well as the entire set on the cover. Solid color scheme too: bright & lively. Based on the band photo on the back, they look like a bunch of average dudes. I'm guessing its some sort of New Wave.

Album Review: From start to finish, this is a fun album full of power pop guitar hooks and on updated driving oldies sound. A lot of the elements they use, including the vocals, remind me a lot of Squeeze, though not quite as hook laden. They are a Jersey band who only had this album and an unreleased 4 track ep, produced by one of Bowie's Spiders from Mars, Mick Ronson. After this band's demise, three of the four went on to form a band caled Private Sector, which apparently had a good local run playing at venues 'down the shore.

Stand Out Track: Stay Sixteen,  I Want You

Links:
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