Truth (the) - Playground

Name: The Truth
Album: Playground
Year: 1985
Style: Jangly Pop
Similar Bands: Hall & Oates, Dire Straits, ABC, Tears for Fears, China Crisis, Howard Jones, Spandau Ballet, Style Council, JoBoxer
"One-Word" Review: pub rock with a smooth new car smell facelift
Based Out Of: UK
Label: IRS, MCA

Cover, Record

Back, Record

Playground (1985)

1. Spread A Little Sunshine 3:35
2. Exception of Love 3:07 (single)
3. So Many Things 2:52
4. Always On My Mind 4:02
5. I'm In Tune 2:44 /
6. Playground 3:22 (single)
7. Solution 3:25
8. It's A Miracle 5:18
9. Thursday Club 3:35
10. You Play With My Emotions 4:15

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Dennis Greaves - Guitar, Vox (Nine Below Zero, NHS Voices, The Co-Operative, Perfect Crime, Gwyn Ashton, Steve Marriott, Squeeze, Glenn Tilbrook & the Fluffers)
• Mick Lister - Guitar, Vox (The Stowaways, Perfect Crime, Moody Marsden, Jamai, The Beat, Tony Hadley)
• Chris Skornia - Keys (Fabulous Poodles, The Boyfriends, The Cane, The Planets, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Overtures)
• Allan Fielder - Drums (The Climb)
• Richard Parfitt - Bass (60ft Dolls, Blood Brothers, McAlmont & Butler, Lene Marlin, Duffy, David Sinclair Trio, Martin Carr)
• Carolyn Lovell - Cello (Flesh For Lulu)
• Dennis Weinreich - Producer
• Hein Hoven - Producer
• Trevor Hallesy - Engineer
• Dave Powell - Thanks @ Konk Studios
• H.T Murkowski - Photos

Unknown-ness: I had never heard of this band. I found 2 of their records in a dollar box, but decided on this one after simply reading it was a better / more popular record...but did not hear it at all. With a 1985 date, I assume this is smoothly produced pop with a bunch of synth effects in place of typical instruments.

Album Review: It is one part jangly pop, but also has a bit of a blue-collar pub rock edge, if only a small bit, underneath the mid-80's overproduction sheen. They possess standard nasally British vocals, and some Blue-Eyed, Mod-revival pop experimentation on a couple of the tracks with synthesized horns.

This is their first album, three years after Greaves and Lister formed the band and a handful of non-album singles. Two more albums followed, with the middle one being the big hit in the US (Weapons of Love), with some songs being featured in the 1987 sci-fi film The Hidden. They were on track to follow in the Jam's footsteps, but ended up coming off without their power and drive, and ended up succumbing to the era's Miami Vice soundtrack bands in the states, and never recovered back home. You can hear it quite clearly on the track "Is There a Solution," which is musically great until the Phil Collins like vocals and chorus hit.

Stand Out Track: Exception of Love

Links:
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic
facebook
Amped Greaves Interview 2016
Zani - 1st New album in 30 yrs 2019
Nostalgia Central
Louder than War 

Payolas - Hammer on a Drum

Name: Payolas

Album: Hammer on a Drum

Year: 1983

Style: New Wave

Similar Bands: INXS, The Alarm, Madness, Big Country, Lightning Seeds, Duran Duran

One Word Review: Cruise-ship Arena Punk

Based Out Of: Vancouver, Canada

Label: IRS, A&M Records

 Hammer on a Drum - Cover, Liner Notes, Record

Hammer on a Drum - Back, Lyrics, Record

Hammer on a Drum

1. I'll Find Another (Who Can Do It Right) 3:37
2. Where Is This Love 5:54
3. Wild West 3:11
4. Perhaps Some Day 3:30
5. Never Said I Loved You 3:18 / 
6. No Prisoners 5:16
7. Christmas is Coming 3:40
8. I Am a City 5:09
9. Hungry 4:10
10. People Who Have Great Lives 2:26

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:
Paul Hyde - Writer, Vox (Northern Lights)
Bob Rock - Writer, Engineer, Mixing, Guitar (Rockhead, Northern Lights)
Mick Ronson - Producer, Backing Vox, Keys (Arnold Corns, David Bowie, Mott the Hoople, Ronno, Spiders from Mars, Hunter Ronson Band, The Rats, Rolling Thunder Review, Tony Visconti Trio, The Treacle, The Voice)
Mike Fraser - Engineer
Bob Ludwig - Mastering
Christopher Livingston - Keys
Chris Taylor - Drums (Rockhead, B-Sides)
Barry Muir - Bass (Barney Bentall & the Legendary Hearts, Blue Shadows)
Bruce Fairbairn - Bugle (Fast Forward, Margarita Horns)
David Andoff - Art Direction, Design
Matthew Wiley - Paul's Face (front cover)
Dennis Keeley - Back Cover Photos, Handcoloring
Carol LeFlufy - Lower Right Photo
Carole Pope - Vox (O, Bullwhip Brothers, Rough Trade)

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of this group. Based on the collage of images on the front, and the $ for the s in their name, not to mention the year and label, I imagine this will be some creative mainstream new wave, with juvenile humor, but nothing too weird. Maybe like Bram Tchaikovsky.

Album Review: The Payolas were a Canadian rock band that began in 1978. They were failly popular, with some top 10 charting songs in Canada (including one here), but they never broke in America, partly because radio was afraid to play a band that suggested payola in their name. The main force behind the band, Bob Rock went on to produce many popular acts, and guitarist from David Bowie’s backing band, Spiders from Mars, Mick Ronson, produced and performed on this record.

“I'll Find Another (Who Can Do It Right)” was a single. It begins with a stompy, jangley guitar section, with a shouty chorus of vocals. The lead vocals have a nasally Michael Hutchence (INXS) quality to them. It is a bold, hooligan sort of song with typical radio friendly 80’s guitar focused new wave / Arena rock production.

“Where Is This Love” was a single, and lyrically contains the album’s title. It is watery, and soaring with a light, floating crystal purity. It sounds a little like the slower lightning seeds songs. The vocals are spoken with a melodic accent. The chorus yells the song title into a void, not expecting an answer.

“Wild West” was the final single. It really feels like the Alarm. Jangley guitar, echoing electric guitar, chorus-accompanied singing of “Shoot,” all create a wind-swept anthemic soundscape.

“Perhaps Some Day” has a bit of a reggae feel, and is sung like a Madness pub drinking chant. Even down to the supporting backing vocals, this could be seen as Madness appropriation.

“Never Said I Loved You” was a single, reaching #8 in Canada’s RPM 100 chart. The song’s style is of a synthetic Caribbean resort jam, also like later period Madness. It is a duet with Carol Pope, and the back and forth, taking over the main stage is a nice presentation for a bitter, smart ass song such as this, which needs both perspectives in a relationship debate. The form breaks down a little at the end, with the basic repetitive melody taking over, with muted spoken word vocals added to create a realistic effect. This would be a great variant theme song for the show You’re The Worst.

“No Prisoners” faded up very slowly, like a sunrise, with echoing percussion, and a gentle synth hum. It is a political commentary, asking for no prisoners of any ethnicity or nationality. The different groups are read off in the background like a news ticker. The song doesn’t have the punch of a U2 political song, but it fits in the same category.

“Christmas is Coming” was a single. The lead guitar makes the song feel like an 80’s sitcom theme song. There is very little element that makes the song feel like a Christmas song, which is kinda refreshing to not hear bells or familiar melodies. The vocal melody feels like a later period A’s power pop song.

“I Am a City” rings out like a siren with one solo guitar chord strummed, and a doppler shift effect on a watery bass. It takes us back to the Alarm or Duran Duran style arena rock.

“Hungry” continues the watery bass feeling, with a staggered, free flowing sentimental track, sounding a little like Robyn Hitchcock until the bold anthemic chorus. It tackles and explores another statement, like “No Prisoners” in hunger issues.

“People Who Have Great Lives” marches out like an anthemic power pop song with a very bold trumpet. The vocals are comprised by a deep chorus, and are very official and military-like. And to break it up, the music stops except wood block taps and a fast chant by the lead singer follows the same cadence, but adds diversity.

Stand Out Track: Never Said I Love You

Links:
Wiki
Historica Canada
Canadian Bands
JAM!
Discogs
Rate Your Music
Allmusic

Let's Active - Cypress

Name: Let's Active
Album: Cypress
Year: 1984
Style: Power / Jangle Pop
Similar Bands: Robyn Hitchcock, REM, Game Theory, Loud Family, The Three O'Clock, Lightning Seeds, Bolshoi, Mary Timony, Pretenders, Joe Jack Talcum
"One-Word" Review: Jangle Gazing
Based Out Of: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Label: I.R.S.

Cypress - Tape, Cover, Liner Notes

Cypress (1984)

1. Easy Does 3:21
2. Waters Part 4:55
3. Lowdown 3:37
4. Gravel Truck 1:05
5. Crows on a Phone Line 3:49
6. Ring True 3:35/
7. Blue Line 2:58
8. Flags for Everything 2:49
9. Prey 3:29
10. Co-Star 3:00
11. Ornamental 3:22
12. Counting Down 4:01

Album Rating (1-10): 7.0

Members & Other Bands:Don Dixon - Producer (Arrogance)
Mitch Easter - Guitar, Vox, Producer, Artwork (The Sneakers, Shalini)
Carl Grasso - Art Direction
Faye Hunter - Bass
Ted Jensen - Mastering
Laura Levine - Photography
Sara Romweber - Drums (Dexter Romweber Duo)

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this band. But I like the name a lot. Let’s Active it feels very energetic, and I hope that translates to the music. I see it was made in 1984, which makes me wonder, as this would be a great name for a new wave / punk band from 1979. The cover art makes me think of mid 80’s alternative / college radio bands that do tend to go on and on in a meandering way that usually does not keep my attention, and steps too close to the Americana, folk-country line.

Album Review: So as I read a bit about them, It appears that this will be Jangle pop, as the singer, Mitch Easter had a huge hand in producing the Athens, GA sound, on albums from REM, The Connells, and Velvet Crush.

“Easy Does” mixes the genres of shoe gazing with jangle pop right away with a chorus of female vocals and nasally make vocals. The way the vocals are layered over the guitars reminds me a lot of Robyn Hitchcock. There is a pure fun and somewhat mystical energy about this music.“Waters Part” right away reminds me of Robyn Hitchcock again with the harmonies and style of vocals. This song is a little harder than the first jangley song. And it is longer, and tends to melodically wander around more than what my attention can withstand, which is my biggest critique with this style of REM- college radio type music.“Lowdown” is female fronted in a very Pretenders/Mary Timony style, and has a bass section that reminds me of REM’s “The One I Love.” The chorus is very poppy in comparison to the solemn verse. “Gravel Truck” is a tubular bells, echoing & mystical instrumental full of cross fades and a very earthy feel“Crows on a Phone Line” is a dark and dragging, shoe gazing song that continues to progress, but never gets anywhere. It reminds me of the previous reviewed album by The Bolshoi. To my ears, the composition is erratic, random and even chaotic, and does not make pop sense.“Ring True” is another deep, grey female fronted song like “lowdown” but musically, there is a much more upbeat melody.

“Blue Line” continues with the same mystical, trapped in a glass box atmosphere the album has this far conveyed. The drums and catchy melody would seem to demand pop, but the guitars and bass water the sound down, and steer the ship in the opposite direction. The chorus, if produced with more bounce and simplicity could sound right at home on a B-52’s album.“Flags for Everything” teeters on a country borderline. It possesses female vocals that are a little brighter, but not being a fan of country music, I do not find this interesting, and it just fades into background music.“Prey” is Celtic when it first begins with guitars only. Then drums and vocals kick in and the song feels like if the Alarm was fronted by Joe Jack Talcum of the Dead Milkmen. Harmonica also adds its Americana touch, making this a song with international appeal.“Co-Star” starts off very fun and bouncy for the verse, but when it reaches the chorus, it falls victim to a meandering loop.“Ornamental” features a neat mix of Hitchcockian vocals and an oh-Oh-OH vocal background fill, both by Easter. The song is minstrally, like most of Hitchcock’s storytelling songs. The meandering is kept to a minimum, and features a much more straightforward and tight composition.“Counting Down” fades up with bass primarily. And the song quickly transitions into a light jangley song. It is a fun way to end the album, and much brighter than the rest of the album projects. Did I mention this album sounds a bit like Robyn Hitchcock? I probably did.

Stand Out Tracks: Easy Does

Links:
Wiki
Mitch Easter.com
Trouser Press
Allmusic
Last.FM
Sputnik Music
blog review
Big Plans Blog

(the) Bolshoi - Friends

Name: The Bolshoi
Album: Friends
Year:1986
Style: Dark New Wave
Similar Bands: Adam Ant + James (vox), Robyn Hitchcock, Psychedelic Furs, Echo & the Bunnymen, The The, Luna
"One Word" Review: Gloomy-Dense-New-Wave
Based Out Of: Leeds, England
Label: IRS, MCA

Friends - Cover & Insert
Friends - Back & Insert
Friends - record

Friends (1986)

1. A Way (4:53) (Sample) (youtube)
2. Modern Man (5:34)
3. Someone's Daughter (4:01) (Sample)
4. Sunday Morning (6:33) (Sample) (Youtube)
5. Looking for a Life To Lose (4:42)/
6. Romeo in Clover (5:38)
7. Books On The Bonfire (4:55) (Sample)
8. Pardon Me (4:37)
9. Fat & Jealous (4:10) (you tube)
10. Waspy (5:11)

Album Rating (1-10):

6.0

Band Members & Other Bands:

Trevor Tanner-vocals, guitar (Rathkeltair, Kite, Moskow)

Paul Clark - keyboards (Batley, Refugee Intimates)

Nick Chown - bass

Jan Kalicki - drums
Mick Glossop - produced, engineered
Cream Group - Sleeve
Alan King - photos
Noel Haris - assisted
Richard Whaley - assisted
Damien Askeo-Brown - assisted
Frank DeLuna - mastered

Unknown-ness: I did not have any memory of the band when I bought the album, although I'm pretty sure I've heard the name mentioned, just not enough for it to stick in memory. The album looks dark, with the drab clouds on the cover, along with the evil face. Their Russian/Eastern European name also adds to the coldness, and even the title of Friends cannot warm the mood.

Album Review: On occasion, his voice sounds like Adam Ant. And the song structures are long, complex and gloomy. I've seen the term gothic used for their style, and I can agree to that. "A Way" starts with a far away, dreamy keyboard, and he begins to sing, sounding a little like Tim Booth of James. The music is powerful and anthemic, yet gloomy. The music takes a long time to build, which makes the already long songs feel longer. The second track is more driving and its melody is upbeat. It is here where the singers voice moves from Tim Booth to Adam Ant with perfect ease. There is rough heavy guitar strums, mixed together with spacey guitar making the chorus sound lie a heavy version of Luna. Overall, it comes off like a Three O'Clock song. After the last chorus is sung, a wailing guitar solo is introduced and finishes out the song in fade. It fades right back in to begin the next song "Someone's Daughter." This is another upbeat song, sung (partly) in musical chant. The electric guitar plays a short looping hook. There is no section in the song that stands out as the chorus. Every segment feels like verse, leading up to something that never quite reaches the chorus. Their "popular song" 'Sunday Morning' feels like a Madness song from the latter, less ska section of their catalogue. It is a long song, but the dark sinister tone carries throughout. The piano in the background is what makes the song good. It mimics the vocal melody in echo. The two part chorus begins with a driving sing/song melody, and the main section contains the main hook: 'Sunday Morning.' It ends with a slightly muted rendering of Chop Sticks. The final track on side 1, "Looking For A Life to Lose," starts off with the noise guitar sound of XTC's 'This Is Pop' This is followed by the same recipe for a dark, driving song, and is very gothic. There is a repetitive 3 note guitar hook that introduced the song and appears throughout. There are many musical breaks featuring different renditions of the melody that the chorus uses.

A siren-like guitar begins side two, and then a xylophone that sounds like it was borrowed to make the theme to My So-Called Life is added. Drums kick in and "Romeo in Clover" quickens its pace and becomes a straightforward pop song. They like to take advantage of short verses in order to add many instrumental breaks. "Books on the Bonfire" begins briefly with a worn out distant carnival piano section. And electric guitars lift the song off to a wavery, folky sing/song melody. The upbeat melody of the chorus is unexpected, sounding like a positive sea shanty. "Pardon Me" begins as a slow loungy sea-drifting song and never picks up speed. It feels like a reflective piece, and although it gets heavier with instrumentation, it never wakes up from the original dream it creates. There is something about "Fat Jealous" that irritates me. I do not like the chorus of this song very much, nor the musical structure backing it. This is the most bouncy song, and his voice often sounds like Adam Ant. The tone of voice and the backing Music when he says 'then they tell us...fat jealous' is irking to me in a similar fashion to "Personal Jesus." "Waspy," the final song briefly starts out light, but quickly becomes dark, slow, and full of manipulative dread. It sounds like more gothic Adam Ant songs (like Physical). it also contains elements of prog. There are vocal distortions that are reminiscent of Ween in the background at particular points, and it is these distortions that end the record.

The album is very thick, dense and takes a while to digest. With the long songs, it is also hard to keep attention to the multiple vocal breaks and instrumental sections. But over all, it is a good record, and very representatve for the time period of which it was produced.

Stand-Out Track:

Books On the Bonfire

Links:

Bolshoi Wikipedia

Bolshoi Allmusic

Bolshoi AOL w/ samples

Bolshoi site

Bolshoi Myspace

Trevor Tanner site

Trevor Tanner Myspace

Paul Clark site

(the) Alarm - Standards

Artist: (the) Alarm
Album: Standards (greatest hits)
Year: 1990
Style: Anthemic Alterna-Rock with a dash of Post-Punk
Sounds Like: U2, The Clash, James, Hooters, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Church
"One Word" Review: Earnest-Harmonica-Wasteland-Rock
Based Out Of: Rhyl, Wales
Label: IRS

Standards - Cover, Liner Notes, Tape

Standards - Liner Notes & Tape

Standards - 1990

1. The Road 3.13 (sample)
2. Unsafe Building 4.06 (sample)
3. The Stand 4.43 (sample)
4. Sixty Eight Guns 3.15 (sample)
5. Where Were you Hiding When the Storm Broke? 2.57 (sample)
6. Absolute Reality 3.25 (sample)
7. Strength 5.34 (sample)
8. Spirit of '76 7.06 (sample)
9. Rain in the Summertime 5.11 (sample)
10. Rescue Me 3.20 (sample)
11. Sold Me Down the River 4.11 (sample)
12. Devolution Working Man Blues 4.11 (sample)
13. Happy Xmas (War is Over) 3.41 (sample)

Album Rating (1-10):6.5

Members & Other Bands:Dave Sharp - Guitar (17)
Eddie Macdonald - Bass (17)
Mike Peters - Vox, Guitar, Harmonica (17, The Poppyfields, Dead Men Walking)
Nigel Twist - Drums (17)

Mick Glossup - Remixing, Producer

Alan Shacklock - Producer

Mike Howlett - Producer

John Porter - Producer

Tony Visonti - Producer

Unknown-ness: I had heard very little about these guys, but I believe that when I bought this tape I was aware of the name. I bought the tape a long time ago, trying to find the song "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," discovering shortly after this was not the original. I was not aware that this was their greatest hits record, so this was a good introduction to the band.

Album Review: All the reviews and comments about this band will compare them to U2 or the Clash. Without peaking, those were the first two bands I thought of when I heard this album. Almost every track could be from either one of those band's catalogs, U2's more predominately U2's. I am a fan of James, so I can hear their style mixed in too (especially in "Rescue Me")... or more realistically, I can see how James was influnced early on by their music. As this is a greatest hits album, the songs are all singles, organized by year and the tape does not have a cohesive album feel.

In order to not drag on about the subject, I will equate the tracks 1-13 to either Clash or U2"parody" tracks. Tracks 1, 2 (just like "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"), 4, 7, 8, 9 (very much so!), 11, & 13 sound like U2, and tracks 3, 5, sound like the Clash. Absolute Reality sounds like a combination of the two.

After listening to the album, I realized I have heard The Stand before. It is a great dancable song that I think I've heard at Making Time or a different 80's night themed event. It has an angry chant verse, with an "Another One Bites the Dust" bass line, and plays out to a strong melodic, repetitive hook for the chorus. "68 Guns" is a great anthemic declration song. It has an angry feel to it like a Black 47 Irish protest song, with a trumpet flavoring the background. There is a Saturday Looks Good To Me song, "Meet Me By the Water" that sounds similar to this song's verse section.

Most of the songs are empowering, giving reason and support to stand up and fight for beliefs against oppression. "Where Were You Hiding" and "Strength" are great examples of that spirit. "Spirit of 76" is a long track combining that fighting spirit (although slowed down a bit) with a mid-west 'Jack and Diane' storyline. "Sold Me Down the River," although sounding like U2 also has a much harder and rocking edge to it, akin to Huey Lewis & The News. And "Working Man's Blues," from the name alone, has that middle-class, mid-west small town vibe to it, digressing to a country stylized rhythm.

To end the compilation, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is a faithful cover, honoring and respecting the song, with minimal variation in the production. It ends with the familiar choir chant of "War Is Over" , but all male, making a bolder statement than the original. Even though I do not have any of The Alarm's albums, I feel that this is a solid introduction to what you will find on the albums. Since it is chronological (except for the opening song "The Road" 1990) you can feel where the band started from, and how they progressed in song style along their way.

Stand Out Track:The Stand

Links:
Allmusic Alarm
Wikipedia Alarm
Alarm Official Site
Alarm BBC
Dave Sharp Site
Dead Men Walking Myspace
Dead Men Walking Official
Mike Peter Org. Gathering Event
Alarm tribute Myspace
Alarm Official Myspace