Great Rock Albums of 1983: Chris DeBurgh- The Getaway

 

Don't bother scrolling down to see if I've written "April Fool" at the bottom of the post, I am seriously posting about this album because I actually bought it in 1983. There is a cautionary moral to my tale. Throughout my entire record buying life, I had one record buying rule: Never buy an entire album on account of one song. This rule has probably saved me lots of money over the years  but one time, in 1983, I broke my rule and the result was Chris DeBurgh, "The Getaway."

In May of that year, Chris's best known hit, "Don't Pay the Ferryman" got a considerable amount of airplay on the radio and I liked it. I liked the rather rock sounding lead guitar breaks between the verses along with fantasy quest sounding lyrics. Plus I liked eerie introduction to the song, the keyboards and acoustic guitar got my attention straight away. My point, "Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a decent rock song. Now, I could blame it on my lack of living space whilst still in the marines as normally, I would have bought the song on 45. (Remember those?) However, I didn't want to risk the record breaking while packed with all my stuff for that final trip home, so I bought "The Getaway" on cassette.

In tradition of the time, "Don't Pay the Ferryman" opens the album. The joke here is that I could have stopped the tape there but I didn't. Sometimes, I think that maybe I should have. After the big hit, the next three songs are totally mellow out love song ballad type things. None of them really grabs my interest. Then things speed up for the next two songs. Both "The Getaway" and "Ship to Shore" are not ballads but still not rock. They are both trendy pop songs and though I've heard worse, nothing to get excited about. Then after another ballad, things take a slightly interesting turn.

"The Borderline" is a ballad but the lyrics are quite interesting. The song is about two lovers who live in neighbouring countries who are about to go to war. Since the nations of Europe fought like cats and dogs from the fall of the Roman Empire until World War 2, this situation probably happened a lot. Another nice surprise is as the song nears the end, you are treated to a rather decent guitar solo. The credits don't say who plays it but hats of to whoever it was. After "Where Peaceful Waters Flow," which sounds like it has a choir harmonizing on it, comes the closer in three parts. The beginning called "Revolution" sets the song up for its glorious middle where that guitarist gets to shine again on "Light a Fire." This part is the rockingest on the album and maybe a metal band should cover just those two minutes. Then in typical fashion on the album, "Liberty" is another ballad to end the song, except I have come to like the keyboard exit that ends the album in a eerie manner similar to how the album started. So, with "The Getaway," we have a good beginning and a half decent end to the album. It's just the in between that lets it down.

Track Listing:

1. Don't Pay the Ferryman
2. The Island
3. Crying and Laughing
4. I'm Counting on You
5. The Getaway
6. Ship to Shore
7. All the Love I Have Inside
8. The Borderline
9. Where Peaceful Waters Flow
10. Revolution
11. Light a Fire
12. Liberty

[caption id="attachment_3184" align="aligncenter" width="196"] Chris DeBurgh[/caption]

Chris DeBurgh- vocals, guitar, piano

Rupert Hine- synthesizers, percussion, backing vocals

Jim Giblin- bass

Steve Negus- drums

Phil Palmer- guitars

Dave Caddick- piano on I'm Counting on You

Tim Wynveen- guitars

Anthony Thistlewaite- saxophone

Steven W Tayler- woodwinds, saxophone

Nigel Warren-Green- cello

Anthony Head, Sue Wilkinson, Diane Davison, Miriam Stockley- backing vocals

I have come to this conclusion, I theorize that Chris DeBurgh had the potential to be a great rock singer. Instead, he sang ballads and other mellow out songs. "The Getaway" is evidence of both. Still don't do what I did and buy this album on account of a really good opening song.

Next post: Modern English- After the Snow

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

When I Got Out of the Marines in 1983

 

Throughout several posts, I have stated that my experiences while serving in the US Marines played a big part in shaping me into the metalhead I am today. My experiences, which included a radio station that played some really cool hard rock, WXQR in Jacksonville, North Carolina, opened my musical mind to a wide range of musical tastes and styles. Before the marines, I had to be content with an old AM radio and glean music other people were listening to. I knew I loved the really hard rock but never actually stepped boldly forward into that world. The marines gave the opportunity to do that and it is why I am putting my release from active duty in 1983 as a moment in music history. At least it was for me.

Let's start with the final days leading up to the day I got out. D-Day minus five was the last time I got a military haircut. I remember that because I wouldn't cut my hair again for 17 months! It's also why I gave the barber a generous tip. Minus four was a bit of a drag as it was Sunday and they put me on duty as 'Duty NCO.' D-Day minus three was the first day I began checking out. All that means is that I had to go to various places around the base and sign out with them. I was able to break the back on that on the first day and got many of the more minor places like the Red Cross signed out as well as my field gear turned in. I was also able to close my bank account with the local bank on base. More of the same with minus two although I was able to get confirmation that I would have proof of my contributions to the Veteran's Educational Assistance Program. That was important because I was set to go to college in September. I completely finished checking out on minus one, the big relief being I had the all clear from my physical. Okay, not a huge worry. I also confirmed my flight for the next day. However, a slight paranoia gripped me so out of fear of some higher rank coming into my room and doing an inspection, I completely cleaned it. Fortunately, my fears were for nil.

Now onto the night before I got out. My company was on primary air alert and therefore combined to base but because I was now considered 'non-deployable,' I was allowed out for one last night in town. After a good pig out at an all you can eat for $5 chicken restaurant, I went to my old stomping ground, the Driftwood for one last time.

[caption id="attachment_2237" align="aligncenter" width="314"] The Driftwood- June 29, 1983 would be the last time I would see this place.[/caption]

My ego would like to think that they held this event just for me as it was my last night but in reality, I know it wasn't. That night at the Driftwood, they were having a ladies' pudding wrestling tournament. Needless to say, I made sure I had front seats for the event. There were only three matches, the last one was the male manager against two ladies and opening match ended with one lady getting pinned rather quickly. For me, the main event was the middle match. Angie, who I spoke about when I posted about Joan Jett, (she could really move to "I Love Rock and Roll.") vs another equally attractive lady named Theresa. The match had no winner but I didn't care, I just liked watching them roll around in the pudding for fifteen minutes. For me, there wasn't a better way to celebrate my last night in the service.

[caption id="attachment_3178" align="aligncenter" width="273"] Not actual action from that night.[/caption]

On D-Day, I woke up very excited. I put on my dress uniform and completed the final formalities, including getting paid and having my lieutenant tell me what a patriotic young man I was and I said it was a pleasure to serve. After saying good-bye to many of my comrades, I caught the shuttle to the airport and caught the plane. I first had to fly to Charlotte and had an hour and a half layover. Thankfully, a guy from my company who had re-enlisted and was going to his new assignment and another from a different company in my battalion also caught that short flight. So while we were all awaiting our connecting flights, we had a few drinks at the airport bar.

The flight from Charlotte to Philadelphia didn't seem as long as I had feared and once I picked up my baggage, my mother and brother were waiting for me. My mother immediately noticed my mistake to wear the shirt I had worn the night before as I had a chocolate pudding stain on it. She wasn't too impressed when I told her how it got there. We drove home and the rest you could say was history. One of the first things I did was to unpack my cassettes. My sister was rather impressed with my ammo cans which held so many of them. She told me about a TV show called "Video Rock" and since we didn't have MTV yet, that would become a regular viewing feature for me for the next few months.

[caption id="attachment_2970" align="aligncenter" width="225"] The famous ammo cans[/caption]

When I got out, I thought I had the world at my feet. One thing I knew that I was a hell of a lot more knowledgeable in music than four years prior. Musically, I had found myself and knew that I was going to be a metalhead and I have the marines, though they wouldn't be too impressed to hear it, to thank for that.

Next post: Chris DeBurgh- The Getaway

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com 

Great Rock Albums of 1983: INXS- Shabooh Shoobah

 

Before I proceed into the post about my first experience of Australian new wave band INXS, I thought I would be like some of my fellow bloggers and mention a good bargain I picked up on an album. Last Saturday, I was in my local Morrison's supermarket when I happened past the CD section. Normally, I might only take a sweeping glance at their CD display as most of it is chart stuff. However, something interesting caught my eye. There on the shelf was the classic Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run" album for just £3 ($4.50). Since my previous cassette copy of this album fell victim to my car stereo in 1990, I naturally had to pick it up. Now, let's go into the post.

My first experience of INXS came a couple of months after I left the marines in 1983 and came by the way of the single "Don't Change." It wasn't metal, it wasn't Southern Rock nor could I put it into any sort of category but new wave, all I know that I liked the song. I liked the hard guitar sound in the background and though I thought they could have been a bit more dominant, it still worked. The keyboards were played smartly and complimented the song very well. However, having been burnt not long before this, I hesitated in buying the album "Shabooh Shoobah" right away. It was via a working companion that I was finally treated to it.

"Shabooh SHoobah" illustrates exactly where I was musically at this time in 1983. While my full conversion to heavy metal had already taken place, I wasn't completely repulsed by what was being played on the radio at the time. When I listened to the album, I found it quite to my liking. While I wouldn't exactly call it hard rock and there are no blistering guitar solos, there is sufficient guitar on it. Furthermore, I like Michael Hutchence's vocals. He has that sinister sounding voice that gives a dark sounding tone to many of the songs. Track two, "Look at You" is prime evidence of this. Even with some of the more upbeat sounding songs like "Don't Change" his voice doesn't make the song some kind of happy pop song. Some more good examples are "Spy of Love," "Here Comes" and "Golden Playpen." I must also point out the saxophone playing of Kirk Pengilly on the album. I am always a bit skeptical when a band employs horns in rock but I have to say, Pengilly's abilities are more than sufficient to pull it off here.

Track Listing:

1. The One Thing
2. To Look At You
3. Spy of Love
4. Soul Mistake
5. Here Comes
6. Black and White
7. Golden Playpen
8. Jan's Song
9. Old World New World
10. Don't Change

[caption id="attachment_3172" align="aligncenter" width="344"] INXS[/caption]

Garry Gary Beers- bass

Andrew Farriss- guitar, keyboards

John Farriss- drums, percussion

Tim Farriss- guitar

Michael Hutchence- vocals

Kirk Pengilly- guitar, saxophone, vocals

It has been questioned why a song by INXS, (not from this album), appears on the soundtrack to "Rock Star," a film about a heavy metal band. Being in possession of said soundtrack, I don't think that song is out of place on it. As the album "Shabooh Shoobah" shows, they had the potential to go in any direction. There is just enough of a rock vibe on this album to satisfy me along with some new wave creativity. On the downside, I can't help thinking with their next album, they kind of went in the wrong direction.

Next post: The Night Before I Got Out of the Marines

To buy Rock And Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

Great Rock Albums of 1983: The Police- Synchronicity

 

When I returned home from the marines on the last day of June of said year, the album "Synchronicity" by the Police was the one I came home to. It seemed every time I turned on the radio, the song, "Every Breath You Take" was playing and if I left the radio on for any amount of time, rest assured, it would be played again. While that song may have been a big hit, (number one on both sides of the Atlantic) it wasn't one to me. In fact, when I heard it, I began to pine for such Police classics as "Roxanne," "Message in a Bottle" and my all time favourite Police jam, "Don't Stand Too Close to Me."

Fortunately, one song does not an album make. I will be posting about a reverse situation in the very near future but enough of that for now. The great thing about Police albums is that it was guaranteed there would be at least one song that I really love. In the case of "Synchronicity," it is "Synchronicity II." That is a really catchy up-beat jam and recently, I have began to wonder how it would sound if metalized. Plus, the lyrics, "Another working day has ended, another Russia has to face," has always amused me. "Synchronicity II" definitely ranks up there with the classics previously mentioned.

In addition to the two tracks already named, the album had several other radio friendly hits, "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" being the most prominent. In spite of this, with "Synchronicity," The Police pretty much remain true to their reggae based roots. "O My God" is the best example of this and "Murder By Numbers" another one. The latter did get some air play as well. At the same time, I did have a good laugh when listening to "Mother," a very amusing song with Andy Summers doing the lead vocals. Furthermore, the great musicianship still remains on this album. Now, some people have been quick to assume that with all the radio hits on "Synchronicity," The Police sold out on the album. I was, at first, ready to assume that on account of "King of Pain" and "Every Breath You Take." However, those might be radio hits but the album itself is everything The Police were known for.

Track Listing:

1. Synchronicity
2. Walking in Your Footsteps
3. O My God
4. Mother
5. Miss Gradenko
6. Synchronicity II
7. Every Breath You Take
8. King of Pain
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Tea in the Sahara
11. Murder By Numbers

[caption id="attachment_1358" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Police[/caption]

Sting- bass, lead and backing vocals, oboe, saxophone

Andy Summers- guitar, keyboards, lead vocal on "Mother"

Stewart Copeland- drums, percussion, xylophone, co-lead vocals on "Miss Gradenko"

"Synchronicity" would be the last album The Police would record together. The band would split after the tour. Apparently, Sting's ego became bigger than the rest of the band. Joking aside, from what I heard, Sting and Stewart Copeland just couldn't stand one another. In any case, it could definitely be said that they went out on a high.

Next Post: INXS- Shabooh Shoobah

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com