Great Rock Albums of 1983: Men At Work- Cargo

 

Let me clarify something I wrote when I posted about Men At Work's debut album, "Business As Usual." I stated that Men At Work was the closest I got to mainstream music back in the 1980s. That was definitely the case in 1982 however, after refamiliarising myself with their second album, which I find superior to the debut album by the way, and thinking about music in 1983, I have to agree to the premise that this band wasn't really mainstream. Still, they were the closest I got to it.

One reason why the "Cargo" album might be considered mainstream was that it had three successful singles on it. "Dr Heckyll and Mr Jive" was a very fun catchy tune and I love the paranoid feeling that "Overkill" provides. I've had days when I feel exactly like that. However, my favourite all time Men At Work song is the single "It's a Mistake." Its release couldn't have come at a better time for me. Call it kharma or deja vu but hearing a good anti war song right after coming out of the marines was unbelievable. The video of the song provided the proper punchline. Even without all that, I still would have found it a good song.

[caption id="attachment_3231" align="aligncenter" width="259"] From the Men At Work video: It's A Mistake[/caption]

Call "Cargo" what you will, post punk, new wave or even mainstream, none of it stops this album from being a good, fun album. There also elements of reggae in it as well, I site "Settle Down My Boy" and "Blue For You" as evidence,  so in my mind, all of those combinations make it anything but mainstream. I sort of like it when people aren't able pigeon hole certain bands. With "Cargo" there is something for everyone to like. Hell, I even noticed a bit of a hard rock-ish sound on "High Wire." What's more, Men At Work incorporate a brilliant sense of humour on their songs, something I always like. That's expecially the case with "I Like To." Therefore, my conclusion is while "Cargo" by Men At Work may not be the hard pounding metal album I was liking more and more in those days, it was still a very enjoyable album.

Track Listing:

1. Dr Heckyll and Mr Jive
2. Overkill
3. Settle Down My Boy
4. Upstairs in My Room
5. No Sign of Yesterday
6. It's a Mistake
7. High Wire
8. Blue For You
9. I Like To
10. No Restrictions

[caption id="attachment_2617" align="aligncenter" width="204"] Men At Work[/caption]

Greg Ham- flute, keyboards, saxophone, vocals

Colin Hay- guitar, vocals

John Rees- bass, backing vocals

Jerry Speiser- drums, backing vocals

Ron Strykert- guitar, vocals

Men At Work might have been the closest I ever got to mainstream music back in the 1980s but they certainly weren't mainstream. Good musicianship, fun and catchy music and lyrics and a sense of humour was why I liked the "Cargo" album.

Next post: Night Ranger- Midnight Madness

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Michael Stanley Band- You Can't Fight Fashion

 

1983 saw another album from possibly the best band that nobody's ever heard of. Hopefully, this might jog a few memories. Back in the year, on several occasions, I saw the video for the Michael Stanley Band's only top 40 hit, "My Town." This song was a very good rock anthem and while I don't lament its lack of chart success because that was the direction music was heading then, I did think that more rockers and metalheads would have been singing along to its very cool chorus, especially with the way this song rocks!

"Oh, and this town
Is my town, alright?
Love or hate it, it don't matter
'Cause I'm gonna stand and fight
This town, is my town
She's got her ups and downs
But love or hate it, it don't matter
'Cause this is my town"

Does anybody remember now?

"You Can't Fight Fashion" has been considered the Michael Stanley Band's best album and I won't argue the fact. The album starts out more progressive with the first three songs. When I listened to it the other night, I just wanted to sit back and soak those songs in. None of those songs are ballads but they aren't very hard rockers but all done very well. What stands out in those tracks and even more in the fourth track, "Highlife" is the superb sax playing by Rick Bell. Put it this way, after hearing his sax rip on those tracks, I will never question the idea of horns in rock ever again, provided those horns are played well to complement the song.

The other thing that "Highlife" does for the album is provide a brilliant point for the change of tempo in the album. Things start to rock with said song and then with the "My Town" coming right on the heels of "Highlife," things get interesting indeed. Even though the next track, "The Damage is Done" is a ballad, it is a very good power ballad with just the right combination of piano and guitar power chords. Then, "Fire in the Hole" is just as powerful rocker as "My Town" and I think it would sound rather good metalized. It also sets the pace for the album to go out on a real rocking feel, a duty which the closing song, "Just How Good (A Bad Woman Feels) preforms outstandingly.

Track Listing:

1. Hard Times
2. Just Give Me Tonight
3. Someone Like You
4. Highlife
5. My Town
6. The Damage is Done
7. Fire in the Hole
8. How Can You Call This Love
9. Just How Good (A Bad Woman Feels)

[caption id="attachment_2588" align="aligncenter" width="352"] Michael Stanley Band[/caption]

Michael Stanley- guitar, vocals

Tommy Dobeck- drums

Bob Pelander- keyboards

Greg Markasky- lead guitar

Kevin Raleigh- keyboards, vocals

Michael Gismondi- bass

Rick Bell- saxophone

If you didn't do my homework assignment when I posted about the 1982 "MSB" album, you should definitely do it now and listen to "You Can't Fight Fashion." I'm sure at least one person will remember hearing "My Town" and then you can listen to the rest of this fine album.

Next post: Men At Work- Cargo

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Stray Cats- Built for Speed

 

Internet didn't exist back in 1983 and that is going to be my excuse for posting an album that came out in the middle of 1982 in 1983. A quick historical point here, it was the early 1980s when computer technology was becoming accessible to the common masses. I did do an introductory course in computers during my first semester at college in the Autumn of this year but that's not important here. What is was the fact that back then, I had to rely on record stores, radio, word of mouth and a late night television show called "Video Rock" to learn about new music. Our house didn't even get MTV until the December of this year! It was the mentioned television show where I first learned about the Stray Cats in the summer of 1983.

It was their 1950s look and sound that first got my attention. At a time where everyone was trying to be different, the Stray Cats actually were. While I wasn't very impressed with the first single I heard, "Stray Cats Strut," I did like the second one that reached my ears, "Rock This Town." Even though, like most people, I got the impression they were in love with the fifties, I thought they were at least trying to be original at the time. Besides, with "Rock This Town," they proved to me they were good musicians. Brian Setzer was a competent guitarist, (no Van Halen or Nugent but competent) and Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker work very well together as a rhythm section, a point I will certainly expand on when I get to 1985.

The Stray Cats' album "Built For Speed," pretty much sounds like the two songs I've already mentioned. They are firmly locked in the 1950s rockabilly sound reminiscent of Eddie Cochran or Bill Haley and the Comets, not a bad thing. Each song, with the exception of the slower "Lonely Summer Nights" possesses a catchy sound that draws you in. It might not get you to start fist pumping and banging your head but I did find myself wanting to snap my fingers along with them, which is saying something for someone with no natural rhythm. Apart from "Rock This Town," the other songs which stand out for me are "Little Miss Prissy," "Rumble in Brighton" and "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie." All contain a strong dose of the elements that turned my ear to the Stray Cats in the first place. Not only was it something different at the time, what was different was done very well.

Track Listing:

1. Rock This Town
2. Built for Speed
3. Rev It Up & Go
4. Stray Cats Strut
5. Little Miss Prissy
6. Rumble in Brighton
7. Runaway Boys
8. Lonely Summer Nights
9. Double Talkin' Baby
10. You Don't Believe Me
11. Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie
12. Baby Blue Eyes

[caption id="attachment_3222" align="aligncenter" width="326"] Stray Cats[/caption]

Brian Setzer- vocals, guitar

Slim Jim Phantom- drums, percussion, vocals

Lee Rocker- double bass, bass, vocals

Outside of this album, I have little experience of the Stray Cats. For me, their 1950s persona would only last for the one album. Their next album would pretty much escape my notice and in the years following, it would be their post break up projects that I would be more into. Saying all this, however, doesn't stop "Built For Speed" from being a pretty good album.

Next post: Michael Stanley Band- You Can't Fight Fashion

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

Great Rock Albums of 1983: Huey Lewis and the News- Sports

 

Huey Lewis and the News were another band I inwardly debated about featuring here. Most metalheads consider this band to be pop or top 40 and in some cases I would tend to agree. However, as my mind drifts back to 1983, I remember that I didn't hate them. My first experience of them came late that summer when I saw their video for the first single from the "Sports" album, "Heart and Soul." Okay, the song didn't have me fist pumping away to it but I did like the hard guitar part during the chorus. My verdict then was that "Heart and Soul" was a decent enough song and Huey Lewis and the News weren't all that bad. That was my attitude towards them, even after the release of the more successful single, "I Want a New Drug," for the next few months. Then, in February 1984, I happened to see them open for 38 Special. Now, I won't say that I became a die hard News fan that night but they definitely won my respect.

"Sports" was the making of the band. It produced several singles in addition to the two I already mentioned. "The Heart of Rock and Roll" is one of those fun filled songs that is an okay listen provided you don't take it too seriously. I have been in the situation and know others who have been in the situation described in the single, "If This is It." In fact, I think most of us have been left dangling by a boy/girl friend whom one is not sure if they want to stay in or get out of the relationship with you. Still, they make it seem okay with this light hearted song. Of all the singles though, my favourite happens to be "Walking on a Thin Line." Even though I never saw actual combat while in the marines, I still think the song speaks directly to me.

"Don't you know me I'm the boy next door.

The one you found so easy to ignore."

When they played this song, Huey Lewis asked if there were any vets in the audience. I think I was the only one who screamed "Yes!" I got some looks from people around me but that was Regan youth for you.

Besides the hits, I found "Bad is Bad" to be a good bluesy type song and the intro to "Finally Found a Home" leads the listener to believe that this song is going to be a scorching rocker. It's still not bad even though it does go more pop as it progresses. Both these songs, as well as, "You Crack Me Up," confirm to me that The News were actually a good band of talented musicians and I think they certainly had the potential to completely rock out.

Track Listing:

1. The Heart of Rock and Roll
2. Heart and Soul
3. Bad is Bad
4. I Want a New Drug
5. Walking on a Thin Line
6. Finally Found a Home
7. If This is It
8. You Crack Me Up
9. Honky Tonk Blues

[caption id="attachment_3216" align="aligncenter" width="317"] Huey Lewis and the News[/caption]

Huey Lewis- lead vocals, harmonica

Mario Cipallina- bass

Johnny Colla- guitar, saxophone, backing vocals

Bill Gibson- drums, percussion, backing vocals

Chris Hayes- lead guitar, backing vocals

Sean Hopper- keyboards, backing vocals

Say what you like about Huey Lewis and the News. Maybe they were a bit too pop but listening to the "Sports" album, I'm not really bothered. They proved to be a good tight band who could probably excel at playing any type of music.

Next post: Stray Cats- Built For Speed

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