Great Rock Albums of 1985: The Wrestling Album

 

Big question: Is my memory not as good as I thought or is Wikopedia not as accurate as they are believed to be? For more than thirty-three years, I was convinced that "The Wrestling Album" came out in the early part of 1985. However, Wikopedia claims it came out in the November of that year. Anyway, when in 1985 the album came out doesn't really matter, it did and it provided an amusing alternative. Besides, it was still better than a lot of the commercial synth crap that was around.

"The Wrestling Album" came out in a bid to take advantage of the "Rock and Wrestling Connection" which was established the previous year with Cyndi Lauper. She doesn't sing on this album, with the exception of Rick Derringer's "Real American," the wrestlers do. Many of the big WWE, although back then it was still the WWF, who were around at the time have songs, some of them are quite good. The best ones in my view are "Grab Them Cakes" by Junkyard Dog and credit where due, "Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield" by bad guy manager Jimmy 'The Mouth of the South' Hart. Wrestling commentator Mean Gene Okerlund does do a pretty good rendition of "Tutti Fruitti." Derringer's song, like most of the ones sung by the wrestlers is done in a punk/new wave fashion but he does do a reasonably cool guitar solo on it. After all, that's what makes Rick great! Furthermore, all the main WWE wrestlers perform on the first track, "Land of a Thousand Dances" which got considerable airplay on MTV. But the album isn't just music, in between the tracks, you get some funny commentary from Vince McMahon, Gene Okerlund and wrestler, actor and the man who would eventually come to be governor of Minnesota, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura.

While it's very easy not to take the album seriously, I can also see that those behind the album, especially Cyndi's then manager David Wolf, made sure the songs were done right. He got Derringer and Meat Loaf producer Jim Steinman to produce the album. I have to admit, they do a good job on it, no matter how much I want to burst out laughing whenever I hear "Captain Lou's History of Music/Captain Lou" by Lou Albano. Then again, I have never dismissed humour in music and there's a lot to be had with "The Wrestling Album."

Track Listing:

1. The Wrestlers- Land of a Thousand Dances
2. Junkyard Dog- Grab Them Cakes
3. Rick Derringer- Real American
4. Jimmy Hart- Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield
5. Captain Lou Albano and George 'The Animal' Steele- Captain Lou's History of Music/Captain Lou
6. WWF All Stars- Hulk Hogan's Theme
7. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper- For Everybody
8. Mean Gene Okerlund- Tutti Fruitti
9. Hillbilly Jim- Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy
10. Nikolai Volkf- Cara Mia

Rick Derringer

Jim Steinman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TrPlH6ncCQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97czazOKm70

Frank Zappa once asked, "Does humour belong in music?" My answer to this has always been an emphatic, "Yes!" "The Wrestling Album" is a very fun album and you can't fault the quality of the songs even if the singers aren't "ahem," top notch. It did provide a humourous break in the action back in 85.

Next post: Van Morrison- A Sense of Wonder

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

Great Rock Albums of 1981: Rick Springfield- Working Class Dog

In the mid 1980s, I thought that Rick Springfield was one of those commercially produced artists who's sound was out to try to please everybody. I still think that. My motivation for visiting the "Working Class Dog" album comes from elsewhere. Back in the summer of 1981, my marine buddies and I used to frequent a go-go bar outside the base called The Driftwood. During that summer, Springfield's biggest hit, "Jessie's Girl," received a lot of play on the juke box. There was this one dancer, I only knew her as Twinkles, seemed to be on stage a lot when it was played and believe me, she knew how to work the stage to the song. It was just how she used to use the poles to move along with it that was eye catching and that image comes to the forefront of my brain housing group whenever I hear "Jessie's Girl."

[caption id="attachment_2237" align="aligncenter" width="258"] The Driftwood (I can't believe I found a picture of it online)[/caption]

Having listened to the album again after so many years, (that's one major plus in writing this blog) I have come to the conclusion that it isn't the commercial rock that I associate with Rick Springfield later on in the decade. "Working Class Dog" is far from a metal album but it is an enjoyable rock album. There are some decent rock tunes on it and I'm not just talking about the forementioned famous hit. There is the more minor hit "I've Done Everything For You," which is a good song on it's own right, except Twinkles never danced to it. I also thought the title track, "Hole in My Heart" and "The Light of Love" are all in the same light; good, listenable rock tunes. However, I found the big surprise to be the penultimate track, "Red Hot & Blue Love." This song goes against the flow of the rest of the album with a more guitar blues sound. The guitar solo is ear catching showing why Neil Geraldo doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Once again, I find myself pleasantly surprised although my opinion of Rick Springfield's later stuff hasn't changed.

Track Listing:

1. Working Class Dog

2. Jessie's Girl

3. Hole in My Heart

4. Carry Me Away

5. I've Done Everything For You

6. The Light of Love

7. Everybody's Girl

8. Daddy's Pearl

9. Red Hot & Blue Love

10. Inside Sylvia

Rick Springfield- vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards

Robben Ford- guitar

Neil Geraldo- guitar, bass

Gabriel Katona- keyboards

Jeff Eyrich- bass

Mike Baird- drums

Jack White- drum

Jeremiah Cox- french horn, backing vocals

Tom Kelly- backing vocals

This post has given me further ideas, there were other songs that were made to come alive when danced to by some of the ladies at the Driftwood. My mind flashes back to one named Beverly who made me appreciate REO Speedwagon's "Take It On the Run" in a different light and there were others. The other thing was that experience has burned unique memories of certain songs and like in the case of Twinkles with "Jessie's Girl," got me to listen to the album more. In the case of Rick Springfield and "Working Class Dog," it was a nice surprise.

Next post: Dire Straits- Making Movies

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