Great Rock Albums of 1983: Dave Edmunds- Information

 

Radio can be very misleading. In the summer of 1983, the single "Slipping Away" from Dave Edmunds' "Information" got a considerable amount of airplay on radio. Then in the November, when I started my job working the Saturday and Sunday midnight to eight shift at a parking lot in Atlantic City, the radio seemed to play his cover of Bruce Springsteen's "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" at least once during my first few shifts. Naturally, I assumed both songs were from this album, which I never bought for some reason. It was only when I did my preliminary research for the post that I discovered that "From Small Things" was actually on the album prior to this one. Shame, because I really liked that song but listening to "Information," I am not disappointed too much.

Another historical point, back in the early 1980s, there was a brief heyday for what some would call "Rockabilly" music. Rock music with a country music style vibe but unlike Southern Rock, this genre doesn't have the ferocity of it relative. That's the category this Dave Edmunds seems to fall in and I would site the track "The Shape I'm In" as evidence. Saying that, he is still much more rock than the artist most known for rockabilly in the very early 1980s. Here's my weird mind at work again but the whole rockabilly thing has made me think of her again. Juice Newton, who had several hits between 1981 and 83. Hell, she even covered a Dave Edmunds single, "Queen of Hearts" and her version doesn't stray far from Dave's musically.  Confession time! In 1981 and 2, I had a serious crush on Juice Newton.

Enough of Juice for now, let's get on to "Information. The best way to describe this album is Dave Edmunds would be the result if The Ramones played country music. Each song starts out in the one, two, three go style that the Ramones were famous for throughout the 1970s. The best examples of this are "Don't You Double" and "Don't Call Me Tonight." The latter song has a guitar solo in the style of Eddie Cochran, making it sound a quite fifties but it's still well done. Dave Edmunds is very good at keeping the tempo going on every song. Another interesting track is "Feel So Right" which has that Ramones one, two, three start and goes into the rockabilly sound. However, as the song progresses, you are led to conclude that if you didn't know that Jeff Lynne of ELO fame had produced the album, you would have discovered it for yourself with said song. Then again, the more I think about it, I can hear a little bit of Lynne influence on "Slipping Away." These factors combined make "Information" another album I regret not buying back then.

[caption id="attachment_1636" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Ramones[/caption]

Track Listing:

1. Slipping Away
2. Don't You Double
3. I Want You Bad
4. Wait
5. The Watch on My Wrist
6. The Shape I'm In
7. Information
8. Feel So Right
9. What Have I Got to Do to Win?
10. Don't Call Me Tonight
11. Have a Heart

[caption id="attachment_3340" align="aligncenter" width="213"] Dave Edmunds[/caption]

Dave Edmunds- guitar, vocals

Geraint Watkins- accordion

Jeff Lynne- bass, synthesizer

John David- bass

Dave Charles- drums

Paul Jones- harmonica

Richard Tandy- synthesizer

I think this was another hidden gem from 1983 that didn't get the respect it deserved at the time. Maybe because rockabilly was already in decline or because of its unique sound, it was too hard rock for trendies but not hard enough for metalheads. All I know is that I enjoy "Information" and I know I would have liked the album if I first listened to it back then.

Next post: One Hit Wonders of 1983

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