Old Enough to Forget

I always had a soft spot for "Sentimental Lady" and "Ebony Eyes." The guy had a cocky, weird swagger and incorporated disco and strings while still adding a rock element through his guitar. I didn't really know a lot about him at the time. I knew he was in Fleetwood Mac, but I didn't know anything by them other than Rumours , so it wasn't really anything that carried much recognition. Oddly enough, it would be Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie who would produce his biggest hit, "Sentimental Lady," and they would, along with Mick Fleetwood, play on the track as well. So at the time, at least, it appeared he left his old band on decent terms. French Kiss dropped in November 1977 and did pretty well. Considering that a month later Saturday Night Fever came out and disco enjoyed its brief ascent to world dominance through Donna Summer, The Village People, and Barry Gibb's tight-pants nut-crushed falsetto, it was a terrible time if you ha...

World Machine , for most casual fans and Luddites, is as deep into the Level 42 catalogue as you need to go. The band's sixth album (yeah, they had been around a while honing their craft) was released in 1985, and most of us would have had a hard time getting rid of the earworm "Something About You" once it started gaining traction on the radio and television - back when videos were a thing. There was never any denying the musicianship of the band, and Mark King's bass playing was often cited as extraordinary. The band balanced their pop, jazz, and funk elements and created something pretty cool. Even a rock guy had to tip his hat and admit it was good stuff. Now, of course, this was 1985, and while I did begrudgingly like the song - sort of in the same way I liked "The Captain of Her Heart" by Double - I wasn't about to go out and buy the album. I was, after all, a ROCK GUY. Of course, over the years my appreciation for "Something About You" o...

Paul Janz released High Strung in 1985, and the single "Go to Pieces" got a lot of radio play but didn't really break into the top 10. I still find that perplexing, as it was one of those earworms that had all the magic ingredients that made mid-'80s pop so appealing. The song is awesome. Electricity, released in 1987, is the one album of his I didn't have, and I honestly can't remember why I didn't pick it up. If you lived outside Canada, this was his debut, and I suppose it made sense to include a new version of  "Go to Pieces," as I didn't know at the time that High Strung wasn't released outside Canada. Paul has a distinctive voice, a deft hand with his arrangements, and his songcraft was impeccable, so it's a head-scratcher as to why he didn't really catch on. I think a lot of people bet on him being a big deal too. One of those people was Michael Godin. He was an executive with A&M who left his position to guide Paul...

Here it is, Ted Nugent's 1978 aural assault Double Live Gonzo! First things first: this is about Ted the monster player. I really couldn't give a shit about his political bent, which has only become more exaggerated over the years, but the guy has his convictions. While I don't agree with many of his views, I'd still have an iced tea with the guy and talk guitars and music. Secondly, see the first thing. This is coming from a guy who leans a little to the left of centre. That's about as political as I get. I'll just quote Forrest Gump: "And that's all I've got to say about that." Recorded between 1976 and 1977, Double Live Gonzo! captures Ted and band (what a band!) at their zenith, and the results aren't for those who can't handle sensory overload. If you were to go by the pictures in the gatefold, you'd think it was all Ted all the time. My first experience with Ted's music was in my cousin's pickup truck with an 8-track (...

I have one album in my collection that is actually new - not old new, NEW new. It's an album I got because I took part in a fundraising campaign to help Jeff realize his dream of putting out an album on vinyl. I also got it because I felt guilty for making fun of his desire to release an album that was recorded digitally and then put out on plastic to have that "warmth" only vinyl can deliver. He took offence at this (and rightly so) and defended his desire, explaining how it was recorded and mixed specifically to enhance the vinyl experience. Incidentally, quite a number of my favourite albums from decades ago were fully digital recordings that sounded awesome on record - yeah, I'm specifically thinking of In Transit by SAGA. It was also one of the first CDs, so there. He may have a point, or it may just be an ear placebo. What REALLY enhanced the experience was having a big old album cover to hold on to, with a nice insert. I also have the CD (which is just as lovi...

A new-to-me release. Many years ago I picked up Romeo Unchained and Notes from the Lost Civilization (not in that order), mainly because they were on WHAT?/A&M, where Mark Heard's iDEoLA project was released. So I figured it was a guilty-by-association sort of thing. It was an indie label after all, so that had to mean something. I remember liking Notes from the Lost Civilization , but honestly, I was getting so much music back then that unless something really blew my hat off, I gave it a listen or two and then filed it away. Here I am years later, and up pops a rather water-damaged copy of Life in the Foodchain . It made me sad looking at it. The vinyl was in surprisingly good shape, but any liner notes and credits were long lost to the gods of misplaced socks. Still, this was an album I had always been curious about, so I brought it home, where it joined the queue of treasures waiting for a turn(table). I popped it on, and the title track was cranked in the cave (everyone w...

Toto, the band people love to shit on. For me, I've been a fan since first hearing "Hold the Line," and I make no apologies for loving these guys. Heck, I remember when Hydra was released and I eagerly went to the record store to get it. The store used to copy reviews and place them with albums as a sales tool. I guess clipping out a scathing review and taping it to the record seemed like a good idea to someone. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I can't remember if this is the same "review" but it's pretty close in tone: Max Bell , New Musical Express , 17 March 1979 WILL THESE people never learn? In the time-honoured Hollywood tradition of foisting ambitious super-sessioners upon that large portion of the American public bereft of a brain, taste or the ability to decide for itself comes Toto, a six piece composed of former Boz Scaggs and Steely Dan (you know the rest) side men. Admittedly, I...

Continuing my trip through 1978, here's Prism's second album, See Forever Eyes . I remember going with my cousin to a hole-in-the-wall record store to pick up an 8-track copy he'd special ordered. Yeah, it was like that once upon a time in smaller towns and suburbs. Like any good Canadian kid, I thought "Spaceship Superstar" was as close to a perfect song as there ever was. Here was the follow-up, and I was finally going to hear more than one song. After ejecting the ever-present Double Live Gonzo! from the truck's player, this one got a fair amount of play over the summer, and I liked what I heard - especially the rockers where Lindsay tore it up. The early Prism albums were driven as much by the interplay between guitar and keyboards as they were by Ron Tabak's soaring vocals - a pattern some of my favourite bands employ, much to my delight (Saga, I'm looking at you). When the album launches into "Flyin'," arguably one of its best track...

1978 was probably one of the more formative years for me musically. At the time I didn't really think much about it, but looking back, holy cow and boy howdy, it was a banner year. It was the year "Baker Street" made the saxophone sexy, and the guitar solo in that song still makes me smile. It was also the year my cousin introduced me to Ted Nugent through his incendiary Double Live Gonzo and Prism's sophomore album, See Forever Eyes . The number of bands I waited patiently to hear on the radio or at a friend's house was just mind-boggling. I started making a list of the bands and songs I could hardly wait to hear, but it got so long that it just looked silly. It's a great list. I didn't have much in the way of vinyl, so it was up to friends and spotty AM radio to supply my favourite songs. One of the coolest songs from my youth was "Action." And no, it wasn't by The Sweet (although that's an awesome song, and I did actually own the 45 a...

Today I'm taking a break from my vinyl reminiscing to write about Graeme Williamson's wonderful, breathtakingly beautiful posthumous release, Because You Were There. Those who know me know that one of my favourite records ever is Pukka Orchestra's debut album. For whatever reason, it's indelibly ingrained in my musical DNA. I remember Neil Chapman (Pukka alumnus and fret wizard) mentioning in passing, through one of our infrequent exchanges, that he was working on fleshing out some demos and recordings Graeme had made before his passing in 2020. Then the other day I received a digital copy of the album, complete with a comprehensive booklet - something sorely missing from most releases. Sadly, it wasn't part of the iTunes download; hopefully that gets fixed. They say you can't go home again, but hearing Graeme's distinctive voice was a homecoming of sorts. There's still a bite to his lyrics, but the angry young man has evolved into an introspective, wize...

At first glance you'd think this was a release by Julio Iglesias, but you'd be wrong. I'm not an expert in all things Palmer, but I've been a fan of sorts since first hearing him kill it covering Moon Martin's "Bad Case of Loving You" when I was in high school. While I never listened to this album in its entirety until now, I did have the excellent compilation Addictions Vol. 1 (I never did get the second one, as the first hit all the high points for me) and recently found a copy of 1979's Secrets (which I enjoyed, and may revisit here at some point - or not), so I was prepared to hear some odd musical choices that were sort of his thing. He always seemed like a rather handsome class clown who was out there to have fun and do what he wanted. Robert Palmer was riding a wave, coming off the rather surprisingly good Power Station album, and he would use the bump in notoriety to his advantage. When Riptide came out in 1985 he was primed and ready to go. Y...

Well lookie what the cat dragged in from the bins today (I was going to say dog, but I have some pride). Three Dog Night's 1973 release Cyan . The record still had its original shrink wrap (mostly intact), and the heavy inner sleeve was almost like a second album cover. The vinyl was in need of a cleaning, but it looked good. Not sure why it was in the bin, but I wasn't complaining. The cover features seven dashing men in their early '70s finery. I was looking forward to sitting and listening to this one. "Shambala" remains one of my favourite songs and was the reason I picked this up - that and it was only a buck. Yeah, I am cheap. The first thing that jumped out at me as I held the sleeve, reading along as the band played, was that despite the lyrics and artwork, there was a distinct lack of actual credits. Half a page is used for the production and engineering credits, and equal space to the team who provided art direction and design. There is one small credit ...

Oh, what's this? I had no idea what to expect here, but it was on Asylum Records, a label that had a great track record of releasing solid artists. It was produced by Bill Szymczyk, who also produced the Eagles and Joe Walsh. Some of the names were familiar as well, so I figured it was worth a shot. Worst case, I'm out a buck. The inner sleeve was missing (who knows what treasures were missing - more likely it was a plain plastic insert), but the jacket was okay and the vinyl was in better shape than I thought it would be. This was released in 1973 and is very much of its time, which isn't a bad thing. I love '70s rock and roll. It's enjoyable, and there were no clunkers that made me want to turn it down, but honestly, it wasn't particularly memorable after my first listen. But it did warrant more time on the turntable. I'm on my third pass now, and it has a solid groove. Songs are starting to stand out. (According to the ever-reliable Wikipedia, it cracked ...

Oh, look what the dollar bin puked up. Bonnie Tyler's 1983 Jim Steinman-produced and directed mega, over-the-top opus Faster Than The Speed Of Night . I brought the album home, which was in surprisingly good shape, and even the liner was decent. This would be fun. Everything about this release screamed cheese, especially the cover. I'm not sure if it was a deliberate nod to Steve Martin, but it sure does look like she's got an arrow through her head. Was she letting us know she was a wild and crazy gal? Of course, you'd have had to live under a rock not to have heard "Total Eclipse of the Heart," and I will admit I like the song. Heck, after almost forty years, the song is part of the fabric of pop culture. Still, I was expecting very little from the rest of the album and was prepared for a lot of bloated filler. The first cut is a cover song, an interesting (in a good way) interpretation of John Fogerty's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" If you...

I'd never really thought of The Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS) as a southern rock band. I'd heard a couple of their hits, but never really associated those songs with the band. They were just memorable songs on the radio. A while back, I was reading up on southern rock bands and there was ARS mentioned on the same page as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, and even .38 Special (who deserved more love than they got). I thought, "Am I missing something here? Aren't these the 'So Into You' and 'Imaginary Lover' dudes? That's soft rock." Still, I squirrelled the band away into my mental list of things to watch for because now I was curious. You may be wondering, "Hey, with all the streaming stuff, or even on YouTube, why don't you just look?" My answer is simple. I don't want to. There aren't a lot of surprises out there, and I've got so much stuff in my library already. I like discovering stuff, even if it is just ...

For a while, producer Steve Lillywhite was a machine. From his earlier work with Peter Gabriel to U2, where I first read his name in their liner notes, the guy was at the helm of some incredible albums. Then, in the summer of '83, a very strange song hit the airwaves. "In a Big Country" was big and bombastic and had these melt-your-face electric bagpipes. A lot of people really liked this song. It was a big hit, going top five here in Canada, and the album went platinum here and in the UK and gold in the US. Being the contrarian I was, I treated their hit the way I treated songs by Culture Club. I just turned it off or changed the station. Still, there was a begrudging respect. These guys were proud Scots, and their mix of traditional and rock music was, quite frankly, pretty freakin' awesome. One of the cool things now, in listening to this album in its entirety for the first time, is how cohesive the songs are as a listening experience. I love that the credits actua...

Doug and the Slugs. I'm not sure where this will end up, as I was never a card-carrying member of their fan club. When this came out in 1980, I was in high school, and there's nothing stronger than the opinion of a teenager who has an opinion - and my opinion of what I heard on the radio was a very strong "meh." The band's brand of quirky new wave (which, in years to come, would be branded ska, but don't quote me on that, as musical genres aren't my strong suit) just wasn't my thing. Give me rock, or give me Gordon Lightfoot. Yeah, that's another story for another time. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing. Here I am in the basement, spinning the album for my first ever listen, and I'm at their big hit, "Too Bad." I'm sitting here tapping my feet, bobbing my head and singing along to words I never realized I'd actually stored away in my long-term memory. I'm actually really enjoying this. So far, I'd have to strongly disagre...

I am very late to the party with Frampton Comes Alive! Not that it's an excuse, but I was just thirteen when this came out, and it really wasn't an album any of my friends had at the time, so I never had a chance to hear it. It also didn't help that, for whatever reason, the big hits seemed schmaltzy. Peter Frampton looked like a rock star who didn't really seem to play rock, but played smokin' guitar. At the time, I liked Kiss, Alice Cooper and BTO, and this wasn't on my radar. Of course, the album was huge, and Peter did play that really cool Les Paul. If two pickups were good, three would put you over the top. But still, aside from the radio hits, I didn't know anything about the guy or the album. Of course, by the time I had enough money to buy things, I never really felt this was anything I'd ever want or even listen to. Then, a couple of years ago, I was in a music store and got to talking with the guy behind the counter about players we liked. Thi...