The boys weren't breaking any new ground musically, but they knew how to craft a hook, and their songs were catchy with a tinge of late '70s new wave and a healthy dollop of power pop. This was good time party rock and boys weren't making any bones about their intentions to "Rock You Up." No scathing or depressing social commentary, or long slow laments about lost love and how much it hurt when you got dumped for the guy in chess club. Four guys, the rock basics: drums, bass, guitars and vocals ... and when the occasion called for it - harmonica. Oh and the drummer sang, I mean who doesn't love a singing drummer?
"What I Like About You" from their 1980 debut is considered a classic rock song of the first order, but back in '83 I don't think I knew it from a hole in my socks. Oh and I had holes in my socks ... a lot of them. I also had a really wonderful grandmother who knew how to darn a sock, and darn it she darned more than a few for me. I remember the first time I really heard it back in 1987 when me and my buddy Otto had gone to Mazatlan for a holiday - two weeks drinking beer and coke and avoiding water like it would kill us. We were at a hanging out at a club and "What I Like About You" came on and people went bat shit. You don't forget moments like that. I'm not sure what this has to do with anything. Why telling you this isn't really clear yet, but it will likely tie back in shortly. Just hang on.
Anyway let's circle back to where I started. 1983 saw the release of a bunch of killer albums, from Genesis' self titled album, to Def Leppard's break through Pyromania and ZZ Top's ubiquitous Eliminator ... there were more, but these ones got grouped together because that year, for whatever reason, a few of the local convenience stores where I lived started to carry records. Not a lot of records, just a rack with a few albums. These were the ones they were pushing ... and on the same rack was In Heat. That's partly why I think the album was much bigger deal than it actually was ... the albums on that rack all went on to sell a bajillion copies.
So when I found a decent copy of In Heat I snatched it up. If nothing else I was making up for lost time, and scratching a nostalgic itch.
So for giggles let's do a song rundown.
I've got a fresh cup of coffee and am raring to go.
"Rock You Up" yeah, this is a fantastic way to kick off the album. It's also very much a clever reworking of "What I Like About You" with similar structure and changes. Nothing wrong with that ... it's their song and by gum it works.
"Got Me Where You Want Me" I have always loved songs like this. While this isn't a unique chord progression it's a lot of fun, and frankly I'm pretty sure the Tom Petty song " Jammin' Me" owes more than a passing debt of gratitude to the guys here.
"One in a Million" This song is great. It's also one of the songs that still feels fresh and also doesn't seem to be cannibalizing the band's past work. There's a reason this was a hit.
"Open Up Your Door" Closing out the first side the boys channel their inner Beatles with their building "Aaaaaahs" as they shake this one up baby. It's not derivative, it's just cheeky and it's a lot of fun.
That's it for side one, four songs - no filler. Give me a second while I get up and flip this thing over.
(insert elevator music here)
"Talking In Your Sleep" The other big song from the album, and like "One in a Million" this song is very much The Romantics, but unlike a lot of their stuff that feels like variations of the same theme, the structure is from a slightly different pattern and as a result it takes the best of their energy and adds a little twist and results are pretty awesome. It's a near perfect '80s pop classic. Seriously, this is a great song.
"Love Me to the Max" is another song out of the Romantics playbook, and like "Got Me Where You Want Me" it's got a great big hook and great driving rhythm guitar work that just drives the music forward. I absolutely love the rhythm guitar tone throughout the album. It's clean, crisp and just the right amount of dirt to give things an edge that cuts right through the mix.
"Diggin' on You" The first time I heard this I thought, "Good lord, this is The Pretenders." Checking the dates, like the Tom Petty song earlier this one was first, and "Middle of the Road" bears more than a passing resemblance to "Diggin' on You" even the structure of the solo and breaks aligns pretty closely to what The Pretenders dropped in '84 on Learning to Crawl. Oh, if it's not clear - I really liked this one.
"I'm Hip" I'm reluctant to call this a throw away tune because it's a lot of fun, and I really like Wally Palmer's harmonica solo on this one. I'm also always a sucker for a big rock ending, and by goodness this delivers.
"Shake a Tail Feather" Again, mining borrowing a page from the Beatles with their screams, and building vocals to the chorus. It's an interesting song in that it owes more to the '60s but when when Coz Canler unleashes his guitar solo it's a wonderfully cacophonous flurry of blistering notes and pull offs. The song doesn't suffer from a lack of trying, and is delivered with gusto. It's also probably the weakest song on the album.
Let's hear it for the band,
Coz Canler - lead guitar, backing vocals
Wally Palmar - rhythm guitar, lead vocals, harmonica
Mike Skill - bass, backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Jimmy Marinos - drums, lead vocals, percussion
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