20/20 - 20/20

This was an album I have loved for years and years. I had a buddy who I played guitar with once in a while, and we figured were were a band. Just two guitar players who didn't write, or sing, or have a bass player, or drummer. Didn't matter. We were a band. We could play "Don't Look Back" by Boston ... sort of. Which was to us, a pretty big deal. It was Andrew who introduced me to some pretty cool music. He got me into Harlequin and he played me 20/20's song "Yellow Pills" which blew my mind.

This was probably early in 1980, because well ... it was. I had been down at the second hand store, probably looking for Robert A. Heinlein books, because I loved his books, and boy were there a lot of them. I would read Clarke and Asimov too, but Heinlein was my jam. When I was there I stumbled upon a cassette copy of 20/20, and I hemmed and hawed and then put it back. I wanted the record ... but there was no record, only a cassette. 

Ick.

I rode my bike home ... all the way up that leg cramping hill, and when I got home I decided I wanted that tape ... and I wanted it now. So back down the hill I went, and in short order I was home with my latest treasure. I played it a lot, and for quite a few years (at least three or four, which was forever back then) it was often in the car ... cranked. Good gravy I loved that Alpine system.

I never did find the record, although I did find the band's 1981 release Look Out! in the mid '80s. Whatever magic the band had must have gone into the debut, I remember being profoundly disappointed. I did try to like "Nuclear Boy" and more or less succeeded, and it went on a few mix tapes. Something I wasn't able to do with their debut. I just didn't have enough tape decks ... 

Back in the mid '90s Oglio put out a remastered CD 20/20/Look Out! that I was so stoked to have found, and it was so good. Heck, even the much maligned second album was starting to grow on me. It still felt like a different band.

Anyway, after almost four and a half decades I found the band's debut on vinyl. I have a short list of really want to have albums, and this was right at the top. It was becoming a bit of holy grail, and if I found a new shop I'd take a cursory look, knowing it was futile, but I'd go through the motions ... just in case.

I was in Seattle this past Memorial Day (I didn't know it was a holiday weekend at the time) and was being dragged around the city and spend an interminable two days navigating the Public Market, you know ... Seattle's Pike Place. The novelty of waiting in line for a coffee because it was the first Starbucks, and the mermaid had nipples ... was fun once, and then waiting for everything else was tiring. My wife then says, "You know, there's a record store here somewhere. Holy Cow or something. After navigating the gum wall that smelled of fruit and bile and trying not to slip on the steps that were wet with fishy water we found our way to the hidden layer we had missed the previous day. She led me to the door, gave me a little peck on the cheek and said she'd see me in a while.

The store wasn't busy, and there was a lone guy behind the counter. He gave me a little nod, and I started trying to figure out how things were organized. I saw a few albums I had with prices that made my eyes do that cartoon awooga thing where they pop out. I almost walked out as I like my records, but I am not paying that kind of money for a used record.

It was then the guy behind the counter asked if there was anything I was looking for. I mentioned a couple of things, and he came out and rooted around and would shake his head. I was kind of hoping he would come up empty handed as I didn't know if I wanted to pay big bucks for anything. Then I casually asked, "You have anything by 20/20?" There was one other guy in the store, and he heard me and pipes up, "Yeah, I just saw something in the new wave section." I figured it was Look Out! so I didn't think anything of it. However, sure enough flipping through the records, it was there 20/20 and on the outside of the protective plastic was a hand written sticker: has Yellow Pills on it. I turned it over, and the price wasn't unreasonable. Before I left I had three records under my arm, all of them things I'd been looking for, and while they were expensive (for me, remember I'm the dollar guy) they weren't expensive.

So here I am for the first time in years sitting listening to 20/20 and aside a pop on the opening instrumental "The Sky is Falling" the album is flawless. What a treat. The songs are still fresh, and sparkly and put a big grin on my face. "Yellow Pills" still gets me in the feels, as does "Tonight We Fly" the closing track on side one. The second side too is chock full of power pop nuggets. "She's an Obsession" is fantastic, and features Phil Seymour on backing vocals ... some sources state it was Phil who played drums on the majority of the album as Mike Gallo, although credited as the drummer, was let go during the recording of the album. The unsung hero here is Chris Silagyi on keyboards who added just the right amount of mojo to the tracks to make them standout. The synth work on "Yellow Pills" was just perfect.

This era of late '70s and early '80s power pop was so good. It was more than skinny ties and checkered Vans. It was a heady time where band's were blending and rock was taking the energy of punk and softening the edges and coming up with their own sound. This first wave of new wave was something special.

This still sounds so good.

Oh, and to the guy at Holy Cow, thanks man you made my day. Which was cool because my wife had more shopping to do ...