Old Enough to Forget

Back in '86 Glass Tiger seemed to come out of nowhere with "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)." The song was infectious and benefited from the Adams effect. Bryan Adams was pretty much the king of the world and it seemed like even a passing association with Mister Adams was like receiving a blessing from the Pope. Bryan sang maybe two harmony lines on the song, but it was enough. The song was huge, and it pulled the album along with it and for over a year the band pulled singles from the album. I'll admit my reaction to the album initially was a bit more complicated. To me they belonged in the same boat as Duran Duran and Platinum Blonde. That boat needed to be towed out to sea and used for target practice. I was torn though, I liked the songs I heard on the radio. True, "Don't Forget Me" was worn out, but the singles were so strong. Often you're lucky to pull off one or two highlights on an album. This album was chock full of solid songs: ...

Eight miles high and still going. If I had a Byrds album this is where I'd have put it. Mainly so I could shit on that song and its horrid 12-string guitar work that everyone else thinks is spectacular. It's the same sound my kids made when they'd get their hand stuck under the strings when they'd mess around in my music room. Anyway, before I drift too far off point. This month is mostly familiar names this time around. Funny, I was pulling stuff from the to-be-filed pile and although bands like The Edgar Winter Group and Wishbone Ash were relatively new experiences for me, it was fun to revisit the Paul Janz album and finally get a chance to go through the final and much-maligned J. Geils release. Then, of course, there's SAGA - man, I love SAGA. Five For Fighting No. 8 The Edgar Winter Group - Shock Treatment (1974) Wishbone Ash - Locked In (1976) Paul Janz - High Strung (1985) The J. Geils Band - You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd (198...

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...