Goodshirt - Good

MINE

When I first started listening to this album I couldn't figure out if they wanted to be The Cure or The Cars.  That was until track 7 - Sophie - which is damn good.  But one good song (which I've since discovered earned them a number one on the New Zealand charts) does not a good album make.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

YOURZ

We saw this New Zealand four piece supporting Butterfingers and Grinspoon years ago.  Live the band provided a energetic show and we liked what we saw.  As a consequence, we bought Good.  Initial listens had me thinking it reminds me of an updated version of The Cars or maybe a bit like Custard, both of whom we've reviewed here in the past.

But Good doesn't do anything new.  In fact, given some of the other acts I've recently listened to, this pales into the ordinary.  Maybe it was late in the day and I was tired, but I actually found myself yawning while I listened to this.  Not a good sign, no, not good at all. 

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

For more information: http://www.myspace.com/goodshirtnz

The Motels - No Vacancy (the best of the Motels)

YOURZ

It's funny we're reviewing this as lead singer Martha Davis has been staring at me from a picture hanging in our kitchen for almost as long as Mine and YourZ (truly) have been together.  But I've been told this is all I can say about the picture as the story of why belongs to Mine (better to do as I'm told than risk another beating). (Mine says: glad to see you're finally getting the message)

I have fond memories of The Motels, associated with being in an early eighties covers band in which we played Total Control.  The song was always a winner with the audience.  In fact, it was one of those tracks we could rely on to get the audience up and dancing, even though it was kind of slow.  Don't ask me why, though.

I'm actually surprised by how many tracks off No Vacancy I'm familiar with, given that I've never had anything more than a passing interest in the band.  Quite a few of these songs were played a lot on radio and music television in Australia in the early eighties, as The Motels, for some reason, struck a chord with the general public and were quite popular here.  These tracks sound quite dated now but in the same way The Cars tracks sound a little dated.  Unlike The Cars, though, I don't think I'll be revisiting this album in a hurry.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

MINE

The picture hanging on the wall of our kitchen was taken on the night of 11 November, 1980, when I saw the Motels live for the first time.  I went along with a group of friends (Hi Deb and Karen!) and we'd declared the day National Motels Day, skipping school and consuming lashings of rose, our favoured drink of the time.

The details of how we spent the time between then and the actual concert has blurred, but I remember being terrified I'd be carded at the door - it was a licensed venue and I was four days off my 18th birthday.  Deb and I knew all the words to the songs bar one - which wasn't on either their self-titled debut album or the follow-up, Careful.

It remained the best night of my life for some time, which is why I took the opportunity to buy the photo some months later.  I'm sad it's faded over the years, and wish I'd spent that extra bit of money I didn't have at the time to buy the framed print, rather than the laminated board.  So if anyone knows if photographer Steve Nebauer still has the negatives from that night, maybe they could drop me a line?  I have more cash these days.

Martha Davis was a personal hero of mine.  She wasn't a teeny-bopper goo-goo doll, she was a real woman fronting a real band writing real songs - much like another hero of mine, Debbie Harry of Blondie.  For that, and because those songs are still as fresh in my mind 30 years later, this album is always staying with me.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (Celia, see what you've done...)

For more information: http://www.themotels.com/

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke

YOURZ

Oh, guess who loves the 80s.  Ladyhawke does, that's who.  But rather than copy the sounds, Pip Brown (her real name) has remodelled the sounds and updated them to create a hybrid blend that works well.

While this album has been in our collection for some time, I dismissed its presence as more girly dance music, the sort Mine loves.  But the reality is far from my rather blinkered point of view.  This album has some great new wave rock moments reminding me of some of Kim Wilde or Pat Benatar, which, in case you're wondering, is a good thing.  (There's also a little bit of Billy Idol as well - just listen to the track Danny & Jenny).

Oh, there are some more obvious influences for sure, but these are more in passing rather than as templates for the whole album.  In fact, Ladyhawke has more depth and substance than many similar artists who have adopted the same stylistic references.  As a début, it's certainly allowing Pip to spread her wings and leave room to fly in any direction she chooses.  And I can't wait to see where she lands.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE:

One of the albums I bought for myself purely with my Music Magazine Mojo (MMM), this New Zealand singer's debt to the 70s and 80s is obvious from the second you begin listening.  Artists that coursed through my mind as the tracks ticked by include 10CC, Gary Numan, the Cars and Blondie.  And there have been times in the past that I've dissed modern bands for re-creating the sounds of previous eras.  I mean, if I want to listen to that sound, I'll play those albums, right?

But there's a moment in this CD - I think it's the hit single My Delirium - that made me just smile and say, what the hell.  When reinventing Sounds Past to make Sounds of Now really works.  Funny, I listened to this a lot when I first bought it but I've been ignoring it recently.  This Stops Now.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com/ 

The Cars - Complete Greatest Hits

MINE

When YourZ informed with excitement some time ago that he'd bought this CD, my response was lukewarm.  And I guess it's kind of remained that way - not because the tunes aren't good, because they are; and not because I don't like the band, because I do; but because working in commercial radio has ruined The Cars for me.

They are such a staple of classic hits radio, it's quite impossible for me to get overly enthused about Let's Go or  Shake It Up.  It's a bit like Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street - once a firm favourite and now it makes me cringe.

Which is sad, because listening to the songs in a bunch like that instantly transports me to my last year of high school, where Candy-O was a staple record in many people's collections.  Not to mention the visceral response I have to My Best Friend's Girl due to an unfortunate incident where I was "the girl" referred to.  In fact, listening to the song the other day made me remark out loud to myself "What were you thinking?"  All I can say is - sorry, Richard.

VERDICT:TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

Ah, yes, The Cars. They hold a special significance for me. Let's Go was the first single I ever bought with my own money (and I still have it too). I'm amazed it hasn't been worn flat with the amount of play it's received over the years. I coveted the album it came from, Candy-O, like you wouldn't believe but wasn't able to afford to buy it. Thankfully, friends who had it taped it so I didn't miss out. A few years later, when I had the funds, I was able to buy my very own copy.

Unlike Mine, I have absolutely no problem with listening to any of the songs on Complete Greatest Hits (well, maybe with the exception of the later ballady songs, which never really appealed to me anyway). Listening to the collection for this review reminded me of being in a covers band in the early 80s and playing a number of their song (the band, in very 80s fashion, was called U4RIA - geddit? The irony, oh the irony, was we were a 5 piece and thought we were so clever) My Best Friend's Girl and You Might Think were staples of our set and very popular with both the band and audience.

I also remember being blown away by their use of technology. They managed to rock and sound new wave at the same time - how cool! And the overdubbed vocals (reputed to be 72 tracks in You're All I've Got Tonight, for instance) was only rivalled, at the time, by Queen. All this served to make a very big impression on me, both as a fan and as a wannbe rock star. I still love simple-sounding rock tunes the most.

But mostly doing this served to remind me I need to add Candy-O and Shake It Up to our ever-growing list of CDs to own.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP


For more information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cars (I know, it's Wikipedia but it's all there is)

Weezer - Deluxe Edition

MINE

When the pointy stick landed on this CD, my dear husband did a happy dance around the room.  Seriously.  Because he doesn't just love Weezer, I think he'd have their babies if he could.

While I'm not as committed to the band, I do like the tunes - mostly - with the exception of a few less-than-girl-friendly lyrics and a couple of shouty numbers.  I don't have any great Weezer moments to share with you, so all I can say is it's good music well done, and I'm happy to have it playing around me any time.  In fact...

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

YOURZ

I love Weezer.  No, seriously, I love Weezer.  But not in the fanboy, collecting-every-last-bit-of-merchandise way.  And certainly not in the way Mine would have you believe either.  I love them for the same reason I've mentioned numerous times on these pages - they're lots of fun and they don't take themselves seriously.  They also inspired a whole generation of geeks who previously thought they couldn't be in a cool band. And they also sound fucking huge live too (I also love their Van Halen logo ripoff).  All right, I think I've said love sufficiently enough times for you to get the idea I like them a lot.

The original copy of this album (known as the Blue Album) has been in my collection since it was released.  I was initially attracted to it because the cover looked similar to another favoured album by great Aussie band The Sunnyboys (although I only have this on vinyl... hmm, about time I got in on CD, I think).  While the Sunnyboys name proved to be ironic, Weezer, on the other hand, are a full-winded, clear-throated rock fest of massive proportions.

It seems as though this record was destined to have an impact on me.  First of all, its produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars, a band who I have loved since my teen days.  But more of them later (we'll be reviewing this great band soon).  Secondly, both Undone The Sweater Song and Buddy Holly videos were produced by Spike Jonze, another favourite.  Add to this similar cultural references (Kiss, Ace Frehely, X-men etc) and its as though Weezer and I shared the same childhood.  I wonder if they got beat up as much as I did? 

This copy, the Deluxe Edition, comes with a second CD and a booklet and was released 10 years after the original, which sold ridiculous amounts around the world.  Considering lead Weezer Rivers Cuomo thought the album wouldn't sell more than 100, its done pretty well for itself.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

For more information: http://www.weezer.com/

In our collection we also have Weezer (The Green Album), Weezer (The Red Album), Maladroit and Raditude