|   Retro comp review - 3LockBox's 1981 | PwrPopGuy
Aug 10, 2002 3:12 PM | | A few track-by-track comments:
1. The Way Life's Meant to Be - ELO - The comp starts out with somewhat of an odd choice for an opening track, not that it's a bad song- I'm a major ELO fan and the album from which this track came, "Time", was their last strong effort before they split up in '86, but I'd have probably chosen another track from that album, or at least placed this one in a different sequence on the comp. This song does have a lyric where Jeff Lynne says he wishes he was back in 1981, so it's a good comp theme track.
2. Destroyer - Kinks- the song uses the "All the Day, All the Night" chord sequence. Not a particular favorite for me from '81, but one that got a lot of airplay on FM rock stations that year, so this was a good choice for an '81 "flashback" comp.
3. Fine Girl - Frank Zappa- humorous track, typical Zappa fare. What I like most about this track is the way 3Lockbox sequed it naturally into...
4. Superfreak- Rick James -no need to comment, everyone knows this track. An all-time party favorite.
5. Heart Like a Wheel - Steve Miller Band - I hadn't heard this track probably <i>since</i> 1981 and had completely forgotten about it. Typical Steve Miller sound, good old-fashioned rock 'n roll.
6. Tainted Love - Soft Cell - a staple track from '81, this tune's got a lot of radio mileage in the years since.
7. Souvenir - O.M.D.- first time hearing this one, so interesting from a novelty standpoint. Will probably grow on me the more I play this comp.
8. The Real Thing - Brothers Johnson - nicely-produced funky number with horns complimenting the arrangement. Good turn-it-up, party number- what ever happened to these guys?
9. Little T & A - Rolling Stones - good choice from one of the strongest Stones albums after a bleak late-70's period.
10. Rock This Town - Stray Cats - I had to skip this one, not that I don't like it- I do, but I've heard it almost as much as Free Bird!
11. Life of Illusion - Joe Walsh - I always liked this offbeat, slightly out-of-tune number from Walsh, so it's good to have it on a comp.
12. My Kinda Lover - Billy Squier - another good choice from one of the best rock albums from '81.
13. Pearl Necklace - ZZ Top - from the El Loco album. This is ZZ's album a year or two before they hit the MTV airwaves with the Eliminator tracks. Not their best but still good.
14. She's A Bad Mamma Jamma - Carl Carlton - another excellent funky R&B jam. Has anyone done a comp of late 70's/early 80's funk like this? I'd like to have a copy if there is one.
The remaining tracks:
15. Tempted - Squeeze
16. The Voice - Moody Blues
17. Tom Sawyer - Rush
18. Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult
19. Still They Ride - Journey
20. Flying High Again - Ozzy Osborne
A couple of closing comments: I really enjoyed hearing B.O.C.'s "Burnin' For You" on disc, despite hearing it many, many times over the years on classic rock formats. Hearing the same song on your CD player that you've heard on the radio is usually much more enjoyable- as with remasters, you hear little details in the music you never noticed on the radio, especially if the track <i>is</i> a remaster! (don't know if this one is or not but it sounds good). One real problem seque on this comp, 3Lock: going from the low-volume Journey track into the LOUD Ozzy track- it was really startling!!
Overall comments: Despite my nit-picking points, I liked this comp, it's a really well-put-together collection of tunes that does a pretty decent job of taking me back to the year 1981. That's the whole point of these "retro" comps and I'm looking forward for more of them to start rolling in :-) Grade: A |
| Comp was based more on availabilty than anything else. | 3-LockBox
Aug 13, 2002 10:10 AM | | Any seques good or bad are merely coincidences. Yes I reallize that going from Still They Ride to Flying High Again was stark. I though it might jolt a few:-) I probably had four or five other songs I coulda used instead but...I don't suspect that too many of these year-in-review comps will get a whole lot of rotation. Maybe the songs will end up on other, more interesting comps. That's cool with me.
Yech's got a comp called Pass The Afrosheen you might enjoy. |
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