Medialoper

We're Not Who You Think We Are

Archives for April 1984

The Smiths – The Smiths

by

(Sire)

If you bought this album because of the bouncy, uptempo singles “This Charming Man” and “What Difference Does It Make,” then like me you might have been initially disappointed. At first I was put off by the preponderance of slower songs and lead singer Morrissey’s lyrics. But when I discovered that even a lyric as obnoxious as “I decree today that life is simply for the taking and not giving” is rendered singable by Johnny Marr’s wonderful pop guitar, suddenly this album clicked. I’ve been listening to it with a growing fascination ever since. And when I realized that even the slowest songs have depth and power, I can only conclude that this is the best debut album so far of 1984.

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As Published in the Dead Air Diary April 1984

The Cars – Heartbeat City

by

(Elektra)

As Published in the Dead Air Diary April 1984

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Their worst effort to date. Though it’s somewhat a departure from the “Cars sound” (perfectly defined in their debut) it’s as anomyous and boring as Loverboy. The temptation is to blame it on producer “Mutt” Lange, but when guitarist Elliot Easton trades in the Fripp-like guitar lines of Shake it Up (their second best album) for the borrowed Duran Duran and Jefferson Starship guitar on this record, then you know where the main problem lies. It’s great for a band to reorganize it’s sound, but horrible when they steal everybody else’s.

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Buzzcocks – Parts 1-3

by

(I.R.S.)

As Published in the Dead Air Diary April 1984

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The Buzzcocks were a pop anomaly. In any other era but ’77 they would have been hailed as a great band, but at the time they were overshadowed by the Sex Pistols, Clash and Jam. On the other hand, they would have been unthinkable in any other era. Because in their heyday, the ‘cocks were the perfect marriage of punk and pop. Their two American albums Singles Going Steady and A Different Kind of Tension are as good as anything from that era. The Parts 1-3 EP is the Buzzcocks near the end, as they were becoming more experimental and accordingly, most of the songs are too cluttered to be top-notch Buzzcocks. Great exception: “What Do You Know,” where wild sax drives Peter Shelley into a great vocal frenzy. Overall, the EP is worthwhile, just like everything else with “Buzzcocks” on it

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