Nothing But Hits

Have a night off.

Don't have a whole lot to say.
I worked an extra shift so I could spend stupid money on a batch of records that have been lingering on my wantlist a while and I got the itch to finally pull the trigger on.

These aren't them.

But they're Hits.

the Hit Squad (1980)

From our good friends at Break'er Records came this actually pretty credible cover of the Status Quo hit "Pictures of Matchstick Men" from before they grew their hair out really long and made a long series of more or less mediocre rock records through the 70's. (And I may be being kind of overly harsh, but I'm cranky this evening)

The B-side is a bit odder. It's a cover of "Thou Shall Not Steal" by the Wailing Souls turned from the original reggae version into something more akin to to Doo Wop.

You can decide for yourself if either side is an improvement.

In Gunnersby Park (1991)

So this is the Hit Parade. It's on Sarah records. It's some earnest heartfelt acoustic songs.

You know the drill.

The band itself had apparently existed for quite a while. Their first single being released in 1984 chock full of chorus pedals and happy girls. I can imagine them sharing a bill or two with Haircut 100 to great effect.

Typos are Fun.

It's the thirteenth. Time for another installment.

Bands That Could be God (1983)

The word on the street is that when now Matador records honcho Gerard Cosloy was putting this record together back in his ill spent youth he made a typo. The intent was to title the record "Bands that Could be Good" but missed an 'O' and went with it. I can't exactly speak to the veracity of that since the memory is vague and old and dates from around the time of this release, but let's just go with it.

I can't find a decent tracklist to copy and paste and certainly don't feel the desire to do any more typing than absolutely necessary at the moment so here's a link to appropriate the Discogs page. It will give you an idea. State of the art of Boston circa 1983.

Getting High

I don't know much about this stuff. I don't feel the need. These singles just are.

Enjoy as such.

Flag (1989)

First single of three by Boston's long forgotten High Risk Group.
Google says they played some reunion shows in 2014.
That's about all really.
Enjoy?

(Turn on Your) Love Light (1965)

Also first of three singles by Minneapolis' long forgotten High Spirits.

Discogs says they played some reunion shows in 1984, 1998 and 1999.

That's about it really.

Enjoy?

Getting this Party Startled

Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. 

Hidden Chord (2000)

I've probably said it before, but the Twin Cities had a pretty good but largely ignored music scene around the turn of the century. Even I had a band. (We played for literal dozens of people). But alas, not even the people in and around here paid much attention. So much lost potential.

One of those bands was the Hidden Chord.

Here is one of their singles. Listen to it and decide for yourself.

Hold Steady (2013)

Yeah, Lifter Puller existed all through the 90's and nobody paid attention until half of that band moved to Brooklyn in 2000 and started doing a different version of the same thing. Then the hipsters had a big nerdgasm. Personally, the Hold Steady don't quite do it for me in the same way though. They're like the Springsteen Big Anthem version of Lifter Puller. But to each his own.

This was some kind of Record Store Day release by them bought a few years after the fact as sealed old stock. I think I got my two dollar's worth.

Happy Fucking New Year.

You may or may not be hungover.

I probably worked. I'm not.

On a Sunday (1983)

Yeah, so to gently ease your throbbing temples into the spit warm waters of the great chasm of 2018 I give you the mild sweet pop confection of Nick Heyward from my well loved personal copy of the lead off double seven inch of his solo career.

If you know Nick Heyward at all it's likely to be from his days as a young attractive cardigan model fronting Haircut 100 for their brief foray into the public consciousness before sinking quickly into obscurity to await the middle age of its teenage fans whence the nostalgic reunion tours could begin.

(I mean, that band really had some kind of weird sweater fetish. Look at the official video for "Love Plus One" and tell me different...)

Anyway, following the success of the first Lp, as frequently happens the lead singer goes solo and here we are. Two tracks from the Lp "North of a Miracle" (one song of which would end up in "Sixteen Candles" soundtrack)

So let yourself sink into the treacly goodness and float away into a fresh start before the shit starts anew.