FLASHBACK 1978 (City Boy, The Boomtown Rats & Nazareth, and bonus: Judas Priest)

[Niels (Mod)]

Around 1978-79 I "discovered" many interesting bands like Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Jethro Tull and these 3 bands: City Boy, The Boomtown Rats and Nazareth.

 

1. CITY BOY - BOOK EARLY

The first of two "Mutt" Lange-produced albums in this weeks "Flashback" is one of my alltime favorite albums. I never seem to get tired of it. I had heard the european hits "5.7.0.5" and "What a night" on the radio, and bought the album, and to my pleaseant surprise, the album was much more, that those two songs. Notice the guitarist Mike slamer!!! He is/was a great guitarist, and I often wonder, why City Boy never made it bigger, than they did. There were 3 different good singers in the band in 1978. I bought this album in the beginning of 1979. some of my best spend money, that's for sure!

 

 

1. Summer In The School Yard

2. Goodbye Laurelie

3. Cigarettes

4. The World Loves A Dancer

5. Moving In Circles 

 

2. THE BOOMTOWN RATS - A TONIC FOR THE TROOPS

 

The second of two "Mutt" Lange-produced albums. I saw the video for the "new" song, "I don't like mondays" on the TV., and went out and bought the single, but I needed some more music, and bought this album in the autumn of 1979. ("IDLM" is not on this album, but on an album released later in 1979, called "A fine art of surfacing" also produced by Lange). This might be too "european" for the american taste, but give it a try. I think, it's a very, very good album. Of Course Bob Geldorf would go on and make "Do they know it's Chrostmas" and all that "Live Aid"-stuff, but at this time, before all that, he was rocking with the Rats.

 

 

1. Like Clockwork

2. (I never loved) Eva Braun

3. She's So Modern

4. Living In An Island

5. Rat Trap

 

3. NAZARETH - NO MEAN CITY

 

 This was one of the first albums I bought, besides KISS-records, (the first "non-KISS record I bought, was the first Van Halen) and I bought it mostly because of the cool cover. One of my friends, had the former album "Expect no mercy" and I really love that title-song. This album is my second-favorite Nazareth-album (the No.1 is "Hair of the dog"). I really get some good memories, listening to this album. I bought it around december 1978.

 

 

1. May The Sunshine

2. Simple Solution

3. Star

4. Claim To Fame

5. Whatever You Want Babe

 

Bonus:

 

4. JUDAS PRIEST - STAINED CLASS

 

In 1978, Judas Priest released not one, but two classic albums (well, in europe anyway), and one of them, is the "bonus-album" this week. The most known track on "Stained Class" must be "Beyond the realms of death", but it's a great album the whole way through. It's not one of the 3 best JP-albums, but it's WAY better than anything they released after 1984's "Defenders of the Faith". 

 

1. Better By You, Better Than Me

2. Stained Class

3. Invader

4. Beyond The Realms Of Death

5. Heroes End

 

If you want to enjoy this fine music, click here

http://www.podsnack.com/playlists/b458f9b66defbeb207ebacc7ca284353

[Scott]

I listened while I went through email and did both of my sons taxes this morning before work....

 

City Boy was actually pretty good, I liked all odd numbered tracks, 1, 3, and 5.  2 and 4, were just ok.

 

Boomtown Rats...  I think your right, they are 100% European and I'm not.  So I didnt get them at all.  But it is always good to listen and hear new stuff.  I may have a bias too, I dont really care for Bob Geldof and his treatment of the Michael Hutchence family after his death.  As classy as he has been to the worlds needs, he, in my opinion only, didnt seem to care at the individual level.

 

Nazareth...  Love them and I've totally forgotten about this album.  So awesome you posted this because it sounds really good and I may have to go see what my options are for CD purchase.

 

Judas Priest, I agree with your assessment, not their best but not bad either!  Always a nice listen.  Kinda wakes you up fast!

[Niels (Mod)]

I can't say I know, what Gedorf did to Hutchence's family, but I understand why he did'nt like the man himself, taking his wife and all.

[Scott]

that part I get too...  its the "rest of the story" thats sad....

[Niels (Mod)]

By the way, Scott. I'm glad you listened and liked some (most?) of it, I'm especially glad, that you liked City Boy. I can't praise them enough.

I think "No mean city" was re-released last year with some bonus-tracks. 

[Jon]

I liked City Boy. I think you may have posted a track or two from them before? If you did, I on't liked them too much, but do like this. Believe I will pick up this album.

 

Had a friend that liked the Boomtown Rats, I don't have a problem with them but it's not my type of music. "I Don't Like Mondays" is a great song though, the tracks you posted were ok but nothing that grabbed me.

 

As for Nazareth...I actually have this on vinyl and never listened to it. I'm with Scott on this one, I'm most probably going to pick this up (as well as "Expect No Mercy" and "Malice In Wonderland") soon.

 

As for Judas Priest, got it, have listened to it many times. It's a decent album, but not one of my favorite JP albums. Funny thing is, a co-worker and I were listening to some songs backwards at work, the song "Better By You...." was one of 'em because we wanted to see if we felt like "doing it" after listening to it but alas, we did not.  

 

Nice picks Niels!

[Niels (Mod)]

That sounds great to me, Jon. If I can make you buy a City Boy-album, I'm a happy man. It might be difficult to get though. I have'nt got "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" on CD yet (it's the album, they released in 1979). I think it's out of production, but good luck. I'm sure, you won't regret it. The song I earlier posted was from "Heads are rolling", their 1980-album. It also has some good songs, especially the title-song. 

Yeah, "Malice In Wonderland" is also a good album, a little bit "softer" than this one, and "Expect no Mercy". "Fallen Angel" is a very good track.

Do what?? he he heh

[RJhog (Admin)]

Ebay has it:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/City-Boy-Day-Earth-Caught-Fire-1979-cd-rock-/35...

 

...only $8.99

[Niels (Mod)]

Yeah, but me buying over the internet. No, not yet, anyway, I don't like it. I've never done it. Too bad, though. 

 

[Jon]

Looks like all their albums are available, so I'll probably pick up a couple soon. And nver bought anything from the internet? Wow, over 90% of the stuff I get is from the internet, haven't been burned yet. YET.    

[Jon]

And I guess "soon" meant now. Got their first 4 for $27 so a good deal! 

[RJhog (Admin)]

You are definitely the music mogul of our bunch...and that's meant as a compliment.

[Jon]

Aw shucks..it's not like I have about 70 cd's still in the wrapper (remember the Borders thing from a couple years ago? I still have a bunch of those I have not touched yet) and need more..something just grabbed me with Niels post and I decided to get stupid again.