Classic Rock Bottom

While taking a break the last couple of weeks, I thought about what glorious series I could bring to my zillions and zillions of fans, something on par with last year's glorious series but even more glorious even though it would be hard to top the gloriousness of THAT series. 

Anyway, for the new year I decided that glorious me will devote the next glorious series to those artists that only released one album. This glorious series will hopefully last all glorious year long and technically could have started with the Treasure album that was posted last year, but we'll start anew.

How glorious will this be? Well, check out this video and you'll understand the majestic gloriousness to come!

 

Yeah, now you're psyched!

Well, might as well get to this week's selection. It's the 1986 release from David + David, Boomtown. This album had one song that got a lot of airplay plus another that received some airplay and was quite a critical favorite, deservedly so. 

After this album, David + David were no more even though one David has released solo albums while the other David has not but both contributed to Sheryl Crowe's 1993 album, Tuesday Night Music Club. You know, the one with that REALLY ANNOYING SONG. 

You know, after listening to that video for the last few hours, I now feel like ending this with an allmusic.com review and going out to do something, well, glorious.

David + David's Boomtown is a hard look at urban life in the 1980s, a time when many were fulfilling the American Dream of financial success and upward mobility. It is not an easy album to listen to, as the characters depicted in the songs are often dealing with major problems such as drugs and domestic violence. But it is an artful record, full of poetry and convincing stories of the hard times that many silently endured. At times the record is full of pop hooks, and at other stages a more bleak sound dominates. The vocals of David + David are also effective in telling the tales, as often there is a shrill, despondent quality that complements what is being related to the listener. In particular, the drums have kind of a hushed sound to them, and the guitars often purvey sounds of doom through distortion or other means. "Welcome to the Boomtown" is the hit off the album, and is one of various cuts that convincingly detail the many trials of the characters such as Kevin, who "deals dope out of Denny's keeps a table in the back." Although there are often hints of hope and seemingly a sense of compassion toward the subjects in the songs, it is not apparent that most will eventually pull themselves out of their predicaments. One may not want to listen to this record to lift the spirit, but it is a strong reminder of difficult situations faced during what can be perceived by many as the best of times.

Boomtown

1. Welcome to the Boomtown
2. Swallowed by the Cracks
3. Ain't So Easy
4. Being Alone Together
5. A Rock for the Forgotten
6. River's Gonna Rise
7. Swimming in the Ocean
8. All Alone in the Big City
9. Heroes

Availability: A used copy runs around $4. 

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I was just going to start a series on bands that only released 2 albums...  seriously!  but now I'll back off since thats probably what you want to do next year.

Wow, I completely forgot about bands that only released two albums because my next series was going to be about bands that only released three albums. I just never thought about the two album thang, I just skipped right by that!

Youre and odd kinda guy ...  I see now!

I gave some thought to doing a series on bands that released no albums...

I'm just tryin' to get in the conversation, that's all.

as long as its not an odd number Jon should be good with it!

10 hours of “Glorious I won’t give in until I’m Victorious”??? 10 HOURS?? No thanks…

This is drenched in 1986 production values and song stylings. Drenched I tell ya! However, I do like that opener, it has familiar ring to it that I can’t place. And yes, I know it was the hit, but I still can’t place it.

Definitely a more lyrically deep album, there’s no clichés here at least not obvious ones. However, the songs are melting into each other and by track 5 I’ve mentally lost bits and pieces of the last couple tracks. Its “A Rock for the Forgotten” that brings me back, but I’m not sure it was in a good way, it’s the weird vocal…

But the trend continues throughout the rest of the album, all 80’s pop music. Nothing bad here but nothing to make me stop and want to hear more. Clearly, I agree with your assessment of the RED track this week, its far and away the best thing on here…

Now get on with your odd self Jon! You do fine work here!! 10 hours??!!!

Never heard of David or David, or David and David, or just David.

Two tracks really stand out.  It's because they sound like they don't belong with the rest of the album.  That's track 2 and the closer.  They have a country feel to me and they would sound right at home being covered by a country artist.

A couple of tracks, for example Ain't So Easy, sound a lot like INXS. Not a bad thing, but not overly interesting.

But I'll tell you, the album gets moody as hell and dark as hell at track four.  Tracks four through eight all mover from one to the other very nicely, with some nice guitar playing.  Have I ever mentioned that I dig dark albums?  If I haven't before, I'm mentioning it now.  

I'm very impressed Jon, best album you've posted this year.  More dark albums like this please.

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