Example: The Beat.
I mean, look at this site! This is a freaking crime!
There is no "inventory". CD's are made to order and "one of a kind", not available at any store anywhere.
I cannot express my relief that this situation has been rectified. Last week, Wounded Bird Records released The Beat's two classic power pop records on a twofer disc (I love those, as seen here and here, for example.) Here's the band bio, from allmusic.com (whose links I can never make work...)
A Los Angeles-based power pop outfit formed by Paul Collins (ex-Nerves), the Beat recorded its self-titled debut LP after signing to Columbia Records in 1979. Despite good reviews and some regional success, the album failed to make much impact. A second attempt, 1982's The Kids Are the Same (this time credited to Paul Collins' Beat), also failed and effectively broke up the band. However, Collins returned the following year with a harder-rocking lineup including Patti Smith Group drummer Jay Dee Daugherty. Their EP, To Beat or Not to Beat, was again ignored; it proved to be the band's last recording. While it seemed that the Beat's only claim to fame would be forcing the (English) Beat to change its name in the U.S., their albums are now seen as classic examples of power pop. Paul Collins returned to a solo career into the '90s, signing to Wagon Wheel Records.
Let me be clear: I never actively sought hipster obscurity. I just listened to what I liked and paid not very much attention to whether others liked it too. That's the opposite of hipster obscurity: I'm just a geek, and I embrace my geekiness. But I never understood why The Beat weren't huge.
In the early 90's, their classic tune "Rock & Roll Girl" was covered by The Muffs on Freedom of Choice, a CD to benefit Planned Parenthood. So they've been out there, had an effect, but never really commercial success. But they're a great band, and I encourage everyone to pick up the CD. I will, next payday!
Now, if only I can get the Starjets on CD.....
6/8 UPDATE: As it transpires, there's a "rogue former member" of The Beat selling these CD-R's! Oops. The real website is here. Thanks for the heads-up, readers! I'm always interested in making sure the artist gets his or her due.
14 comments:
in a similar vein, Twin/Tone does the same thing with most of their catalogue, including the classic "Luxury Condos (Coming to your neighborhood soon)"
The Starjets *are on CD. Captain Oi released it a few years back.
And don't forget The Nerves!
Emerson, I don't know a heck of a lot about the Nerves, just that they were Collins' band before The Beat. I get the sense from reading old Bomp!s that the Nerves were NYC and the Beat LA, is that right? I know Collins moved from one coast to the other sometime in that period.
Kid C,
You're joking me! Not *that* I need to find. God Bless Starjets is one of those great lost records, and I have an essay stewing inside me comparing the Starjets to there fellow scenesters The Undertones. It's interesting to see how assiduously The Undertones avoided The Troubles (I mean, this was Northern Ireland 1979-80, a pretty tense place), and how directly the Starjets confronted them.
I refuse on principle to discuss Skrewdriver in this regard.
D'oh! Should be "Now *that* I need to find."
Speaking of the "troubles" what about Stiff Little Fingers? They were another Irish band that had a political edge.
NYM:
I have a ton of books but use allmusic.com and google to get most of my info. The famous single had "Hangin' On The Telephone", the excellent "When She Finds Out", "Working Too Hard" and maybe another one. Of The Nerves, allmusic wrote:
They could've been contenders had they stayed together long enough, but the Nerves, despite their brief existence, were one of the most exciting bands in power pop. Formed by Jack Lee, Peter Case, and Paul Collins in 1975, their career was over by 1978, but they produced a great EP that featured the power pop classic "Hanging on the Telephone," which was later recorded (and wonderfully so) by Blondie. Ultimately, having three talented songwriters in one band hurried the demise of the Nerves, and all three principals found greater happiness and success with their new bands; although Jack Lee (arguably the most talented songwriter of the three) had the shortest career and eventually dropped out of sight after a fine solo record (Jack Lee's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1) in 1981. Case went on to form the Plimsouls, who recorded two good records and a transcendent pop song, "A Million Miles Away." After breaking up in 1984, Case recorded as a roots rock solo act for the rest of the decade and into the '90s. Collins formed the Beat (later Paul Collins' Beat), who were merely OK, and has done little since the mid-'80s.
As an addendum to emerson's post, Peter Case and a Plimsouls did a great song about Jack Lee on their recent "Kool Trash" reunion disc called "Playing with Jack". A really nice return to form.
The Muffs are great. Saw them at Maxwell's years ago. And a Redd Kross connection!
"The Beat" is one of the very first of my LPs that I burned to CD years ago. It'll be nice to have the pro version, finally!
The Nerves existed from 1974-1977. They were one of the first punk bands in the U.S. On their Parallel Lines album, Blondie recorded a hit song by The Nerves called "Hanging on the telephone." Following the demise of The Nerves in 1977, Jack Lee went into the underground and Paul Collins played in a band with Peter Case called The Breakaways. Paul Collins sought to form a harder-rocking band and did so with The Beat. Also known as Paul Collins Beat, they were popular on the local California circuit, playing with bands such as Social Distortion and Silvertone, which later came to be known as Chris Isaak Band. The Beat toured extensively with bands such as The Ramones, Iggy Pop, The Jam, The Records, The Police, Shadows Of Knight, Joe Jackson, Eddie Money, Pere Ubu and Devo. Paul Collins Beat re-formed in 1989 and continues to release new albums, in between tours and live appearances. Nowadays, Paul Collins Beat has toured with numerous international acts, including Nancy Sinatra, who plays her unique blend of singer-songwriter and pop/rock.
I just went to the Paul Collins Beat website and it looks like they're selling autographed copies of the new album on cd. The clips sound really good and I really think this one goes back to the old sound that most of us remember.
The Paul Collins' Beat played this year at a big music festival in Texas. At that concert I met drummer Clem Burke from Blondie, he was standing next to me in the audience watching them play. I bought a tee shirt and some cds by The Paul Collins' Beat, but they didn't have the new cd ribbon of gold which is what they've been sampling on myspace. In 2007, indie film director Hans Lucas released a movie entitled Walking Out On Love, named after the song by The Paul Collins' Beat.
Paul Collins has written his second book, this one combines fiction and humor. Collins' new book is entitled "Pete The Fly," which tells the story of a fly Collins lives with in his apartment in New York.
Visit the official website for Paul Collins' Beat and The Nerves http://www.thepaulcollinsbeat.com
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