I was a fan of Greg Kihn pretty much from the beginning, by which I mean upon the release of the fabulous proto-New Wave sampler Beserkley Chartbusters in 1976 (which also included The Rubinoos, and don't get me started on them).
But before Kihn had his well-deserved MTV smash hits in the 80s, like this one you may recognize...
...there was this unsung (heh) classic.
"Rendezvous" -- from his killer 1979 LP With the Naked Eye.
Bruce Springsteen gifted Kihn that song (which had, insanely, been left off of Darkness on the Edge of Town, because Jon Landau is a blithering idiot). A gesture which, among other things, speaks well for the Boss's generosity and finely-tuned ear for kindred artists -- think "Because the Night"/Patti Smith.
In any case, IMHO. that song pretty much defines what power pop is -- starting with that Byrds-ian intro riff for the ages -- and Kihn's version is transplendent. I mean, I used to force people who came to my house to undergo it. No kidding -- I would make them sit down and listen to it before serving drinks and hors d'ouevres, and if they had a problem, tough shit.
I should add that Kihn also had a seperate highly successful post rock-star career as a deejay and a horror novelist, i.e. he was your basic Renaissance dude. I hate him, obviously.
I should also add that he died of Alzheimers, and yet was younger than me. Frankly, I find that incomprehensible for a zillion reasons.
Have I mentioned that this death shit is really starting to piss me off?
16 comments:
Both great songs/versions.
Side note: That Beserkley collection had THE best version of Jonathan Richman doing "Roadrunner," the one where he goes into a bit of beat poetry at the end. No other version comes close, and it's ridiculously hard to find.
If I remember correctly, 1981 was the year I started hearing music on my own and liking things that I heard. I was seven. The Breakup Song was one of the first three 45 r.pm. singles I bought as a little boy. Still have it.
great
https://shorturl.at/CNrhS
His second album is as close to perfect as any record ever.
https://kleaveburg.blogspot.com/2017/11/greg-kihn-greg-kihn-again-1977.html
One of my favorite power pop artists. Saw the band at least 10 times in the early 80's - always good fun.
"Rendezvous" is killer, as is his cover of Bruce's "For You".
"Again" and "Next of Kihn" are (to me) his best albums, but all of his Beserkley work is worth checking out.
- Paul in DK
Steve and All; Many thanks for the kind tribute to the 'everyman' of power pop and who seemed to be a common, decent human being who loved rock & roll. Echoing others - Berserkley output his best - Next of Kihn; the song "Remember" ; Was happy for his mid-career hitmaking, if for nothing else his perseverance. God Speed Greg Kihn.
You are so right about the Boss's generosity. Along with Patti Smith, he also gave 'Fire' to Robert Gordon and produced Joe Grushecky's fantastic LP 'American Babylon.'
And that Beserkely Chartbusters is a great comp right up there with 'Nuggets.'
I was gonna go to bat for "Remember" and 'Next Of Kihn', which was my intro to GK, but others beat me to it. 'RocKihnRoll' -- the one with "The Break-Up Song" -- is chock full o' solid catchiness, too.
C in California
Agree with Paul in DK on Again and Next of Kihn. Two of my faves, but maybe that's because I saw him on those tours as an opening act. I like Gary "U.S." Bonds' version of Rendezvous better than Kihn's. I was raising toddlers in the Eighties and they really took to The Break-Up Song. They could barely talk and already had the ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah's and chorus down.
"Remember" was done live in one take. The band doesn't get enough credit. When I saw them in '78 and '80 they were outstanding.
VR
I agree with Steve, Jon Landau is a blithering idiot. His production on MC5's second album is a testament to that. Also, Landau wrote "I saw rock 'n' roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen." Bruuuuuuce! The champion of the working class, the little guy, bla, bla, bla ....... my ass.
VR -- now that you mention it, I prefer the Gary US Bonds version of Rendezvous too. 😎
The " Breakup" song has been the earworm of my day. So much so that I have revisited every show on my DVR.
I heard the songs refrain some where recently and am bamboozled as to where
rob
EVERY band played "The Break Up Song" including mine; how could you not?
It was cool that Greg put pictures of vintage guitars on his album covers, although those Vox guitars look cool but play like shit.
The Beserkley stable was great. Found a 7" sampler at the radio station I worked at (which didn't play THAT kind of music) and discovered some great stuff that lead to a life-long love of the Rubinoos.
(they played some recent east coast gigs and still rule. Google "Rubinoos 2024" and see what I mean).
Bob in IL
The R
Anon, really the VOX guitars play "like shit" ? I was always taken with Brian Jones tear drop guitar. While not as iconic as Paul's Hofner it still stands out as unique when everything was basically a Strat copy design or Gibson H/B
rob
Anon - the VOX guitars play like shit ?
I remember those photos and vids of Brian Jones playing this VOX teardrop.
While not as iconic as Paul's Hofner both guitars stood out among guitars of the day Gibsons Flying V was again an iconic guitar notably for Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash
rob
The song "Sorry" from the album NEXT OF KIHN (1978) - that was my first exposure to Greg Kihn. An FM station in Buffalo, N.Y. that I used to listen to added that track and I would hear it from time to to time. I liked the song a lot and eventually I found a copy of it on 45. That 45 is still in my collection. Friends of mine who have a cover band used to do "The Break Up Song" as part of their set. R.I.P. Mr Kihn.
was really sorry to hear this.
great song springsteen gave him there. darkness on the edge of town era. wasn't that around the time he supposedly shows up on a dictators track too? i was never sure if that was true or apocryphal.
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