This is not the same Lines from Long Island that I featured a few years back, nor is it the slightly more renown Brit post-punk act of the same name. Nope, these Lines were jotted down in the environs of Boston a good three decades ago ago. A highly competent and polished wave/power-pop quintet steeped in '80s synthy nuances, (the) Lines were helmed by one Eric Hafner, who had an occasional propensity for hitting an unmistakable Ric Ocasek-like timbre (check out the title track if you want to call my bluff). Standby's key saving grace is that it's every bit as much fun as it is derivative. Considering it's a product of such an excess-fueled era to begin with, this is one you're liable to love or hate. And with that, enjoy (or not).
01. Standby
02. Ran Away
03. Wake Up
04. Friends
05. Fear the Dark
06. Living End
16 comments:
This website has been my obsession the last couple of weeks. What a great blog! I have just found out that all of your links are no longer working.
You're too kind. Thanks. I just tried a couple links, and everything seems to be working. Are you getting any errors?
Netkups does not allow me to download or register. Do you know why?
I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm surprised to hear it won't even let you register. What error does it give you?
It was saying Bad Gateway and Timeout but everything seems to be working now. Thank God. I spend hours everyday on your blog. Thanks
Never heard of these guys.Will give a listen.Thanks as always.
I recall The Lines as a Boston band that the local writers were always tabbing as "on the verge of breaking through". Never saw them live.
Is this the same Lines who (if I'm remembering correctly) had one of those 10-inch "special" EP's that some record label (Epic?) tried to use to break "new wave" acts?
Ace K.
Hey Ace. The Lines didn't have an ep as part of the Nu Disk series, but some other bands did. I shared a couple of them in 2009. Have a look/listen:
http://wilfullyobscure.blogspot.com/2009/05/brave-nu-disk-world-propaganda-calling.html
I've been loving your blog and your taste in music for a while. Thanks for the exposure to bands that are new to me. I have a request, if it is possible. I've been looking for a good copy of Negativland's Escape From Noise and I cannot find one. My copy is all messed up. thanks for your time and stuff
Hey Spavid,
Thanks for the reference to the Nu Disk series -- it was Straight Lines!
At the time me and a few like-minded friends really wanted to find some great, new, unknown bands through that series. Didn't happen, but I guess even then I had the "bug" in me to explore the less commercial side of pop music in search of unknown gems. HENCE, my daily visits to Willfully Obscure. Great site.
Ace K.
Could you re-up this please? Thanks. :)
Also, this Lines is the band that also released three other albums I'm interested in hearing:
Dirty Water (1984)
Take Me Away (1985)
Will You Still Love Me When I've Lost My Mind? (1987)
Hi hope everything's ok with you
any chance to re-up this one?
Thank you very much
Hi there is it possible for an repost please, all the best and thank you for your great blog
I would also appreciate a re-up of this one! TIA
As a Bostonian, who saw the band live numerous times in the early 80s, I was excited when this one came out - then disappointed with the track selection as there was far superior songs in their live set at the time than these.
Still, there's some good ones in here as I recall - and I *will* recall because I'm going to download and listen to them for the first time in 35 years in a few minutes! :-D
I THOUGHT THEY WERE GREAT! I ROADIED FOR THEM FOR A BIT. WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY YEAR! LOVE THAT DIRTY WATER! SURE WISH I STILL HAD THAT CASSETTE
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