This isn't my first entry regarding the should-have-been huge Pengwins, an Arlington, TX power pop troupe comandeered by one Lannie Flowers, who set up shop in 1976 and kept the flame burning until the early '90s. In fact, last year I wrote up his latest solo endeavor, New Songs, Old Stories. It was the Pengwins 1988 Mad About the Band ep that put the Pengwins on my radar, albeit posthumously. As I mentioned in my 2011 post, that ep was essentially where the band's discography began and ended. That's about the change, starting with the first volume in a staggering sixteen part series of 7" singles, that come housed in a handsome flip-top cardboard box, complete with beautiful packaging. Each single will feature one new song from the reunited Pengwins, and one vintage Pengwins song, remixed/remastered for the twenty-first century. Housed in the box along with the 45 will be a CD of the tracks, a download card, and an assortment of band memorabilia - buttons, pics, stickers, and in the case of Volume 1, some thoughtful liner notes.
The vintage rarity for the premiere 45 is none other than the Pengwins 1977 signature-song "Life After the High School," a primo four-minute salvo that could go toe to toe with anything the Shoes and Dwight Twilley were responsible for during the same era. "Naive" is the new selection, and ironically, it's a sobering reflection on, well...life after high school.
The single/box is available from CD Baby and by emailing SpyderPop through their website. A digital version of the tracks (as well as 30 second previews) are also available via CD Baby and Amazon downloads, but seriously, you'll want the physical version and all it's accompanying trimmings. The Mad About the Band ep is still available for the taking here.
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