Monday, December 22, 2014

7th night of Chanukah: V/A - Metrojets Vols. 1 & 2 (Red Rubber Ball)

I suppose I couldn't get away without sharing something that's squarely in the power pop vein for one of my Chanukah posts, now could I?  With a combined 37 tracks, these beauties more than fit the bill. The two Metrojets compilations slipped in and out of circulation rather quickly when they dropped in the mid-00s (no copyright date provided) via the Spanish Red Rubber Ball labelWith an emphasis on virtual unknowns in the DIY realm spanning the years 1977-82, Metrojets was an instant draw for me, even if I had little to no acquaintance with the music enshrined within.  I have a huge affinity with music from this era for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that music was still being tracked on analog equipment, imbuing recordings with a warmer tone.  Secondly, the "genre" was still relatively fresh and tuneage of this sort wouldn't hit the overkill phase until later in the eighties.  With Metrojets, I’m tempted to draw parallels between Bomp Records style power pop acts, and those featured in the Teenline series, however the emphasis here is on British practitioners, with only about a third of the roster being culled from the Yankee camp. 

Since I don’t have time to offer track-by-track critiques, the liner notes, albeit brief, do some of the heavy lifting for me, which is why I scanned them in  At the very least I can make a few quick recommendations – Bo & The Generals, The Subterraneans, Straight Eight, The Spys, New Toys, Urgent Crunch Band, and Paul Warren & The Explorers.  Incidentally I have featured only two of Metrojets participants before this posting – The Fans (Atlanta) and The Queen Annes, the latter of which saw the release of an excellent retrospective this year, Something Quick on Green Monkey Records.  The Annes offered a classy “Me” generation update on par excellence British Invasion rock, and are well worth further investigation.  Enjoy. 

Volume 1
01. The FansTrue
02. The Realists - I've Got A Heart
03. Stumblebunny - When You Walk Away
04. Straight Eight - I'm Sorry
05. Speedometors - Tonight Tonight
06. Bo & The Generals - Rich Girl
07. The Boys - (Baby) It's You
08. Sponsors - In & Out Of Love
09. Da Biz - On The Beach
10. Brian Copsey & The Commotions - Boys In Love
11. The Blades - Hot For You
12. Advertising - Stolen Love
13. The Vye - Five Hours Till Tonight
14. The Subterraneans - My Flamingo
 
Volume 2
01. T-Boys - One Way Street
02. Tennis Shoes - (Do The) Medium Wave
03. Queen Annes - This Is That
04. Furys - Moving Target
05. Jo Allen & The Shapes - Cryin' Over You
06. Dee & The Monitors - Play With Fire
07. New Toys - Say It
08. RealistsWonderland
09. DazzlersPhonies
10. Spys - Heavy Scene
11. White Heat - The City Beat
12. Shades - Are You My Angel
13. Urgent Crunch Band - Listen To Silence
14. Expressos - Hey Girl
15. Sweet Tommy Band - She Don't Respond
16. Bozos - Weekend Girl
17. Paul Warren & The Explorers - Mr. A&R Man
18. Ric Tubbax & The Taxis - Breakin' Up
19. Monos! - Mad Lover
20. Fingerprintz - Dancing With Myself
21. Nick Gilder - Metro Jets (unlisted track)
  

Metrojets Vol. 1: Hear
Metrojets Vol. 2: Hear

2 comments:

eric said...

Thanks for the gifts! I'm playing catchup tonight and listening to them all. This one is my favorite. The Magazine and Wire posts are also a thrill to hear. Happy holidays.

Beyes said...

Hi - could you please re-up this? I recently was made aware of a newly released live Monos album from 1978 on bandcamp, but I have a feeling their studio work is harder to come by. Thanks!