The Toy Box: February 2025

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 43

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 43
Release Date: June 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Roderick Kingsley (who becomes one of many of the Hobgoblin), Belladonna, and her henchmen, Jack, Manny, and Moe
Peter invites Debra Whitman out on a date
Spider-Man gets a sample of Belladonna's toxin, and plans on using it to strengthen his web fluid formula
Short and simple story

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Kim Carnes - Café Racers

She's the Queen of Rasp and Roll, and no heir seems in sight to dethrone her.

Kim Carnes started out as a song writer and performer in the sixties, shaping her style and persona through demo tapes which she recorded with producer Jimmy Bowen. At the time, Carnes shared recording time with other soon to be noteworthy artists, Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and J.D. Souther.

Carnes would go on to work with her husband, Dave Ellingson, and the two would become the opening act for David Cassidy during his peak international stardom years. Though the two mostly performed her husband's music during these shows, Kim was eventually signed as a solo artist with Amos Records, and released her first studio album, Rest In Me, in 1971.

It wouldn't be until 1975 that Carnes would release her second, self titled, album. You're A Part Of Me, would become her first chart hit, peaking at number thirty-two. With a hit under her belt, she would return to the studio, and follow up with 1976's Sailin'. Though her track, Love Comes From Unexpected Places, would win prizes at multiple music festivals, the album ultimately didn't perform as well as expected.

Gene Cotton would reach out to her around this time frame, and recruit her to sing a duet version of her hit, You're A Part Of Me. The song once again charted, peaking at number thirty-six. The singer would return to the studio to release 1979's St. Vincent's Court, and 1980's, Romance Dance. However, her biggest breakthrough was yet to come.

Enter Kenny Rogers.

Rogers petitioned Carnes to join him in the studio for his 1980 album, Gideon. Specifically, to record the duet track, Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer. When released, the song would soar up the country charts to number four, becoming her biggest success at the time.

Back to the studio, Carnes set to work on her next, and highest selling album to date, Mistaken Identity. Led by the smash hit, Bette Davis Eyes, the album would ultimately go platinum, with the song spending nine weeks in the number one spot on the Billboard Charts.

High expectations pushed her 1982 follow up album, Voyeur, into the spotlight. While it didn't perform as well as her prior release, it still managed to reach gold status based on the hype. Overall, the album received mix reviews, but was still noted as a worthy successor to Mistaken Identity.

Carnes once again returned to the studio, releasing 1983's Café Racers. While it spawned multiple chart singles, the album wasn't as successful as her prior two albums, and continued her decline in overall success. Mind you, this was despite the album including the singers hit, I'll Be Where The Heart Is, which also appeared on the Flashdance soundtrack. However, in writing that, perhaps the problem was that people would rather buy that soundtrack at the time for its far superior material. Just a thought.

As for me, I fired up Café Racers today, honestly, I was quite surprised in how much I enjoyed it. Especially since I literally laughed out loud during my listening session of Mistaken Identity back in 2021.

What led me to purchase the albums were the tracks, You Make My Heart Beat Faster, and Invisible Hands. This icing on the cake was that I also really enjoyed Young Love, The Universal Song, Hangin' On By A Thread (A Sad Affair Of The Heart, and Kick In The Heart. While it wasn't a selling point, because I already own the soundtrack, having the hit from Flashdance as the ending track was a nice bonus.

Overall, this is what I wanted to hear from Kim Carnes. I wanted to understand what all the hype was, and this album made me aware. Café Racers achieved what I hoped it would. It's made me want to check out more from the artist, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Fortunately, I have options. Not only do I have the previously mentioned albums from the 80's, but also her follow ups, Barking At Airplanes (1985), Light House (1986), and View From The House (1988). The singer did try her luck in 1991 with Checkin' Out the Ghosts, but then promptly withdrew from the spotlight. She wouldn't return until 2004 with her last album to date, Chasin' Wild Trains. While I won't be checking out the latter two, I'm definitely going to dive into those 80's albums.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 28, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 28, 1987

Retro Spins: Eddy Grant - Killer On The Rampage

Protest hidden behind funky reggae made for a massive hit in 1982!

Eddy Grant began his career in 1965 as one of the founding members of The Equals. The band would go on to release multiple albums, producing multiple top forty hits, including the number one hit, Baby Come Back.

In 1969, while on tour, all five members were severely injured in an accident, with Grant suffering the greatest. Though he continued to write songs for the group, he withdrew from the shows. However, in 1971 he suffered from a collapsed lung, and heart attack which caused him to return to Guyana. It was upon recovering that he opted to pursue a solo career.

Grant released his first self titled album in 1975, and followed this up with 1977's Message Man. However, it would be his third album, Walking On Sunshine (1979), which would be his breakthrough as a solo artist, thanks to the UK top twenty hit, Living On The Frontline.

While he would release two albums in 1980, Love In Exile, and My Turn To Love You, it would be his 1981 album, Can't Get Enough which would put him back on the charts. The album spawned two hits, the title track, Can't Get Enough, and I Love You, Yes I Love You.

Bigger things were on the horizon, and this started with Grant relocating to Barbados, and opening Blue Wave Studios. It was here that he would set to work on his biggest album to date, 1982's Killer On The Rampage.

Firing up the album, I was immediately treated to the number two Billboard hit, Electric Avenue. I honestly didn't have high expectations beyond this point, and figured I would end up tuning the remainder of the album out as background noise. Boy, was I wrong. Well, sort of.

Killer On The Rampage is a pretty solid album. Well, at least the first half. After enjoying I Don't Wanna Dance, It's All In You, and War Party, I dipped out until being brought back with the title track of the album. From there, I kind of tuned things out again.

Overall, it was good enough that I would be willing to table in more of his stuff from the decade. I'm particularly interested in his albums, Can't Get Enough, and Go For Broke. The latter because it features the cut song originally intended for the soundtrack, Romancing The Stone.

Grant continued to release albums fairly steadily through the 80's, and like most artists of that time, dabbled a bit in the 90's, but then disappeared, only to return in the new millennium with a handful of additional albums. To date, Killer On The Rampage remains his only album to go gold in the USA.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 27, 1982

Retro Spins: Pajama Party - Up All Night

It wasn't initially on my want list, and I couldn't have told you what the group sang. However, one day while searching Discogs, I came across, Pajama Party - Up All Night. From there, it stayed on my docket for months. Never a high priority, or one that I actively looked to add to my cart.

As I often do, I went searching for a seller that had several items on my list, making for an opportunity to bulk purchase. That was when I found a guy who Discogs claimed had sixteen of them. The prices were right, and the timing felt good, so I took them all. Among them was Pajama Party.

The all girl group featuring Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jennifer McQuilkin, and Suzi Ranta, was formed in 1988, and brought with them a freestyle sound that unfortunately didn't make a big impact with many. Their biggest hit single, Yo No Sé, barely cracked the the Billboard Top 100, peaking at number seventy-five.

Their first album, Up All Night was released in 1989, and was led by the above noted single. Giving it a spin for today's post, I was greeted by the opening track, Over And Over, which I swear I've heard before, despite not really remembering. Bottom line, it was a solid tune, and I added it to my shuffle.

While the songs from there kept things funky and beat driven, it wasn't until Yo No Sé, track five, that I would add another song to my digital mix tape. I can definitely see why this one charted, and am a little surprised it didn't fare better than it did.

A handful of other tracks from the album piqued my interest, but never really stood out as better than the single or opening song. Though I was tempted to add them to my shuffle list, I ultimately opted to pass. The reason being, I have a bad habit of adding songs that intrigue me at the time, but then when they roll around on my playlist, I skip them.

Overall, Up All Night was a good listening session. I do feel like if they would have released the album sooner in the decade that they probably would have made a bigger splash than they did. 1989 was not a kind year to new artists who wanted to stay in the realm of pop. They often got glanced over for the new sounds that were emerging for the decade to come.

Homi was replaced by Club MTV dancer Marialisa Costanzo after the group recorded their debut album, and the girls would go on to release their second and final album, Can't Live Without It, in 1991. By 1992, the group disbanded.

A brief iteration was formed in 2000 with all new ladies, who performed for a celebration held in honor of Fever Records's Sal Abbatiello. While they performed classic hits from the group, and even sang some new material, a new album never materialized.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 26, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 26, 1988

Retro Spins: Madness - Madness

I wouldn't normally host a Retro Spin based on a compilation album, but today's listen gets an exception.

Madness were formed in 1976, and would be predominant in the revival of ska music throughout the 70's and 80's. Their most popular time, 1980 - 1986, saw them on the UK charts for a cumulative 214 weeks. In total, they've had fifteen top hits, which is nothing to shrug at for a group contending with likes of new wave and pop.

Though the group focused primarily on ska from 1979 - 1981, and found great success with debut, One Step Beyond... (1979) , and Absolutely (1980), it was the every changing styles with the times that helped to keep them relevant. When they went to work on their third album, 7 (1981), the group noticeably adopted a more pop friendly sound. Guitarist, Chris Foreman, would go on to say that the music of Madness would move with the times.

They would finally crack US borders in 1982 with their album, The Rise & Fall. Specifically, with their top ten hit, Our House, which peaked at number seven. However, up until this time, Madness had not released an album in North America, resulting in nothing being available for people to buy.

Enter the 1983 self titled compilation. For Americans, this was their debut. A twelve track, forty minute record, packed with hit after hit, carefully selected from the bands current discography of albums and singles. It's because we US fans consider this their debut that the technically greatest hits album gets a spot on today's Retro Spins.

Madness, the album, feels finely crafted, and this is a result of the benefit from being curated from already tried and true popular songs from their already extensive discography. For me, the front half is definitely more enticing than the second. I felt like it was a combination of the overall sound and feel the record that ultimately did me in. I just got tired of it.

However, this is not to say that I heard anything I would label, "bad". In fact, I may wait a bit, and play the last six tracks again to give them another chance.

In hindsight, I can also see why Madness's popularity waned seemingly fast for American fans. When you cull a regional debut from varying sources, it grants you the opportunity to pull only the best. As such, when you follow that up with a regular album afterwards, in this case, 1984's Keep Moving, yes you get a boost in sales, but lose people in the process because it's not able to stand up to the greatness of it predecessor. Whereas Madness, the compilation album has eight popular singles, Keep Moving only produced two mild ones.

The groups overall popularity began to drop significantly between 1983 and 1986, and ultimately led to them disbanding shortly after 1985's Mad Not Mad. A few members spun off into the short lived The Madness, and released a self titled album in 1988. Despite the name change, many fans associate them as the same act.

Madness made a bit of a comeback in the early 90's, releasing the number one hit compilation album, Divine Madness. The band would also continue to reunite periodically for annual holiday and specialty tours. This would eventually lead to all seven members reuniting for 1999's Wonderful. They would release two additional albums, 2005's The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1, and 2009's The Liberty of Norton Folgate.

After a series of tours, Mark Bedford would once again depart the group, leaving the six remaining members to continue on. Since then, the remaining members have released a couple more albums, and continue to tour periodically, keeping Madness alive for new generations.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 25, 1984

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 25, 1989

Baltmore Comic Con 2024 Part 8: Convention Book

Baltimore Comic Con 2024 wrapped up like all those before it, with the convention book. Though it continues to grow in signatures, space has clearly become an issue. Many of the artists I present it to have an aversion to signing the back of the book, and instead opt to squeeze in where ever they can find the minimalist of space. It may honestly be time to retire this one.

People squeezed in where they could, while others relented, and signed the back. For those who were adamant to be on the front, we have:

Brett Breeding

Scott Hanna

Mr. Hanna actually didn't charge me to sign my convention book, which was really cool of him., especially since he charges $20.00 for his autograph.

As for the back, I added two more signatures to it as well.

Dan Jurgens

Tom Brevoort

There were other folks on my list to get autographs from. However, by the time I wrapped up at the Simonson's table, I just simply didn't want to go on the hunt for anything further. Like I said before, prices were up, and people who were once donation based were suddenly charging. While I still had cash, in my mind, I was over the budget I intended to be, and simply opted to call it a day. With space growing limited anyway, this didn't seem like such a big loss.

Last up, I'll share the official convention book, which was free to all attendees to take. I grab these at all the shows, and pack them away in my comic box as a, "Yeah, I was there," proof of purchase. However, I honestly never read them.

As the sun set on Baltimore, we saw a very ugly prostitute standing on a corner, and made our way down the road. Welcome to Maryland.

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Retro Spins: Ēbn-Ōzn - Feeling Cavalier

Continuing my rummage into obscurity, I unearth, Ēbn-Ōzn.

The group was formed when Ned "Ebn" Liben met Robert "Ozn" Rosen. The duo would spend time together listening to various music in clubs, working on their own sound, and ultimately signing to Arista Records. It was here that they would release their one and only album, Feeling Cavalier.

Their lead single, AEIOU Sometimes Y, would become a mainstay staple on MTV, winning an award for the video, and pushing the single up the club charts. The album is historically noteworthy for being the first ever produced entirely on a computer. Standard these days, mind blowing back then.

Ēbn-Ōzn followed this single with Big Lady (I Wonder), which also became a club charting hit, helped alike its predecessor by its popular music video. However, despite this popularity, the duo never really made a big splash on your average radio station, and as such, seemingly fell into obscurity.

Well, today, I dug up their album, and decided it was time to fire it up for a Retro Spin!

What was interesting to immediately find out was that unlike the lead single, which is predominantly a spoken song, the rest of the album is very pop oriented, with lead singer Rosen singing each track. Quite well, I might ad. I was immediately hooked with track one and two, Big Lady (I Wonder), and Stop Stop Give It Up.

Though my interest dipped a bit from there, I was again piqued by the Rasta flavored Video D.J. It transported me to that sweat spot from the 80's where every style was fair game for artists to play in. Its uniqueness not only helps it to stand out among the other songs from the album, but also makes it a bit more fun to the ears because of how different it is.

It was at this point that the album also started to carve out a touch of rapping, and this led perfectly into the following track, Pop Art Bop. I could start to hear in my head how their single, AEIOU, just a couple songs away in the rotation was going to fit in seamlessly in the album. Which it did.

It does falter under a major misstep of a terrible cover of Rockin' Robin. While it could be said that Michael Jackson did the song justice with his rendering, there's simply no replacing the original Bobby Day release. His version is an iconic rock and roll hit that can never be replaced by any remake.

Everything wrapped up with the simple, but epic instrumental, The Dawn. It was the ultimate cherry on the top. In fact, hearing, Feeling Cavalier, actually bummed me out in a way that the guys never released another album. I would totally be down for hearing more from them.

The two went their separate ways in 1985, with Rosen going on to work with Scritti Politti, and Liben forming the house group, Dada Nada. There was a brief resurgence in their popularity in the 90's due to Beavis and Butt-Head giving the song, AEIOU, a good razing during one of their segues, but it never led to anything further from them.

Feeling Cavalier is another one of those hidden gems that was sadly lost to vinyl until 2006, when it was re-released by Wounded Bird Records. However, just as it came out of nowhere, it quickly disappeared out of print. As such, CD copies are not only rare, they are expensive. I dropped $75.00 on this, and was ecstatic to find myself getting my monies worth.

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Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 205

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 205
Release Date: June 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Pamela Dean, and Lazlo Bellflower
Dawn Starr asks Peter out on a picnic date
Black Cat professes to be in love with Spider-Man

Low Points

Dawn only wanted to get close to Peter to steal the answers to science exams

Oddities

The two security guards are named Bud and Lou, and it's implied to be Bud Abbott, and Lou Costello, as Bud remarks, "I'm a bad boy," as he gets scolded for shooting his gun inside the museum

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Total Coelo - Man O' War

We're digging deep into the realm of forgotten 80's today.

Total Coelo, who I mispronounced for years as Total Coleco, came and went in the early 80's in the blink of an eye, leaving in their wake an obscure hit single in the world of new wave music. Their hit single, I Eat Cannibals (Part 1), is one of those, "Only in the 80's" moments.

The all girl group was formed by Sheen Doran, and Lacey Bond in the summer of 1981, and was soon expanded to include Mindsey Danvers, Ros Holness, and Anita Mahadervan, who would round out the band. Taken from an excerpt from their 1996 released I Eat Cannibals & Other Tasty Trax, Doran said of the band, "The name was discovered by accident," which they took from a thesaurus. The name actually has several different meanings, and Doran would go on to say that it meant, "Heart and soul, and totally different," which to her described what they were. "The name was also strange sounding, hard to pronounce, and it sticks in your mind," she would conclude.

After making their debut, offers started coming from labels big and small, and the girls would make the decision to sign with Radialchoice. They would release their one and only album, Man O' War, in 1983, and while it would find greater success in the UK, Australia, and Sweden, their single, I Eat Cannibals would reach number sixty-six in the USA.

The album is quite the enjoyable hidden gem. It has an enjoyable synthpop / new wave sound, and though it won't deliver top ten tracks, does have a handful of enjoyable tunes. I ended up grabbing their single, I Eat Cannibals (Part 1), Milk From The Coconut (Part 1), Dracula's Tango, Hey Rajah, and (I May Commit) The Perfect Crime.

What they have going for them is catchy-ness in the lyrics. The biggest draw, however, many have been that it was just something "new" to hear, versus the tried and true bands and artists we've all heard a hundred times (or more) over at this point.

I will say that the inclusion of a part one and part two for the songs, I Eat Cannibals, and Milk From The Coconut, feel unnecessarily like filler. There really is no reason for these songs to exist, other than to extend what would otherwise have been a twenty-nine minute album to thirty-seven. I get it. You want people to feel like they're getting their monies worth, but sometimes, less is more.

A fun fact about the group is that they were featured in the film, Grizzly II: Revenge, which was filmed in 1983, but remained unreleased until 2020 when it premiered at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. It was released on DVD as a manufacture on demand in 2021.

There isn't much, if any, information pertaining to why Total Coelo disbanded, and disappeared after their debut album. However, I don't personally see this as a bad thing. Mainly because it's fun to find albums like this hidden in the piles of 80's albums that have long since buried it, and the band. I definitely hope to find more like this as I continue to dig. Readers, feel free to throw some recommendations out there.

While Man O' War was only released on cassette and vinyl, these show up very rarely on secondary markets, and can set you back twenty-five to fifty dollars to grab. This is ultimately driven by the albums scarcity on US shores. Even if you do find one cheap, which you can do, once you introduce shipping charges, you're usually right back around that price point.

With that said, there is a CD option available, and that would be the above noted, I Eat Cannibals & Other Tasty Trax. This was released by label, Razor & Tie in 1996, and is long out of print. While this CD will cost you just as much as a vinyl copy, the appeal is that it contains all the tracks from Man 'O War, as well as additional songs initially unreleased. Of course, the other aspect that makes it desirable is to have a CD format of the album.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 23, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 23, 1985

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 204

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 204
Release Date: May 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Dawn Starr
Black Cat is taking photos of Spider-Man for her own personal collection
Robbie Robertson is in charge of The Daily Bugle, but he's acting like a tyrant
Dawn Starr wants a night out with Peter Parker, but he turns her away when he finds out she will be one of his students
Spider-Man makes a reference to Superman by saying, he, Spider-Man, "Represent truth, justice, and...nope, that's someone else."
J. Jonah Jameson has amnesia

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Big Country - Steeltown

Big Country hit my radar in the early New Millennium, and it's been a wild ride ever since.

Stuart Adamson, Bruce Watson, Tony Butler, and Mark Brzezicki were the magic behind the band, coming together in 1981. They released their first single, Harvest Home in 1982, and though mildly successful, it failed to chart. This was followed by their second single, Fields Of Fire (400 Miles), which reached the UK's top ten, and lead to the release of their debut album, The Crossing in 1983. Kurt Loader, who at the time was writing for Rolling Stone magazine, gave the album a glowing review.

Steeltown was released in 1984, but chart wise, was not as successful as its predecessor. Its overall negative press is often attributed to the lyrics, which dealt with the misfortunes of Scottish workers and contained references to British politics, not being relatable to Americans and other international nations.

As for me, I dig the album. I'm a big fan of the percussion and guitar work of Mark Brzezicki, and Bruce Watson. Quite frankly, I find Brzezicki to be a far superior drummer to the likes of Neil Peart, Kieth Moon, and even Sheila E (to name some of my personal favorites). I also find Watson's guitar work to be unlike any other of the time. How you make a guitar sound like bagpipes is beyond me, but he has a talent for it. Throw on top of that the haunting vocals of Adamson, and sprinkle it with the bass work of Butler, and everything comes together to form a sound unlike any other.

Is Steeltown a powerhouse album from front to back? No, not at all. In fact, some songs are simply passable. However, where it stands tall is with the tracks it delivers in full force. Flame Of The West, Where The Rose Is Sown, Come Back To Me, Tall Ships Go, Rain Dance, and Just A Shadow are where it's at, from my perspective.

Though the band had hits, they never really made that big of an impact in the USA, and that's kind of a shame. They're one of the few 80's groups to keep hammering away during the 90's, releasing eight albums in total through 1999. Sadly, it would be around this time that lead singer Stuart Adamson would relapse in his decade long sobriety from alcohol, and start disappearing in spurts. After doing so again in 2001, he was fond dead in a hotel room, ruled to be by suicide.

Big Country recorded and released a final album in 2013. However, it would only be original members Brzezicki, and Watson who would return to record, with other performs filling the gaps left by prior band mates.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 22, 1986

I Got A Package! Peg People Series Wrap-Up

Today I got a package from George of G.I. Jigsaw! This package!

In that package was a case! This case!

In that case was a surprise! This surprise!

George had taken the time to revisit the Peg People series, and complete the final few "missing' from the original checklist.

J. Jonah Jameson Sr.

Hornet (Spider-Man)

Cosmic Spider-Man

Spider Armor Mark II

Spider Armor Mark III

Spider Armor Mark IV

So awesome! Thanks so much, George! Not only do the figures themselves look so cool, but check out this epic completed checklist!

This has been amazing that George has taken the time, resources, and money to make all of these figures for me. This is the Spider-Man series I always wanted from Hasbro, but never got. This is definitive!

Thanks again, George!

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Retro Spins: Duran Duran - Rio

When I think of the 80's, particularly the music, Duran Duran are always on the forefront of that thought. They could very well be the band I associated the decade with the most.

The group began in 1978, formed by Nick Rhodes, and John Taylor. The following year, they would add Roger Taylor to the lineup, and after a few personnel changes, the final two members, Andy Taylor and Simon Le Bon.

Duran Duran got swept up in the era of MTV, leading the charge as one of the bands noted as part of the Second British Invasion. With the aid of their videos, they were swept into mainstream popularity, which is interesting to note because initially, their debut album failed to garner any attention in the USA.

It wasn't until their 1982 album, Rio, that North American listeners took notice. Rio, the album, had massive appeal with its hit singles, Rio, Save A Prayer, and Hungry Like The Wolf. To an extent, the lesser successful My Own Way, and The Chauffeur, only helped to cement the album as a platinum seller.

For as much as Duran Duran was the soundtrack of my 80's, would you believe me if I told you that I have only heard two of their albums from start to finish? Mind you, that was for my Retro Spins posts, long after their initial release. It's true. For the longest time, I have been content with the group's greatest hits catalog.

Wanting to rectify that, I popped in Rio, and man am I glad I did. Whoo, it's a powerhouse of an album! Track after track delivers, and the stuff I'd never heard before hits even harder than the hits at points. This is probably because, for me, they're all new. It's like I've been denying myself all these great songs for the longest time, and now that I've realized just how much I've missed out, I want to rectify this quickly.

Standout track, beyond the hits, were Hold Back The Rain, and New Religion. In hindsight, I don't know how the latter was never a chart topper. It's a fantastic track!

Reaching the end of the album was a bit of a bummer, because I felt so inclined to hear more. While this would be relatively easy to rectify, as I actually own all of their albums, I felt it best to not overkill it, and have the adverse affect of getting sick of them.

As many of you out there already know, this was really just the beginning for Duran Duran. They would go on to release three more albums in the 80's, and even see members split off to pursue other projects, such as The Power Station, and Arcadia. However, the biggest blow for fans came when the band appeared to be breaking up. Roger Taylor left in 1985 due to being unhappy with the band from consistent recording and touring. Andy Taylor would follow suit in 1986, quitting the group suddenly during the recording sessions of what would become the 1986 album, Notorious.

Though the remaining three members would continue on, by 1997, John Taylor was ready to move on to other projects, and left the band in the early stages of the Medazzaland recording sessions. However, 2003 would see the reunion of the five original members, who embarked on a massive world tour, and followed this up with the release of their first studio album together since 1983's Seven and the Ragged Tiger. I remember vividly driving home from work in 2003, when the radio DJ excitedly announced the station's premiere of the new Duran Duran song, (Reach Up for The) Sunrise.

The reunion was short lived, and Andy Taylor was fired shortly thereafter, with the four remaining members releasing 2007's Red Carpet Massacre. Since then, they have stayed together, releasing three additional albums through 2021. Where Duran Duran goes from there is anyone's guess. They're just as hot now as they were in 1982!

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 21, 1981

February 21, 1987

Retro Spins: Greg Kihn Band - RocKihnRoll

Today, we've got one close to home.

Greg Kihn began singing while in high school in the Baltimore, Maryland area, and would go on to win first prize for a talent contest hosted by radio station, WCAO at the age of seventeen. He would move to San Fransisco in 1972, and there would work painting house, retail at a record store, all while performing in the streets.

Kihn would be signed to Beserkley Records the following year, making his debut on the 1976 compilation album, Beserkley Chartbusters Vol. 1. This same year, he would form the Greg Kihn Band, and release the band's self titled debut.

Following this, Kihn released an album each year throughout the remainder of the 70's, and became Beserkley's biggest seller. However, despite this, the group had yet to create any top ten hits. That is until 1981's RocKihnRoll.

Though it's not really referenced as such, I suppose you could call their sixth studio album the band's breakout. It features their second highest charting song to date, The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em), which would peak at number fifteen.

This is coincidentally the song that I wanted to purchase the album for. This, however, quickly proved quite difficult. Not only are CD copies extremely scarce, but they are highly expensive, costing anywhere from eighty to one hundred dollars. Ouch!

The disc sat in my Discogs want list queue for the longest time, with only one being available the entire time. Leading up to my birthday in 2021, I finally took the plunge, paying the $95.00 the seller was asking, and crossing my fingers that the juice would be worth the squeeze.

Well, today is the day to finally find out.

Early 80's, specifically 1980 to 1981, are relatively hit or miss for me. These years encompass a lot of music that was still trying to get past the prior decade, and the synthpop that would soon dominate airwaves was still in its infancy. As such, a lot of these albums tend to sound more so like disco, easy listening, or what we would call classic rock these days.

Greg Kihn Band falls into the latter.

RocKihnRoll was hit or miss for me as a result, and split me down the middle. Literally. Out of the ten tracks, I passed on five, and grabbed the other five for my shuffle list. Was it worth ninety-five dollars? Absolutely not. But, with that said, it's always fun to own something "rare" in your collection. So in that regard, I'm still happy to have it.

The bands albums are on the high end, with some only being available as imports. Bottom line, all of these are out of print, and there weren't a high volume of pressings to begin with, making supply and demand greatly unbalanced.

The band would go on to release far more albums than I want to list here, and among them would be their greatest success, 1983's Kihnspiracy, featuring the number two hit, Jeopardy. These days, the band continues to tour, catering to folks like me who can't get their heads out of the 80's.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 20, 1982

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
February 20, 1988