The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Billy Idol - Billy Idol

Many moons ago I fired up Billy Idol's 1981 EP, Don't Stop. While I praised it for being a great album, I never really got around to any further material from him, despite owning it all way back in 2019. Well, it's time to wipe all that dust off of them, and finally dig deep into the 1980's work of rock's rebel, Mr. William Michael Albert Broad.

Broad would come up with his stage name back in high school, when his chemistry teacher made a note on his report card of being, "idle". In the words of Billy, it was, "a bit of a goof, but part of the old English school of rock. It was a 'double thing', not just a poke at the superstar-like people... It was fun, you know?"

In 1976, he would join the band Chelsea, as their guitarist. It was under the guidance of singer, Gene October, that he would replace his glasses with contact lenses, dye his hair blond, and get a crew cut. After performing just a few weeks, he and bassist Tony James would leave, and co-found Generation X.

The band would release three albums before disbanding, their 1978 self titled debut, 1979's Valley Of The Dolls, and 1981's Kiss Me Deadly. The latter would be noteworthy for including the first iteration of Dancing With Myself. Though a fourth album would be released in 1998 (Sweet Revenge), it was completed utilizing recorded, but abandoned demos when the band first broke up. Chronologically, it would have been the group's third album, had they stayed together.

Idol would move to New York, and begin working on a solo career, which encompassed recording the aforementioned EP. His popularity was boosted with the aid of MTV who were ushering in the second British invasion. This era of music included the likes of Culture Club, Duran Duran, The Police, and more.

His videos would see steady rotation on the channel. Coupled with his inability to stay out of trouble, which kept him on the news, Billy would become the poster child of 80's punk and rebellion, which was ironic because he's typically always been branded as a rock / new wave artist.

Upon release of his self titled debut, it spawned the hits, Hot In The City, and White Wedding (Pt. 1). However, neither would crack the top ten. In fact, in his storied career, he's only had one number one (Mony Mony), and four top tens, Mony Mony (1), Cradle Of Love (2), Eyes Without A Face (4), and To Be A Lover (6). Hot In The City would peek at 23, and White Wedding at 36.

Undeterred by numbers, I dove headlong into his debut. What I got out of it was a solid rock album, with a lot of hidden gems. I wouldn't say every song was perfect, but what I will note is that, as a whole, it seems crafted with an intension and purpose. Meaning, nothing was designed to be filler. Every song is there for a purpose.

When selecting the version of the album I was after, I honed in specifically on the first pressings of the CD. Later pressings removed the short Congo Man, and replaced it with Dancing With Myself. For me, this was a song I already had on the EP, and further, I simply wanted to have the album as it was initially intended to be heard. Now, with that said, Congo Man is no hit by any means. In fact, it's not even really a song. So if you're after quality, you may prefer latter releases with Dancing.

Overall, I enjoyed hearing this record, and I'm really looking forward to jumping into 1983's Rebel Yell, and 1986's Whiplash Smile. I also may end up tracking down Generation X's 1981 album, just to add it to ye old collection. We'll see. It's kind of expensive.

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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
June 13, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 13, 1987

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 51

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 51
Release Date: February 1981

Highlights

Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and 193 through 200, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 20
We readers find out that the aliens are indeed no aliens, and further, all the way back in issue 2 of The Amazing Spider-Man the ones working for Tinkerer were also not real aliens - That's what we call a retcon, folks
Gideon Mace informs White Tiger that it was him who killed his family
White Tiger is gunned down by Gideon Mace - Is he dead? No

Low Points

None

Oddities

Editor's Day Off - One of the "aliens" says, "I tell you anything!"

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

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Retro Spins: Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth

Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue was an album I knew had great tracks on it, but wasn't aware, until yesterday, just how well as a whole it was crafted. As noted in that post, Gibson remains the youngest artist to date to write, produce, and perform a number one hit. She's a talented artist on every level.

Which is why my expectations were high for her sophomore release, 1989's Electric Youth. Debbie has matured a lot in the two years since her debut, and this gets channeled through her new material. Youth is stripped of a lot of the pop dance that adorned Blue, and in its place are more ballads, and midtempo offerings. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does deter a bit.

I was hoping to find hit after hit here, as well as some hidden gems, and unfortunately, that's not what I got. Lost In Your Eyes, and Electric Youth (the song), were the stand out take away tracks for me. Additionally, I took mild interest in We Could Be Together. However, the rest of the songs, while not necessarily bad, weren't as memorable.

Overall, it was just kind of okay. Nothing terrible, but nothing special. I suppose that's typical for most artist's debut follow-ups.

While the album did well in sales, the charts seem to mirror my personal experience with it. The three tracks noted above, in addition to, No More Rhyme, were the only songs to chart, with only two of them cracking the top ten. Granted Lost In Your Eyes did become Gibson's second number one hit.

Though sales for Debbie would steadily decline as the 90's took over, she remained one of the few who not only survived that era, but continued consecutively beyond it. She's released a total of eleven studio albums since 1987, with her most recent being 2022's Winterlicious, which she released on her own label, StarGirl Records.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 12, 1982

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 52
Release Date: March 1981

Highlights

Finally, all the backup stories from previous issues make sense
Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 9, 10, 20, and 49
Spider-Man finds the bird that he hit accidentally with a spider tracer in issue 49
Gideon Mace, being held from behind by Spider-Man gives his men the order to shoot through him to get Spider-Man, which they do, taking out their commander
Hector removes the amulet of the White Tiger, and steps down from the mantle of hero
Hector asks Blackbyrd to give the amulets back to the Sons of the Tiger

Low Points

None

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Debbie Gibson - Out Of The Blue

Between Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, I always preferred Gibson. Which makes it odd that of the two, I've done a Retro Spin on both of Tiffany's 80's albums, but completely lunched on Debbie's. Well, it's time to rectify that, and we're starting right at the beginning with her 1987 debut, Out Of The Blue.

Not only did I find Gibson's songs to be far superior to that of her "competition", I respected her for writing and producing her own material, something Tiffany didn't do. Here debut was released when she was just sixteen, spawned multiple international hits, and became certified platinum in the process. She would also become, and remains, the youngest artist of all time to write, produce, and perform a number one hit, which was Foolish Beat.

Meanwhile, at sixteen, I was barely making it through high school, and had zero ambition or direction for the future.

Playing through Out Of The Blue, the hits were coming from all sides, left, right, up, down. You get the title track, Only In My Dreams, Foolish Beat, and Shake Your Love. However, then you get hidden gems that should have been hits. These include (from my own personal opinion) Fallen Angel and Play The Field. It's very obvious when it's all said and done why the album became the smash success it is.

Frankly, there's not much more to say about it from there. It's pure 80's pop goodness. Wholesome, fun, and a treat to listen to. What more do you need to know?

As for Debbie, she's embark on a tour, mostly around the United States, eventually returning to the studio to release her 1988 follow-up, Electric Youth. Once again she'd pen and produce the majority of the tracks, leading to an equally successful sophomore release. But, we'll dig into that one tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 11, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 11, 1988

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 50

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 50
Release Date: January 1981

Highlights

Seminal fiftieth issue
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, 133, 200, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 20, and 47
Retelling of Spider-Man's origin
Mysterio makes an unexpected appearance in a cliffhanger ending

Low Points

Kind of goofy with the alien story
The whole first half of the story is just filler, and has no baring on the rest of the story or main plot
What's with the sudden backup stories featuring White Tiger?

Oddities

None

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

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Retro Spins: Genesis - Genesis

Genesis, the 1981 self titled album from trio Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford, and that third guy...you know...what's his face. What is his name? Oh...Tony Banks.

Reading up on the album prior to playing it, I was a little hopefully, as it's noted that Collin's solo career, or rather, his writing style from said solo career, had quite the impact on the sessions for Genesis (the album). What I hoped this would translate to was a more pop and radio friendly style album. This was dashed to immediate bits with the hour long opening track, Mama. Okay, it was only seven minutes, but still, that's a long song.

Say what you will about the singles Illegal Alien, and That's All, for me, there was one that stood out as far superior. That being, Home By The Sea. It segues into the mostly instrumental Second Home By The Sea, and in total makes the track a massive eleven minute endeavor. Personally, I could do without the latter track. I'm not a fan of songs that blend together, forcing you to take them as a whole. Let each tune be its own.

I also got a fantastic surprise in the song Taking It All To Heart. I had totally forgotten about this song from Genesis. It's been decades since I've heard it, and it really made me smile when it came on. I love when I come across a gem I'd forgotten about. So much fun!

Overall, Genesis (again, the album), really resonated with me. I like the more broader audience sound to it. It appeals in that pop friendly manner, and paves the way for things to come, which would be their 1986 Invisible Touch. You can see the groundwork being laid, and the direction Collins was moving things. In fact, I may very well have added more tracks from this album than the latter to my shuffle list.

I've already talked about Invisible Touch in another Retro Spin, so sadly, unless I go back to the 70's (not likely), or ahead to the 90's (possibly), my time with Genesis wraps up. It was an up and down ride, but one that I ultimately enjoyed.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 10, 1989

The Dirty Dozen - My Top Twelve Albums Of 1987

After writing up my list for 1986 inclusions, I thought it would suit me best to start whittling things down. As such, I had to take a really hard look at the contenders so far. From them, I've cut out several, and come up with the following which still have a shot at the wall:

Prince - 1999 (1982)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual (1983)
Ghostbuster (1984)
The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984)
Jacksons - Victory (1984)
"Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D (1984)
Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985)
USA For Africa - We Are The World (1985)
Prince And The Revolution - Around The World In A Day (1985)
Falco - Falco 3 (1985)
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)
Europe - The Final Countdown (1986)
Top Gun (1986)

Now, the thing to keep in mind here is that there are seventeen slots available on the wall. Well, obviously, I could make more room if I really wanted to, but for this purpose, it's all about the seventeen side by side. The problem here is that there are sixteen noted above, and three more years to get through.

That starts here with 1987, and the honorable mentions that didn't make the top twelve.

The guys behind Bad News hit my radar a long time ago, back in the days of watching The Young Ones on MTV. Their mock video for Bohemian Rhapsody was one that Weird Al played when broadcasting one of his infamous Al TV blocks on MTV, 1992's to be exact, and from there, I was hooked.

Home Again, Elevator Main, Pain, Not My Slave, and all those other songs that I loved from Oingo Boingo...That most people don't know unless they're a fan. Well, all of those are on their 1987 released Boi-ngo. Good stuff!

Buster Poindexter's self titled debut was a shocking surprise for me. I was expecting a quirky album filled with songs akin to Hot Hot Hot. However, what I got instead was a fantastic rhythm and blues release with a ton of hidden gems.

Who's That Girl's soundtrack has some great Madonna tunes that you're not going to find anywhere else. But, I would be remiss to not mention Michael Davidson's Turn It Up.

I never would have expected my fourteen year old self to like a film like La Bamba. I think the only reason I even watched it was because it had, "The guy from Young Guns". Regardless, I really got into it, and as a result was introduced to a whole new world of music.

I don't think I'd want a Rick Astley album for my wall, but I also won't deny his impact on the 80's. I mean, it's so iconic that it's taken on a life of its own with Rick Rolling.

Black was a hidden gem of the era. I got hip to the artist with his tune, Wonderful Life, and from there dove deep into his work. Highly underrated.

The Lost Boys soundtrack is just pure iconic to the 80's, and it kicks off my official 12 for the year. INXS, Lou Gramm, Echo And The Bunny Men, and Roger Daltry are the big names from the album. But who doesn't love Gerald McMahon's Cry Little Sister? Classic!

Debuting in 1987, Debbie Gibson became the dream come true that every teenager aspiring to be a singer looked to. She showed them all that if you had the talent, and followed your dreams, it was possible. Not only did she exhibit the Electric Youth vibe, but backed up her talent by writing her own songs. Out Of The Blue, Shake Your Love, and Only In My Dreams, all of them were written by her, along with all the others on the album.

Richard Marx was a late comer to the 80's as well. His self titled debut hit hard with hits; Hold On To The Night, Should Have Known Better, Don't Mean Nothing, and Endless Summer Nights. Marx became one of the crooners and heartthrobs of the era.

Despite being around for the majority of the 80's, INXS didn't break through until 1987's Kick. Though I've heard rumor that their popularity was forced by MTV, who mandated its VJ's to promote the band hard. As for me, I actually didn't care for them much until just a few years ago when I started to dive into their full discography. Kick, has since become one of my favorites.

Working with the likes of John Bon Jovi, Richie Sambroa, Michael Bolton, and Desmond Child, Cher crafted a masterful comeback in 1987. The self title album featured some of her best material to date; I Found Someone, We All Sleep Alone, Bang Bang, and Main Man, just to name a few.

Probably the best thing to happen to Whitney Houston was to separate herself from Jermaine Jackson, who produced her debut, and even sang duets with her. No disrespect to the Jackson Five member, but his music was always dated, and that's exactly what happened to Houston's self titled album when he got involved with it. For her second release, Whitney (the album) hit hard with Billboard chart toppers I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Love Will Save The Day, So Emotional, Didn't We Almost Have It All, and Where Do Broken Hearts Go.

Expose's debut really kicked down the doors for the female trio in 1987. Exposure featured the massive hits, Come Go With Me, Let Me Be The One, Seasons Change, and Point Of No Return.

Sign 'O' The Times is considered Prince's opus, and while I enjoy a lot off of it, it's far from what I'd call perfect. That saddens me to say that because I still hold the album in high regards. The good stuff is hands down amazing, but the bad stuff is really forgettable. I'd love to condense this down from it's two LP format to one really solid gem.

I want to say Def Leppard's Hysteria is a perfect album, but the sad reality of it is that it's not. At least not to me. Why? Because I couldn't even tell you how the last song, Love And Affection goes, and I barely remember anything outside of the chorus of Excitable. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. The rest of the album, delicious in every sense of the word.

Though my brother introduced me to Aerosmith through his many listening sessions of all of their albums pretty much daily, it was Permanent Vacation that found a special place in my heart in the early 2000's. It was an album I played pretty much daily myself as I drove down the road.

Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction was part of the reoccurring soundtrack of my life in high school. This was followed by their Use Your Illusion I and II albums, which also went into steady rotation. In fact, if I was considering 90's albums, those two would definitely be on the list of contenders for the wall.

Number one is a no brainer for the year. Michael Jackson's Bad is an amazing album. Far superior to Thriller, as far as I'm concerned. This one's got it all; pop, funk, rock, and ballads. Sheer perfection from start to finish.

There are a lot of albums here that I'd like for the wall, and these include Michael Jackson's Bad, Guns N' Roses' Appetite For Destruction (specifically the original cover), Aerosmith's Permanent Vacation, Def Leppard's Hysteria, and Prince's Sign 'O' The Times. Unfortunately, this kicks us up to twenty one titles, so right off the bat, four are going to have to go. However, I'm not going to make that decision just yet.

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Retro Spins: Genesis - Abacab

Like so many, I'm sure, Genesis took off for me in 1986 with their opus, Invisible Touch. As a child, I never saw them as a 70's band, would have never guess Peter Gabriel was part of them at one point, and couldn't differentiate between what was Phil Collin's solo work and the band's work. Basically, I was ignorant to Genesis.

Much like many of the prior "legacy" bands I've listened to in the past, I'm not going to profess knowledge, which would essentially be a regurgitation of their Wiki page. So, I'm not going to get into the storied history. It would be an insult to their fans. Instead, I'll continue my personal journey through the albums.

Despite owning their entire 1980's catalog, I've actually only listened to two of them until today. Those were 1980's Duke, and the aforementioned Invisible Touch. While I (of course) praised the latter, my initial impression of Duke was that it ultimately lost my attention. Hopefully, their 1981 entry, Abacab can deliver a bit more than that, which for you readers who are always one step ahead of the game, you know that's today's Retro Spin.

Abacab starts with the title track, and while it initially intrigued me, its sheer length eventually made me take a step back. The instrumental portions were simply too long, and not all that impressive. Keep in mind, I don't associate Genesis with a jam band. Instead, I see them as the pop group with condensed but hard hitting chart toppers.

The prior paragraph is iconic, because I found myself thoroughly enjoying the third track, Me And Sarah Jane, an equally lengthy tune. It has almost a Beatles vibe to it with its horn overdubs, akin to that of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (the album).

Though I heard additional songs which I found shuffle worthy, there were two tracks which stood out as making the purchase of Abacab worth it. Those were the lead single, No Reply At All, and the fun, Who Dunnit?. If I only walked away with these two, I would have been perfectly happy.

Now, with that said, I would be lying if I said Abacab didn't repeat history from Duke. By that, I mean that it eventually fell into the realm of background noise, which I ultimately ended up tuning out. This probably wasn't helped by the frequent disruptions I kept incurring while playing through it. It's hard to get into a song when you're constantly being pulled away from it. Mind you, I don't think I ended up really missing anything as a result.

I do prefer the more radio friendly iteration of Genesis, but I'm not done with them just yet. I have one more 80's album to get through, and if you're familiar with the trend around here as of late, that will happen tomorrow.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 9, 1984

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 49

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 49
Release Date: December 1980

Highlights

First appearance of Tommy Li
Reference is made to The Amazing Spider-Man 122, 184, 185, and 210
Aunt May tells Peter she's engaged to Nathan Lubensky
Back-up story with the origin of White Tiger

Low Points

None

Oddities

The ongoing continued odd moments of comedy, when Spider-Man throws a spider tracer at a the fleeing van of Tommy Li, and it hits a bird
Spider-Man is getting shot at by a helicopter with no visibale guns on it
When the mysterious helicopter gunfire starts, Spider-Man jumps from the top of the van he's on, and then loses it because it goes into a tunnel - Um...Just stay on the van as it enters the tunnel, helicopter gunfire problem solved

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

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Retro Spins: Falco - Emotional

I don't want to listen to anymore Elton John right now, so instead, I'm flipping back over to an artist I want to like more than I do, Falco.

Growing up, one of the cassettes which my brother, sister and I played frequently was Falco 3. For me, it was my first introduction to how the radio can play one version, while the album contains another. Still, these versions grew on me, and as a whole, it became one of my favorite albums.

Beyond that, Falco never really came back around for me. I never had an interest in any of his prior, or future albums. You know, kind of like everyone else outside of his native country. That is, until I started curating my massive CD collection. Even then, I didn't dive headlong in. Instead, I picked up his debut, Einzelhaft, for Der Kommissar. As a whole, it didn't resonate with me.

Taking to Youtube, 1988's Wiener Blut also made its way to my collection after hearing a few songs, and these tracks have become part of my steady rotation on my shuffle list. However, his other two 80's albums, Junge Roemer (1984), and Emotional (1986), didn't offer anything that left me chomping at the bit to grab them.

Fast forward several years later, and I would finally return back to the aforementioned missing releases. Mind you, this wasn't out of a sudden desire for the material itself, but rather to check that box I so often like to tick off - Owning every 80's album from the artist in question.

This all leads us to today's Retro Spin.

Emotional is the follow-up to Falco 3, and one which I felt would have to be the best. I mean, it's right at the pique of the singer's popularity, and produced by the same team. It has to be as equally amazing, right?

Well...

The title track launches everything off, and immediately let me unimpressed. You can't start an album with a ballad. I've said this before, and I'll always say it. Your opening track should be high energy, impactful, and grab the listener. You then work through a couple more tracks, gradually drifting into your ballad, if you have to, and then bring it back up to end on a high note. It's a roller coaster ride, and one which should feature the same thrills of up and down.

Things picked up with songs two and three, before getting into a very period locked Cowboyz And Indianz, which was all about Russia and the USA tensions from that time in history. Ironic how it's once again valid.

Coming Home (Jeanny Part II, One Year Later), serves as a sequel to the highly popular, Jeanny, from Falco 3. However, it's inferior as a follow-up, and frankly leaves me wanting to instead just put on the "original".

Letting the album play out, I wouldn't say I necessarily hated it. In fact, that would be too harsh of an assessment. It just kind of disappointed. I was really expecting to hear a hidden gem. The massive follow up to Falco 3 that it was supposed to be. Instead, I got mediocracy. No hits. Nothing that left me saying, "Let me play that again." Hearing it, I can fully understand why Falco quickly faded out of popularity in the USA. What a pity.

To circle back to my opening paragraph, I really want to like Falco more than I do. Mainly, because I really love 3. I know he has the ability to deliver the hits. Emotional just doesn't have them.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 8, 1985

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 212

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 212
Release Date: January 1981

Highlights

First appearance of Hydro-Man, AKA Morrie Bench, and Sadie Frickett
Origin of Hydro-Man, and apparently it's Spider-Man who created him
According to the story, exactly fourteen hours, twenty-three minutes, and nine seconds have passed since issue 211 of The Amazing Spider-Man
Peter's new neighbor, Joseph Pincus, continues his obscenest singing
J. Jonah Jameson offers Peter freelance work

Low Points

Very poorly written story with tons of unexplained plot points - See below oddities
With the introduction of a new, and future classic villain in the Spider-Man universe, I really wanted to like this one

Oddities

The story spends page after page showing Morrie transforming into Hydro-Man, but then within the span of two panels of turning into a puddle, he decides that everyone will pay for turning him into a freak - There is no explanation for this immediate turn of events, no fear for what has happened, not even any exposition that Morrie knows what happened that turned him into water
Morrie goes from saying he's going to kill Spider-Man, to the stating after that he'll rip the town off for millions - now he's a thief? There is no rhyme or reason to his character development - He's just jumping from one thing to the next with no narrative as to why
The writers don't even seem to know how to explain Hydro-Man's motives, and it's blatantly obvious from the below panel

Are the writer eluding that Hydro-Man turned into rain? I don't get it (see below)

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

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Retro Spins: Elton John - The Fox

Flipping over to 1981, I dive straight in from yesterday's post, Elton John's 1980 21 At 33, to his follow-up, The Fox. As noted yesterday, this album, along with the aforementioned 21, and its predecessor, 1982's Jump Up! were three albums I added to my collection out of some nagging necessitation to have all of his 1980's work.

Much like yesterday's post, I'm not going to dig into the history of the singer. I don't know enough about it to speak in any fashion of expertise, and I'm not going to regurgitate his long Wiki history as any perception of knowledge. Instead, I'll just jump into the album itself, and go from there.

Unlike 21 At 33, The Fox jumps out of the gate peppy, and interesting to my ears. Its upbeat tempo which drives Breaking Down Barriers is enjoyable, and makes me want to add it to my shuffle list. That right there is an achievement that none of the tracks from 21 got. It gave me hope.

I'm not a big rhythm and blues fan, but I will say that the guitar work in the second song, Heart In The Right Place was enough to make me take notice. It also showed the versatility of John. I already knew he had the chops to handle pop, rock, and even ballads. Now, we can go ahead and add blues to the list.

As a whole, I really dug this album. It had everything that 21 At 33 lacked. It was catchy, peppy, and a solid rock and roll entry. All this, despite not having what were considered "hits". Nobody Wins was the stand out track for me. It was mad upbeat, and just catchy all around. Definitely a hidden gem to be found. You should check it out. Yes, you. The person who just read that last couple of sentences.

Overall, The Fox was enjoyable. Again, devoid of hits, but good. Beyond that, there's not much to really say. This is kind of one of those short and to the point posts.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 7, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
June 7, 1986