By Ken Paulson
There’s good news for power pop fans on both the new album and reissue fronts.
The new album is Ignition from Shoes, an album title that sounds like a new band launching. (See Jefferson Airplane Takes Off.)
But no, Shoes have been around for more than three decades, pioneers in DIY recordings and creators of consistently engaging and hook-filled music.
Eighteen years after their last studio album, Ignition picks up where the band left off.
The three original members – John and Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe – are still at the core, turning out driving rock ‘n’ roll that stands with their best.
From the classic sound of opener “Head Vs. Heart” to the edgier “Hot Mess,” Shoes have retained the sound that made them a respected, if under-recognized band, but there’s also new ambition here, perhaps the result of being away for almost 20 years.
In 1977, the year Shoes released their groundbreaking Black Vinyl Shoes, another young band was beginning to take shape in Los Angeles as Oklahoman Steve Allen moved to the West Coast. Allen, Ron Flynt, Mike Gall and Chris Silagyi soon formed 20/20, releasing their debut album in 1979.
That first album has long been regarded as a classic among power pop and New Wave fans, with “Yellow Pills” the best known track.
That album has been packaged along with Look Out!, the band’s second album, in a new collection from Real Gone Music.
The revelation is just how good Look Out! is. No, it’s not as focused as the debut, but it’s energetic and adventurous, particularly on “Nuclear Boy” and “Strange Side of Love.” Like Shoes, 20/20 had an impressive body of work, but never saw the commercial success they deserved.