SINGLES

Rip It Up, Issue 34, 1 May 1980, Page 26

SINGLES

Heading the group scene are the Specials plus brass on “Message to Rudy", so dive around the room to ska joys from their new world famous album. Journey lower the tone with "Anyway You Want It" where they seem to think repetition of a lame chorus makes a single. Ancient ex-Brit Heavy Metal denizens, Foghat, take a careful stab at balladeering on “Third Time Lucky". It could have been worse but in that arena they are no match for the smooth craftsmanship of Toto’s “99". Blondle have become tiresome and hackneyed and “Atomic” merely ploughs over old turf but their influence is difficult to ignore. Martha and the Muffins, a new Canadian sixpiece with two female singers, testify to that with their Blondie-tinged superficially attractive “Echo Beach". Soloists and Uncle Paul is still a dab hand at writing cuddly little singles as “Coming Up”, kindergarten funk, proves yet again. Retrieved from the vaults again is Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust reject, “John I'm Only Dancing". Son, glitter rock was like this. Boz Scaggs is back with exactly what he had the last time he was around “Lido Shuffle” variations on white radio disco, that’s “Breakdown Dead Ahead”. Karl Gordon, late of Golden Harvest, aims at the teen market with "I Wanna Do It With You". Pretty facile but the flip, KauKau's “I’ve Fallen in Love" is better. Shakin’ Stevens adds

a little touch of rockabilly to the proceedings on "Hot Dog", a lotta fun something which can't be said for Billy Joel’s attempts at being feisty on "You May Be Right”. He has the footwork but not the punches.

Here comes Jonny Yen AGAIN,so who reads William Burroughs or listens to Iggy Pop? This time Yen is an Auckland based artiste whose twelve-inch four-track EP, although too theatrical, contains two songs worth the studio time, "Stage Struck" and "Lights On". lan Matthews surprises with the comfortably-paced "You Don’t See Me" and he comes up with a true shot of inspired shuffling R&B on the flip, "Heatwave". Ellen Foley is making a name for herself and the big Spectorish production courtesy of Hunter and Ronson on "Whats A Matter Baby" keeps her female Springsteen tag intact. Pat Benatar is another female already packaged and promoted as the most explosive thing since TNT, and "Heartbreaker" is a fairly aggressive first effort. Sharon O’Neill definitely takes the back seat on her "duet" with Jon Stevens, "Don’t Let Love Go", doe-eyed and immaculately presented. Is there life after MOR? Stay tuned. A few weeks ago 4 XO’s Jim Mora compiled a programme of songs that sounded alike. Sharon O’Neill’s "Asian Paradise”, he reckoned, owed more than a passing nod of gratitude in the direction of Springsteen's "Racing in the Street". He's right but her song is a classy step in the right direction. At least she's moving away from her formative Eagles’ influences. GEORGE KAY