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Concerned parents, disco dancers and the sixth grade class at Sunset Hills Elementary School in Plymouth (which recently mounted a much-publicized anti-punk movement) can take heart. Punk rock of the ilk related to torn T-shirts and safety pin jewelry is not the wave of the future. In less than two years it has become Just another minor tributary of popular music and of the rock 'n' roll new wave.
The Sex Pistols (who along with the Clash, the Damned and a few other British groups were the only real angry, young punk rockers) have disbanded after accomplishing what they set out to do — raise some rabble and make a record. Now, the pubs in England and the new wave clubs in America are being infiltrated by a new wing of the new wave: Power pop.
Nick Lowe, Pure Pop For Now People (Columbia 35329) — This man is a pop magician — an assimilator and an originator with a healthy sense of humor and an incredible feel for the hook (the musical catch phrase) and just the right instrumentation at just the right time.
On his first American release, Lowe has delivered one of the most infectious and outright delightful collections of "Shake and Pop" ditties to cross my turntable since the heyday of the mid-'60's British pop invasion (Dave Clark Five through the Kinks).
Using even disco to his advantage (as well as bubble gum, hard rock and every pop device between), he reminds us radio and record addicts why lose listened to this stuff in the first place — because it is fun. Even my 15-year-old sister, who has developed her musical tastes watching Monkees reruns and listening to the rest of the Top 40 derivative horde, raved about a cut on the Bay City Rollers, "Rollers Show." About the rest of the album, she said, "It's weird, it's so cheerful."
Elvis Costello, This Year's Model (Columbia 35331) — Last year's model, My Aim Is True, was better, because his anger was less forced and his knack, for wordplay hid his nervous fear of girls a little better. Here, he seems to be lashing out at every "silly girl" who dares to look at another man with her made-up eyes. But if you can get past that — and the hard-driving music should slide you past that in a hurry — This Year's Model does contain a few gems: "Radio, Radio," "Hand in Hand" and "Little Triggers" ranking with the best from that debut album.
Ian Dury, New Boots and Panties!! (Stiff 0002) — This album, another American debut, is fashioned as a sort of British music hall show on record. Dury sings with a low humming growl, which is surprisingly effective on ballads (the introduction to "Sweet Gene Vincent" and "My Old Man") and on loping, disco-beat rockers (the best: A comic anthem to the party ethos, "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"). He is a very literate, often acerbic lyricist, who writes touching, yet slightly removed love songs and sings through a heavy British working-class accent. This aspect may turn off some Americans, but after repeated listenings, I find it only adds to the album's regional charm.
Various Artists, Stiffs Live (Stiff 0001) — All of the aforementioned artists first came to prominence recording for a small independent British new-wave label, Stiff, before they were snatched up for American distribution by CBS and Arista Records (the latter retained the Stiff logo). Stiffs Live is a recording of the label's package concert tour of Great Britain, which included, besides Lowe, Costello and Dury, two other comic power popsters, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis.
It is a sampler of sorts that doesn't measure up to the solo albums regarding recording quality and musicianship. Nonetheless, it is an intriguing document of what the street people (as opposed to the supergroups) are singing about in England these days. And for collectors, both Costello and Lowe perform material unavailable elsewhere.
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