SINGLES

Rip It Up, Issue 36, 1 July 1980, Page 24

SINGLES

GEORGE KAY

The Beat drub all-comers this month with their third forty-five, "Mirror in the Bathroom". Dave Steele's relentless bass fires the band into performing the most convincing marriage of ska and punk since the Specials’ "Gangsters" ... and speaking of the leading rude boys, their "Too Much Too Young" live five track EP has made an appearance. A neat party piece of animated ska covers and a truncated version of their "Too Much" social diatribe found, in all its glory, on their pace-making first and at the moment, only album. Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons, the Sports, Mental as Anything and the Angels are Aussies with ample rock sass and charisma. Jo Jo Zep's "Hit and Run" and the Sports’ "Don't Throw Stones" were classic examples of down-under 45s that used Costello-Parker reference points on which to build their own songs. "Shape I'm In" from Jo Jo Zep’s Screaming Targets album is an excellent rock-reggae hybrid double backed with a new version of "So Young" (their ace song and covered by Costello himself) and a dub version of the A side. Value of the month ...

the Angels aren't quite up to that standard but "No Secrets” is a strong single of harnessed power. The Newz come up from the outside with a shot of Talking Heads’ inspired'momentum in the shape of "Accident Prone” lifted from their debut album ... keeping it Kiwi and ex-patriot superstars, Mi-Sex, maintain their pursual of contemporary themes dressed up in mediocre songs and expert musicianship on "Space Race". Gilpin, in an attempt to be expressive still over-enunciates his vowel sounds but maybe that's what he wants. The Psychedelic Furs could be the next big thing and the pic-sleeved "Sister Europe", one of the very few half-decent songs from their first album, is just deliberate and contrived enough to be noticed. Ladies with different philosophies is one way of introducing Girlschool and the Bodysnatchers. Girlschool are all-female London heavy metal students and "Emergency” takes lessons from the Runaways. The Bodysnatchers are seven women on the 2 Tone label and so, of course, they play ska on "Ruder Than You", a song of slender merit. The Photos, a new UK pop ensemble, come under the guidance of Undertones' producer Roger Bechirian on "Irene”, a sleek attractive slice of pure pop that is obviously commercial . whatever happened to Cheap Trick. Well they’re back with their usual boisterous sixties’ sound fanzines on "Everything Works If You Let It" from the Meatloaf movie, Roadie ... Tommy Tutone is a New York band who’ve obviously listened to Petty and the Cars as evidenced by "Angel Say No"/"The Blame". Two good sides. On Dr Hook oldie "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan". Marianne Faithfull sets her countryish vocal against a wall of synthesisers. The synthesisers win.