what Frank is listening to #198 – CLOCKS – Self Titled – (Epic) – 1982
I had never heard of this band but with some vague "new wave" cover art sucking me in I threw my dollar coin down on the counter anyway.
As it turns out "Clocks" perhaps exemplify the best and the worst of the US skinny tie new wave power pop explosion in the wake of "The Knack" and "The Romantics".
The big time is "big time" in the US. Why do you think all those English bands try to crack it? If you make it and are wise, you are set …. its a BIG market. Unfortunately if you don't you become the favourite of cultists, music archaeologists and punters who find you in the $1 bin. The market hasn't changed that much in 30 years in the US …there are many, many regional bands who never made it to the national charts but who put out worthwhile music. And you can make a living as a regional band if you have small cities with a million people every 100 miles or so and a lot of bands do.
"Clocks" are one of these regional bands who had their shot at the big time.
There is very little detailed information on this band. The most I can come up with is:
- they formed in Wichita, Kansas in the early 80s;
- the single "She looks a Lot like You" did reasonably well;
- this album was released and also did reasonably well;
- they toured;
- their second album wasn't picked up;
- they disbanded.
Bassist and vocalist Jerry Sumner says: Jerry writes: “She Looks a Lot Like You was written by our drummer Steve Swain in a hotel room in Selkirk, Manitoba in Canada. We spent a lot of time up there when we first started playing original music. The Canadians were very receptive to new music.
"Anyway, Steve saw some model on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine and thought she looked like his ex-wife, as well as the girl he was seeing at the time. The first time I heard the song, I thought we might have a chance to do something as a band. That is, if we could just keep coming up with songs like that. The song did get us a record deal with CBS-Boulevard Records. Steve did manage to come up with quite a few additional songs for the album. We actually had a good chance of getting somewhere in the music business.
"Our album was released in June of 1982. It ended up charting, as did the single. We toured with Rick Springfield and Cheap Trick, so things were definitely looking up for us… until when things abruptly changed at the label and our second album wasn’t picked up. It seems that was the beginning of some big changes in the music industry. MTV came on the scene and suddenly there was a whole new way of doing things."
This album has some good songs, some so so songs and a couple of duds. The sound though is endearing. The music is powerpop but not the punky or quirky side of powerpop. It's more "Cars", "Rick Springfield" and "Cheap Trick" rather than Dwight Twilley or "The Beat". For Australians a fair reference point would be the much maligned "The Radiators".
For discussions on powerpop see my previous comments:
what Frank is listening to #191 – THE BEAT – The Beat – (CBS) – 1979
what Frank is listening to #29 – D.L. BYRON – This day and Age – (Arista) – 1980
what Frank is listening to #133 -THE SIDEWINDERS – The Sidewinders – (RCA) – 1972
what Frank is listening to #180 – DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND – Sincerely – (Shelter) – 1976
With a lot of these bands that followed in the wake of the Knack I get the feeling that they are taking their musical cues from the hit making band of the time rather than from the original inspirations. Is their anything wrong with this? No, but I think you limit yourself when you follow your contemporaries. At worst you end up sounding too much like them.
Why do bands do this I don't know. I assume that not everyone is driven by impulses to make original music. Or if they are they don't have the vision to do so. I suspect such bands have a pedigree that is more mainstream rock but they have jumped on a bandwagon.
Having said all that a band can still put out a batch of songs which transcend their limitations.
Clocks do that here, most of the time.
The sound is good and the band is committed though it seems they are never sure whether they should trust their instincts and just play rock 'n' roll or whether they should spruce up their sounds and rely on new-wave-like keyboards and forced quirkiness. There are also some leanings to old style MOR arena rock (it was produced by Mike Flicker of "Heart") to make sure all bases are covered but generally the band stick to powerpop.
Tracks (best in italics)
- She Looks a Lot Like You – the single and a great song and an instant inclusion on any powerpop compilation.
- Here They Come – less of a great song but still it would fit in well on any powerpop compilation. Pity about the guitar wankery.
- 19 – forced and dumb – if you are from Wichita maybe this is what you thought new wave from New York was like. But, despite that, its strangely appealing. There's a touch of goth vocals a la "Lords of the New Church".
- Without You – blah.
- Nobody's Fool – the mid tempo "ballad" …pleasant.
- When She Put You Down – this could be a Springsteen outtake from "The River" (1980) album. Nothing wrong with that but ….
- Someone (Not Me) – another mid tempo power popper.
- When Will I See You Again – hmmm, not bad.
- Summer – good and it grows on you.
- Feeling This Way – good but not memorable.
In true power pop fashion the lyrics are obsessed with girls, boys, love and failed relationships.
And…
Clocks at their best were a conservative but punchy power pop band that delivered some good tunes (all the songs are originals and almost all are written by the drummer). It's a sound that may date but I think will continue to be revived.
Historically, "Clocks" have done better than most. They had their moment in the sun and delivered, if only just. So many bands never had the opportunity or fumbled the ball when they did.
Not the best but good enough (just) to keep because I like the park they come from.
Chart Action
US
England
nothing on the mainstream charts
Sounds
She Looks a Lot Like You
attached
19
attached
Without You
Nobody's Fool
Someone (Not Me)
When Will I See You Again
Summer
Review
Bio
Website
—
Trivia
- Unfortunately, a second album was not in the cards for Clocks in the 1980's, but some of the band did reunite in 2003 for a recording session that produced some new tunes. Songs from those sessions were combined with some early demos and released in 2004 as The Black Box on Zip Records
- The singer Jerry Sumner was in other small Kansas bands "Dogs" and "As We Speak".
Other Comments
—
Picture
back cover art
(originally posted: 27/02/2011)
