DIRTY LOOKS – Dirty Looks – (Stiff) – 1980

This is another album I have had for over 20 years which I was going to “cull” at one stage but it only made it to the “maybe” pile. So, here it is…again…

One could be forgiven for thinking this band are English.

·         (Ahhh bullets). There is a vaguely English ska feel on the cover (skinny ties, jackets) ;

·         There are a couple of ska flavoured songs (urgggg);

·         The tracks were recorded and mixed in London;

·         and the album is on the (then) premier English new wave / punk label Stiff.

The thump of the first track dispels that almost immediately.

Very few English power pop bands (not that there were many of them to start off with) rocked this hard.

This is US power pop, albeit with alternating punk or bar band (pub rock) overtones. The music is all punch and hooks.

But how did it end up on Stiff with a decidedly English (marketing) feel?

From http://punkandoi.free.fr/dirtylooks_pic.htm, Formed November 1978 in Staten Island, NY – it was a mere ten shows when this power-pop trio (Patrick Barnes, Peter Parker, Marco Sin) was "discovered" and signed to Stiff Records. Their first show was at CGGBs in August of 1979 and by the end of September they were in England recording their self-titled debut album. "Aside from CBGB," Patrick once stated, "it was hard for us to get a good place to play and it seemed like it was taking forever to be discovered, but thinking back on it, it happened pretty fast. We got our big break at Hurrah."

But they may never have been signed if it wasn’t for the sudden death of original bassist Ediie, who was struck by a car while crossing the street. It was just natural that the stout, flamboyant bassist Marco Sin would join the band (St. Patrick’s Day, 1979), since the three had all played together prior to Dirty Looks in a cover band called The Space Between Your Ears. Marco added that extra dimension that Epic records would later say, "…redefined the nature of the power-pop trio." And the first thing the President of Stiff Records told Marco was, "Don’t loose weight."

Dirty Looks was riding high as they toured all over the world in 1980 during the Son of Stiff Tour, garnishing rave reviews, gaining new fans and selling over 100,000 albums.

It’s easy to see why Stiff label owner was attracted to the band and signed them but, ultimately, they fit in perfectly with the US power pop movement of the time which was growing in popularity in England.

Search this blog for other powerpop bands and definitions.

It’s easy to assume that power pop was punk for those who didn’t want to be punk and there is an element of truth to that. There are far too many pop hooks and songs about relationships for anything to remotely look like punk but sometimes when a sound rocks this hard it taps into the zeitgeist around it.

It is also accepted that the powerpop sound is not as threatening as the punk sound which is akin to a smack in the face. Both, however, are at odds with conformity in music and life. The difference is that the punk philosophy would have you throw in your job whereas the power popsters will have you so wasted from the night before that you wont be able to perform in your job.

Either way there is enough angst and rebellion in there to make the musics spiritual kin.

Or am I wanking on too much here?

Dirty Looks rock hard and by powerpop standards they were towards the heavier end of the spectrum. They also have a fine sense of music history, as many powerpop bands did, with elements of 60s, rockabilly and new wave thrown into the mix.

What’s notable (as far as I know) is the band did not pack up and move to England which they could have being on Stiff records. New Wave had broken the mainstream in England in a big way – it’s a small market – and following the Piper’s pipe were The Stray Cats, Chrissie Hynde and Katrina from Katrina and The Waves. (just like The Sparks, Suzi Quattro, Jimi Hendrix, The Walker Brothers and PJ Proby before them).  The English have always embraced authentic American musicians (despite what they say to the contrary).

Maybe they should have moved.

Tracks (best in italics)

• They Got Me Covered – this goes off. A perfect slab of new wave power pop.
• Love Crimes – a slower song but with balls.
• You Can’t Love Me – the obligatory power pop song about distrustful love.
• Lie to Me – a mid tempo love ballad but with a big sound.
• Take a Life – teen angst done well.
• Let Go – “Don’t you Know Rock n roll is still the best drug” ….sure is when it’s played like this.
• 12 O’Clock High – another slice of teen angst.
• You’re Too Old – a nice piece of spite ….
• Accept Me – a straight power pop song
• Disappearing – a English new wave ska feel … a pity.
• Drop That Tan – a 50s rockabilly type song showing that the power pop energy predates the Beatles (Dwight Twilley did the same)

And …

It smokes…. I’m keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where.

Sounds

They Got Me Covered

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCYSGWSQsM

and attached

Dirty Looks – They Got Me Covered 

Lie to Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt0xQW8sND4&feature=related

live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RRtrjf0psg

Take a Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbpENf_xjFA&feature=relmfu

Let Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMiY-fpDz8g

12 O’Clock High

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi5VPNSnqhk&feature=related

You’re Too Old

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAlL-4kJqtw&feature=relmfu

Accept Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npiypQ4OWpQ&feature=related

Disappearing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGeK_qJ4X_M&feature=related

Drop That Tan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdeOtDqJB50&feature=related

Others

live clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ummukeJyhic

Review

http://lostbands.blogspot.com.au/2005/01/dirty-looks-they-got-me-covered.html

http://powerpopoverdose.blogspot.com.au/2008/04/dirty-looks-dirty-looks-1980_22.html

Bio

http://punkandoi.free.fr/dirtylooks_pic.htm

photo:

http://www.myspace.com/jokerelli/photos/15303289#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A15303289%7D

Website

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Trivia

• http://punkandoi.free.fr/dirtylooks_pic.htm, “After Patrick broke up the band he returned to school to get a degree in computer science. At last we know he still resides in New Jersey and has never returned to the music industry. Marco went on to tour with the Waterboys and was also the bassist with New York City underground rockers Lone Cowboys. In 1995 Marco passed away from a heart failure due to a recurring problem with narcotics. Peter went on to do session work for Clarence Clemens, played and recorded with Planet Blue and did technical work for Stevie Nicks’ first solo album. Today Peter lives in Florida and plays in an cover/originals band known as The Distractions. From time-to-time he still gets fans coming up to him and asking if there will ever be a reunion. Unfortunately, the answer is always no”.
• Their second album "Turn it up" was a fiasco. It was produced by Nick Garvey (The Motors) but Epic Records was not happy with Garvey’s mixes so they contracted Roger Bechirian to re-mix the project with a watered down more mainstream sound. Epic still weren’t satisfied, so they released the album only in Europe only.