This Marin County (San Francisco) California New Wave band was, no doubt, named after the Looney Tunes wildfire cartoon character rather than the carnivorous marsupial from Australia's southern island state, Tasmania (even though the cartoon character was a caricature of the marsupial), and it is perhaps apt for a frantic bar band gone New Wave.
The Tazmanian Devils were one of the many bands who jumped onto the New Wave band wagon on the late 70s / early 80s.
How easy the jump was depends on how “rock ‘n’ roll” the band was before the transition.
For some, the jump was no more than getting haircuts, putting on suits and skinny ties, shortening their songs to under three minutes and doing away with extended guitar solos.
For others it was an overhaul of their whole image and sound.
What gives both away is that, as bar bands, they could play better (technically) than your average New Wave band being fronted by adolescents, despite not understanding the angst, the anti-authority-ism, or the rage of their younger compatriots.
And that isn't necessarily a good thing … the technical ability or the lack of understanding.
For some "power pop", then, isn't part a New Wave but a reaction against it by the status quo … adopting some of the stylings but nothing else.
I tend to disagree, the New Wave was big enough to encompass them all, though Power Pop is a slap in the face (rather than a punk fist punch to the head) to the status quo of rock music in the late 1970s.
But, to my ear, of all the bands that jumped ship, the former group always sound better. The latter always sound like they are hedging their bets.
The Tazmanian Devils were part of the former, but only just.
American bar bands that ‘jumped” into New Wave fall into three groups:
- New Wave with a nod to the Beatles, meaning they are, inevitably, more power pop (The Romantics, The Knack);
- New Wave with a nod to the Rolling Stones, meaning they are, inevitably, more rock ‘n’ roll (The Werewolves);
- or, ones that straddle both the Stones and the Beatles and have their roots in US rock ‘n’ roll or pop rock (The Cars, The Motels, Earthquake, The Greg Kihn Band, The J Geils Band, The Flamin Groovies, Dwight Twilley Band).
The Tazmanian Devils were part of the latter, but only just.
If you need any convincing check the cover : there is a mishmash of styles going on there.
There is quite a bit of detail on the band on-line mainly because they are out there playing live again, so feel free to google, but …
They started in the mid-1970s, playing good time rock.
Bass player Duane Van Dieman then joined. “In the summer of ´76, I called Dennis, who I hadn´t seen but twice since we played together in High School in the late sixties. I was wondering if the new group he was performing with would be interested in playing a locally produced show put on by my roommate Steve Bajor (Marin Co. Homegrown Productions, now Pro Event). To my surprise, he said the reason he´d called earlier that day was that the groups' original bassist, Dave Mckay (a good friend from my College of Marin daze), was going on tour with Michael Nesmith and had wondered if I´d like to join up… He´d left a message that I hadn´t gotten! … I knew there was something special about this and the timing was perfect. Freeman was movin´ south to L.A. and I was looking for a new creative musical challenge. I knew everyone but Pat Craig (keyboards, vocs.) from our jamming together at Tam High in Marin County. The next interesting "coincidence" I noticed was that Pat and I were both born in the same hospital (in Eugene, Ore.)… and are both Libras with Leo rising (!) (for what that's worth) … We all decided then and there to become the hottest kick ass dance band in the Bay Area. That was our single goal. From 1976 thru ´78 we were averaging over 20 gigs a month, plus we found the time and energy to put up hundreds of promo posters. Most importantly, we decided together that if the group leveled off or became a drag, we wouldn´t beat it to death just for the money. Just one goal… and a lot of great times along the way … And so… through time we´ve remained a musical family – and have regrouped from time to time over the years just for the pure enjoyment of playing good music with good friends. The band is currently back together (sans Pat & now w/Parabar Martin Webber) and making some inspired new music”. http://www.funklub.com/Taz.html
Their website (http://www.tazmaniandevils.net/about.html) refers to their white rock sound with reggae influences. Reggae made its mark on English punk a little later (as well as on the English New Wave through The Police) but in 70s US rock it was decidedly anti-punk and New Wave, it was associated with pot smoking and good times and would be appropriated much (most significantly in Jimmy Buffet's country sounds and Johnny Nash's soulful pop). The band did though have the Rolling Stones influences as well as the 70s rock energy as epitomised by The J. Geils Band, a band, I suspect they were trying to aspire to.
In “The Illustrated History of San Francisco Rock Music,” Jack McDonough writes that the Tazmanian Devils had “perfected one of the best non-punk New Wave sounds to originate in the Bay Area – a zippy, churning mix of spongeball reggae rhythms, straight pop accents and Rolling Stones-J. Geils drive.”
Producer Erik Jacobsen, who had hits with Norman Greenbaum (“Spirit in the Sky”), the Lovin’ Spoonful and later Chris Isaak came knocking.
As hard as they worked, though, they never could break through nationally. There were too many albums flooding the New Wave market.
Two albums and then Warners dropped them.
In 1983 the band threw in the towel, just as a new San Francisco act, Huey Lewis and the News, was about to take their sound (more or less, slicked up with a little more "bombast") through to #1 on the charts.
This first album has all the stylings of the New Wave without any of the cynicism or philosophy.
I have no problems with that as long as the hooks are there …
And they are. The songs are hook laden though there is more "pop" than "power" in this power pop.
This is like a rockier version of The Police (and the Police are considered to be English New Wave) or a poppier version of Joes Jackson or some cross between Jimmy Cliff and the Beatles.
Tracks (best in italics)
Side One
- Feel Alright – (Hogan) – Starts off as a surf type song before morphing poppy power pop. Like a gentle "Echo Beach". Great fun
- Window Into Heaven – (Carlson, Hogan, Craig) – more of the same. Not bad but not as good as the first track.
- Spy In The House Of Love – (Craig, Jacobsen, Delgadillio, Hogan) – The obligatory "spooky" song New Wave bands
- Don't Slip – (Hogan) – some reggae beats are creeping in. Only slight but I can hear them, and that is enough. I don't like much (if any) white reggae sounds.
- West Coast – (Hogan, Jacobsen, Craig) – a hoot. An ode to California's 'west coast". It starts off with a bass line that's lifted from Elvis' "Baby, I Don't Care (You're so Square)" before taking up the rhythm of "Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and then referencing Australia's Skyhooks (that must be an accident, the Skyhooks were definitely underground in the US … though there is the "Tazmanian" thing again)
Side Two
- Laura – (Hogan) – "Laura you know it's true, All the boys are hot for you" .. harr, perfect. This is the obligatory power pop young girl song (young girl being a teenager of age giving informed consent … that should be said in this day and age. In any event the narrator of the song pleads with Laura to open her door.
- Sender To Me – (Hogan) – I like the pun in the title. I dislike the reggae stylings.
- My Obsession – (Carlson, van Deman, Jacobsen, Craig) – a keyboard mood piece trying to be arty and angsty. Any song about "obsession" has to be arty and angsty.
- Pressure – (Hogan) – not too bad but not memorable
- Music – (Jacobsen, Craig) – a slow song that is a throwback to soft rock with some new wave edginess thrown over the top. Filler.
And …
A hard one. This is on the cusp. But, it does have obscura value if nothing else …. I'm keeping it.
For now.
Chart Action
Nothing nowhere
Sounds
Feel Alright
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_gH8JOphQk
West Coast
Mp3 attached
Laura
Live 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_li7UgpSdI
My Obsession
Live 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B93Ys6KAM1M
Pressure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v3B81ACYa8
Others
Live 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGbqFYOcoAI
Review
—
Bio
https://www.marinij.com/2006/08/04/almost-famous-tazmanian-devils-try-again/
Website
http://www.tazmaniandevils.net/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/The-Tazmanian-Devils-114478561932913/
Trivia
- Musicians: Dennis Hogan (vocals/guitar); Dave Carlson (guitar); Duane Van Dieman (bass/vocals); Barry Lowenthal (drums/percussion); Pat Craig (keyboards).
-
Careers:
- Barry Lowenthal – toured with several San Francisco Bay Area bands and artists including two albums with (Sacramento, California) rock band Steel Breeze (whose first album was produced by Kim Fowley). He also recorded and performed with The KBC Band (Paul Kantner, Marty Balin and Jack Cassidy) and blues artist Alvin Youngblood Heart.
- Duane Van Dieman played in a number of local San Francisco bands (Bop City, Secrets).
- Dave Carlson teaches guitar and bass at his musical instrument store in Santa Rosa, CA. In1984 he formed FCC Lucky Star with Zoe Fox and Pat Craig. He has had his own recording studio where he recorded Chris Isaak, Buddy Miles, David Crosby, and others.
- Pat Craig was in FCC Lucky Star with Dave Carlson
- “The Tazmanian Devils (aka Taz) played their first gig in 1976 at the Sleeping Lady Cafe in Fairfax. Their New Wave/reggae rhythms created a strong following and after a few years on the club circuit the band got the chance to record two albums for Warner Brothers and a live EP on the local DubLab label in 1980 and 1981 (see discography below). As a matter of fact the albums didn't succeed and the band decided to disband. Even though the band disbanded they stayed in touch as friends, played together from time to time and finally decided to record a new album”. http://www.bay-area-bands.com/bab00094.htm
