WALL OF VOODOO – Happy Planet – (IRS) – 1987

• Do It Again – hmmm …superficially it seems like a pretty straight cover of the Beach Boys classic and not entirely successful to my ears at first. But it grows on me. There is a droning heart rate monitor synth setting the mood and best of all they have added something new to their cover version…here the original songs sunshine joy is replaced with cynicism, some irony and a post good times detachment. It's as if the natural beauty of California has been trampled by urban sprawl, freeways and pollution. I don't recollect hearing this single when it came out but it does sound a little like their version of "Ring of Fire" with Stan. (see "Others" below)
• Hollywood the Second Time – this sounds like someone that I cant put my finger on though it's a little like a cross between The Nails and late 70s Pink Floyd, perhaps. Still it's quite eerie
• Empty Room – the type of track you would hear in a US teen film from the 80s when the protagonist walks into a (Hollywood version of a) underground punk club. And at that level it works well. Really well.
• Chains of Luck – see below "Trivia" …numerous Brian Wilson references in here. Not too bad
• When the Lights Go Out – poppy and with a big sound reminiscent of "The Alarm". Still, despite that, it's not to bad.
• Country of Man – Not sure what this is about but its boppy and relatively un-synth as if they were channelling The Violent Femmes.
• Joanne– familiar WOV beats backdrop a song about "poor" Joanne ……"It moves too fast for Joanne" . Written by Prieboy it's not that dissimilar in mood from his "Tomorrow Wendy"
• Elvis Bought Dora a Cadillac  – yet another song "about" Elvis. Of the hundreds of songs that use Elvis as a subject or name check him a large proportion of them aren't so much about him but about his role in popular culture and how he affected those who were enamoured by him. This song digs in the "We are humble people and Elvis is one of us" field. The songs are usually from the point of view of the marginalised, in this case a Hispanic lady (in LA ?) being evicted. Dora was a real person and the lyric are apparently based on her own words. The band also, on the inner, seek any information so they can contact Dora. I wonder if they did?
• Grass Is Greener – the song references a number of rock stars but I'm not really sure what it's about but it could be about a kid searching for rock 'n roll fame.
• Ain't My Day  – Wall of Voodoo go folk country in this sad lament about a washed cowboy film extra in LA…he even met the Duke. Excellent

On first listen I thought the album was only so-so (read my contemporaneously written notes above in the intro) but I kept getting interrupted and had to replay the album a number of times, and accordingly it has grown on me. Hey, this doesn't always happen on re-listens… you can't polish a turd. Despite some 80s excesses, which I didn't particularly like in the 80s, I'm keeping this.