musings, rants, rambles, and typographical errors from a toronto librarian. Now with vinyl.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Corey Hart: First Offense (1984)
"Don't switch the blade on the guy in shades; oh no
Don't masquerade with the guy in shades;
(oh no) (I can't believe it)
You got it made with the guy in shades; oh no"
I'll admit that this is a rather embarrassing part of my record collection, but I paid nothing for it. Somewhat interestingly, an old friend's brother went to high school with Mr. Hart. That's three degrees of separation, for those of you who are counting.
I have to say that First Offense is a kind of a brilliant and perhaps ironic title for this record. I don't think any artist has done better and it makes me laugh. On the other hand, it's probably his best record, as it contains his big hit, Sunglasses at Night, which was marketed with a cheesy video. I'll admit that there was a time when that song seemed OK to my ears. It no longer does, except in a nostalgic way. The opening sometimes makes me think that the Eurythmics were a big influence, and maybe they were. On the other hand, this record also contains the appalling It Ain't Enough.
This record screams 80s, but not the good 80s. As Allmusic notes: "All the cliched '80s sounds are here in full force, from the brooding saxophone, the bratty guitar solo, the snotty background vocalists, and the catchy keyboard riffs." [source] I have no idea what a bratty guitar solo is and I have even less idea of what snotty background vocalists are, but that sentence encapsulates the record perfectly.
I do like a woman in uniform :)
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