THE RECORDS
The Records/Shades In Bed (Proper)
Reviewed by Alan Wright

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When I was around 15, I caught a two-hour show on Canadian Public TV called "It's Only Rock and Roll," about the merging "new wave" music scene. It showed live clips and videos by a wide range of groups, among them XTC, Boomtown Rats, Magazine, Skids, and tons more. One of the videos shown was by a British band called The Records: "Starry Eyes," an infectious powerpop song that I immediately liked and sent me searching for a record by, erm, The Records. I found their first LP from 1978, called simply The Records, at a local store in the cut-out bin and it quickly became a fave of mine with its Beatles-esque harmonies, hardedge guitars and catchy songs. Now comes this great CD reissue with loads of extras. Since the LP was actually called Shades In Bed in the U.K. and included an extra 4-song EP of cover tunes, and since the Canadian version had a different track order and substituted the single mix of "Starry Eyes," all that is included here. Also thrown on is a 1979 Craig Leon remix of "Teenarama," and various B-sides such as "Paint Her Face." The original album contains such gems as "Girls That Don't Exist," "Affection Rejected" and "Insomnia." The four cover tunes are great and include versions of "Abracadabra" (Blue Ash), "1984" (Spirit), "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadows?" (Stones) and "See My Friends" (Kinks). I actually think the 45 version of "Starry Eyes" is superior, so I'm glad they threw that one in.

© 2003 - Alan Wright