For somebody who loves pure powerpop there's no finer example what it is that fuels the passion than this little gem. A classic case of wrong place/wrong time ended up burying it, but over the years it dragged itself from the grave and got recognized for the perfection it is.amg:
Jules and the Polar Bears' debut album, Got No Breeding, fell into a commercial twilight zone shortly after its release in 1978; the music was too quirky and the wit of the lyrics was too curious for the mainstream rock audience, but the band's approach was too firmly rooted in mainstream pop for the new wave crowd, who Columbia thought would be the record's likely target audience (and the shaggy picture of Jules Shear and his bandmates on the cover wasn't likely to encourage the skinny-tie wearing record buyer). However, in time Got No Breeding became a cult favorite, and with good reason — it's a superlative collection of smart, well-crafted pop tunes played with enthusiasm and élan by a great band. The studio-savvy guitar work of Richard Bredice and Stephen Hague's piano have one foot in mainstream rock & roll, but the slightly strangled cry of Shear's vocals takes these songs into another place, though he's able to keep up with the band when they shift into high gear on tunes like "Convict" and "Driftwood from Disaster," and he generates some genuine soul on "You Just Don't Wanna Know" and the title cut. Shear's songs also take a skewed but heartfelt look at life and love in the Modern Age, and there isn't a less than memorable tune in the bunch; close to thirty years on, Got No Breeding's fusion of polished studio craft and idiosyncratic pop experimentation sounds prescient rather than eccentric. Got No Breeding is where Jules Shear's career as a cult hero really took off, and with good reason — it's a thoroughly enjoyable album and one of the finest records his name has ever been attached to.
Hear
1 comment:
This IS a tremendous album. I remember buying it on vinyl when it came out. The back had all this real small blue-green type -- then I looked closer and realized, "Holy crap! Those are the lyrics." And those lyrics are superb. There is not a bad cut on the album. Some are better than others, but none make you want to skip over them. Even 32 years later, I still listen to this thing WEEKLY -- the vinyl has taken a beating, so I also have it on CD.
Post a Comment