Syd Barrett of 1980

When I went to college I was not expecting anybody to be a huge Robyn Hitchcock fan like myself. Let alone someone who was younger then myself. I mean it's odd to see someone who is younger then yourself listen to stuff that is not what a normal person would listen to. This someone turned out to be a great friend and still is. His love for Hitchcock was far deeper then the solo stuff, he like The Soft Boys.

In my early years of listening to Robyn Hitchcock I remember reading up on The Soft Boys but having problems finding it. I would go to record stores and see these Soft Boy albums and see the ugly price of $50-$60 dollars for these, and sometimes more. I never got to listen or buy until they reunited for a tour and a album. They re-issued the best album of their catalog Underwater Moonlight one of their best albums.

When we got this at the station I started reading the notes about the album I was wondering why their history was not talked about. In the age of pre-internet I never saw them in musical books or they were not talked about to much. When I did see the album it was in the rare bin and as I said above the price was too much, more over if you look at the back photo you can barely make out Robyn so if you thought he was in a band before he was solo you had no idea. The notes were through and wonderful. I decided to buy this set when it was available and read on. My friend was ecstatic when he saw this at the station. When we got it at the station early of 2001 he left notes to play and play often. I did on my shows often and he did as well.

This was the best stuff and it was from 1980. It sounded timeless and cool. Nothing ever sound like it then it even sounded better the XTC Black Sea or Elvis Costello Get Happy!! or even AC/DC's Back In Black which was also released in 1980. I still listen to those albums to this day, but they make me feel nostalgic. Two albums that did come out that year that will be discussed in the future is The Feelies Crazy Rhythms and Young Marble Giants Colossal Youth. When I came home for the summer break after buying this re-issue of issue of Underwater Moonlight I quickly went over a friends to play this for him. He thought I was crazy. He liked it but not like I like it like I did.

I think what separates this album is that it is so fresh and so new. It was a mix of Syd Barrett Pink Floyd, Capt. Beefheart and harmonies of great classic rock. Their wit, brains and melodies and twin guitar sound was amazing. Songs like "I Want To Destroy You" and "Kingdom of Love" are some of best songs any band has created. Their Pink Floyd cover of "Vegetable Man" is more psychedelic then the original. I could only imagine if they did covered Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Sadly, this was the last album they put out.

To me this is an album that gets better with repeated listens "Although the neo-psychedelic flourishes are fascinating, the key to record's success is how each song is constructed around rock-solid hooks and melodies that instantly work their way into the subconscious." (allmusic) listens and I do recommend the reunion album Nextdoorland too. The guitar hooks are amazing as well. That too is pretty catchy and out on the net is a WFMU show with them playing for about an hour. Another sad fact is that the re-issue is out of print so if you see it in stores, grab it and keep it. Enjoy one of the best albums of the 1980's.