Music on Both Sides

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Music on Both Sides
Studio album by
the Records
Released11 March 1982
Genre Pop, power pop, pop rock
Label Virgin
Producer Will Birch, Alan Douglas
The Records chronology
Crashes
(1980)		Music on Both Sides
(1982)		Smashes, Crashes and Near Misses
(1988)

Music on Both Sides is the third album by the English band the Records, released on 11 March 1982. [1] [2] They broke up after its release, although some lineups reunited a few times before John Wicks's death. [3]

Contents

Production

The songs were written by Will Birch and Wicks. [4] Chris Gent, on vocals, and Dave Whelan, on guitar, joined the band prior to the recording sessions. [1] Paul Carrack contributed to two of the tracks. [5] "Cheap Detective Music" is an instrumental. [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All Music Guide to Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Duluth News Tribune 7/10 [8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Fresno Bee 8.5/10 [10]
The Great Indie Discography 4/10 [11]
Houston Chronicle Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Omaha World-Herald Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [14]

The Boston Globe called the album "an appealing and distinctively British pop record, reminiscent of the Hollies in their harder-edged moments." [15] The Omaha World-Herald said that the songs are bright but "the sound is occasionally too thin and spare." [14] Ethlie Ann Vare likewise opined that the "biggest flaw ... is the band's mushy production values ... what the band really needs is the crisp, clean attack of a Mike Chapman or Dave Edmunds at the controls." [5]

The Duluth News Tribune concluded, "Every band reaches a level of competence beyond which they needn't try to reach, and, like the Beatles of 1966 ... the Records are there now." [8] The Houston Chronicle said, "The melodies are uninspired, the structures bland." [12] The Fresno Bee labeled Music on Both Sides a "must" for power pop fans. [10] The Detroit Free Press considered it "radio-perfect pop rock". [16]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Imitation Jewellery" 
2."Heather and Hell" 
3."Selfish Love" 
4."Clown Around Town" 
5."Not So Much the Time" 
6."Keeping Up with Jones" 
7."Third Hand Information" 
8."Real Life" 
9."King of Kings" 
10."Cheap Detective Music" 
11."Every Day Nightmare" 

References

  1. 1 2 Gimarc, George (2005). Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970–1982. Backbeat Books. p. 584.
  2. ↑ Arthur, George (31 July 1982). "Short Cuts". Circus. No. 269. p. 64.
  3. ↑ Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2018. McFarland, Inc. 2019. p. 404.
  4. ↑ "And heard". Evening Advertiser. Swindon. 23 April 1982. p. 4.
  5. 1 2 Vare, Ethlie Ann (30 March 1982). "Rock On". Hillsboro Press Gazette. Vol. 9, no. 126. p. 2.11.
  6. ↑ Butler, Robert W. (14 March 1982). "The turntable". The Kansas City Star. p. 7F.
  7. ↑ All Music Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Backbeat Books. 2002. p. 921.
  8. 1 2 Shefchik, Rick (4 April 1982). "Hot Wax". Accent North. Duluth News Tribune. Vol. 112, no. 344. p. 35.
  9. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 804.
  10. 1 2 Breen, Steve (11 June 1982). "In review, The Records". The Fresno Bee. p. D13.
  11. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography (2nd ed.). Canongate. p. 128.
  12. 1 2 Racine, Marty (25 April 1982). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 9.
  13. ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 557.
  14. 1 2 Catlin, Roger (16 March 1982). "New Sounds". Omaha World-Herald. p. 6.
  15. ↑ Milano, Brett (11 March 1982). "Records". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 7.
  16. ↑ Duffy, Mike (30 November 1982). "Briefly Noted". Detroit Free Press. p. 6B.
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