Search - Apb :: Something to Believe in

The ghosts of a huge cult following

Fran Fried | Fresno, Ca. United States | 02/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A couple of years ago, I met a woman my age from Aberdeen, way up in the north of Scotland, and asked her whether she remembered APB, who hailed from the same city. She had never even heard of them. Sad, but it kinda parallels their success story in the States.

They were big in the Tri-State alternative/new wave/whatever scene (NY/CT/NJ) in the '80s thanks in large part to much, MUCH airplay on Long Island's late, great WLIR, 92.7. (And having gone to college on LI and lived in CT, I was lucky enough to have seen them live several times: The Grotto in New Haven, a New Year's show at Rumrunners in Oyster Bay, the Night Shift in Naugatuck; these are places that are gone). But they didn't seem to connect in many other places, which was a surprise then and is still a shame now. Which is why you never see them on any '80s compilation CDs. And which is why this collection of their singles from '81-85 is out of print and going for three figures. Which, of course, is also a shame.

They were punk; they were funk. Either way, they were taut and tight and mighty and high-strung and everything that made for a nice, explosive little dance party. What made them stand out? Above all, Iain Slater's nimble bass and his plaintive Scottish wail. But Glenn Roberts' wiry guitar and George Cheyne's drumming -- which showed you didn't always have to be bottom-heavy to be effective -- were just as strong. Just thinking of the tunes makes me smile: the hyperactive "Shoot You Down," the high-strung-yet-dreamy "Palace Filled With Love," the underrated instrumental car-cruise quality "All Your Life With Me," which predated rolling boomboxes (and was not included on the original LP version of this collection), the soulful club hits "One Day" and "What Kind of Girl," the impassioned, bass-driven "Summer Love" -- and "Rainy Day," with its opening tribal chant and slamming, body contorting rhythm line. This is a group -- and a sound -- that never grew old for me. And I wish more music fiends could get their hands on this disc."

APB, WAS IT REALLY 20 YEARS AGO...

kevin spencer | keansburg, new jersey United States | 03/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I SAW APB PERFORM AT THE RITZ IN NYC IN 1984.
OF ALL THE CONCERTS I'VE ATTENDED IN 26 YEARS
THEIRS WAS MEMORABLE IN THAT EVERYBODY THERE
KNEW THE SONGS FROM WLIR'S FREQUENT RADIO PLAY.
300 PEOPLE DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY. THEY HAD A TRULY UNIQUE
SOUND THAT TERRIBLY MISSED UNTIL I FINALLY FOUND THE CD.
NOW I CAN ONCE AGAIN DANCE TO MY FAVORITE SCOT FUNK BAND."

THIS IS WHAT ALTERNATIVE MUSIC IN THE 80'S WAS ALL ABOUT.

08/24/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"FUNKY STUFF, GREAT BEATS, DANCEABLE. TRULY A GREAT BAND THAT DESERVED MORE EXPOSURE. ONLY A FEW 'NEW WAVE STATION' SUCH AS WLIR HAD THE GOOD TASTE TO PLAY APB."