Search - Diesel :: Watts in a Tank

Super-slick, FM-friendly post-disco early-'80's Europop

Brent A. Anthonisen | Alpharetta, GA, USA | 01/24/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

""Sausalito Summernight" is easily one of the best pop songs of the last 30 years; I take a back seat to no one in loving it. And yes, the single edit of the song (previously available on the compilation CD "Barry Scott Presents the Lost 45s of the '70s & 80s, vol. 2") DOES cut an entire verse as well as 3/4 of the bridge of the song (not in itself a bad thing; how many key changes does one song need?), so fans of that song will do well to snag all copies of this re-issue (which is once again unavailable as the CD has gone out-of-print) in order to hear the track in its entirety.



However, the rest of this album AT BEST is hit-and-miss; there are hints that these guys COULD'VE been a fine power pop outfit if they were just a little grittier ("Good Morning Day", "Bite Back" are good examples where this approach works reasonably well), but the prevailing feel of this album is goofiness, from "Goin' Back to China" (sounding not unlike the efforts of John Carpenter and Alan Howarth on the "Big Trouble in Little China" soundtrack; this should not be considered a compliment to either artist) to "Down in the Slivermine" (I don't get this at all) to "Remember the Romans" (which was probably sufficient to get them some cred as a "new wave" band).



I bought the CD; I figured as much as I liked "...Summernight" the rest of the album was worth a spin. And I don't regret the decision, but the overall sound of the band itself is a disappointment. The best way I can think of to describe them is a cross between the Mickey Thomas-era Jefferson Starship along with ABBA at the height of their '70's disco prowess. If you're a fan of either group (or sound) this is definitely a must-buy. But if you're expecting the rest of the album to be anywhere NEAR as good as the hit single (hence the term), you should prepare yourself for a significant let-down; if the album was really that good it would have sold better when it was originally released when its sound was even close to fresh."

Diesel Rocks!!

Larry R. Bowers | Kernersville, NC | 09/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had this album on cassette in '82. My dad, brother, and I absolutely loved this tape. So much so that it wore out playing it so much. I hadn't given the album much thought but I found it on Apple iTunes the other day and had to buy it. I am glad I did. I was shocked to find it is $85.00 on Amazon. That is way too pricey for any album. It is a great classic rock album. I feel that there is not a bad song on this album, although "Sausalito Summer Night" is by far the best (I think everyone thinks this). This is a great album. It is not one of the albums that only one or two songs are good they all are. Great buy at iTunes $9.99."

An old childhood favorite.

Eclectic | DHS, CA | 05/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Great band from Holland in the early 80's. The music sounds dated but the songs are well done. I think mostly musicians like this one. Sausalito Summernights made a big impact."