Red carpet reissue of seminal Los Angeles LP
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 02/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For reasons that remain somewhat obscure, The Last seems to have remained one of the least known bands of the Los Angeles? pop explosion of the late-70s and early-80s. Their debut album, reproduced here on CD for the first time (and sweetened with a half-dozen fine bonus tracks), is every bit as seminal as singles, EPs and albums from the likes of The Plimsouls, Three O?Clock and others. Perhaps the lack of a major-label follow-up kept the band from greater acclaim, because it certainly wasn?t the music.Unlike many of their contemporaries, The Last brought several different influences together in their music, from surf to chiming British Invasion harmony singing (e.g, The Searchers-like "This Kind of Feeling," The Kinks-like social commentary of "Century City Rag"), to anthemic tunes that had the pop-punk energy of The Undertones, The Dils and The Clash (e.g., "Bombing of London"), to neo-psychedelic tunes like the opener, "She Don?t Know Why I?m Here." This was a band equally at home gigging with the Go-Go?s as they were with Black Flag.Unlike their live shows, however, the sound on this disc (originally released in August of 1979) is very tight and clean. Its combination of punk energy, chiming pop guitars and harmony singing, and Farfisa-like organ makes something of a bridge between the power-pop and punk of the late 70s and the paisley underground of the early 80s. Having formed in 1976, the band pre-dates the US arrival of the UK punk explosion, and their initial influences were grounded in the 60s, rather than the 70s. Clearly, though, punk energy flowed through the band throughout the years leading up to the recording dates for their debut.Song highlights include the punky "Slavedriver" (with a wonderfully cheesy organ riff to underline the Stranglers-like vocals), the beach tune "Every Summer Day," the new-wavey "Objections," and the Buzzcocks like anthem, "I Don?t Wanna Be in Love." The band?s gothic, dramatic cover of "Be Bop A Lula," inspired by John Cale?s remake of "Heartbreak Hotel," has a very Doors-y atmosphere, and Vitus Matare?s flute solo adds a winsome note to the melancholy pop of "Someone?s Laughing."Bomp has rolled out the red carpet for this reissue of the album they originally released in 1979. In addition to the original fifteen tracks, a half-dozen bonus tracks have been added, including both sides of the band?s first two singles, the A-side of their third single, and a cut from Bomp?s "Waves" compilation. The singles? distant, reverb-drenched sound is primitive compared to the album?s polish, but the raw energy they display gives a hint at the band?s live sound. The thick CD booklet includes an extensive new essay on the album?s creation by the band?s Joe Nolte, photos, lyrics and contemporaneous notes from Nolte?s journal documenting the recording and song writing.This is a five-star reissue of a seminal album of Los Angeles rock."
Golden Archeaological Find
hyperbolium | 02/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I used to own this on vinyl years ago . . . but you know what can happen. I don't know if it rocked my peers out too much at the time, but I thought it was a rock n. roll revelation.
Time to time I'd check the "L"'s in the bins just to see, but it wasn't around. Suddenly they issued it on CD, and I'm very grateful to have it around again.
"She Don't Know Why I'm Here" is a great single, very keyboard-heavy, a classic song. Songs 2-5 kind of form a seamless trio of sharp 60's guitar and very clean production, which in the liner notes Mr. Nolte almost apologizes for. "Every Summer Day" is great Brian Wilson CA rock. Side Two opens with the great "Rack" and goes right into "Objections", a tough keyboard tapper. I frown'd immediately ere I heard the opening flutes of "A Fool LIke You", which fortunately becomes a mediocre rocker, followed by 2 much better songs before covering "Be-Bop-A-Lula". The song "Looking At You" is fantastic, a great conclusion which rivals "She Don't Know" in peak and sound.
If you have a place, nay, a whole wall in your heart (or bedroom) for records by the likes of the Ramones, the Dictators, or the Undertones, you really can't miss with this one."
Almost forgotten today, it captured an era...
The Last DJ | Where the Rainbow Ends | 03/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What can you say about The Last? When I was on the periphery of the L.A. music scene, they had a small, fanatical following of which I was one. Those who were there, remember we all thought we were so cool because we knew a band that no one else did? I was a DJ in Fresno for a while, and my efforts to get The Last some airplay were dismal failures...but my friends thought I was pretty cool, being probably the only person in Fresno to own this album :)
If you weren't there (or if you were), "L.A. Explosion" defines L.A. music during that wonderful time. The Brothers Nolte ran the musical gamut, from postpunk social commentary ("She Don't Know Why I'm Here") to an indictment of the yuppie mentality before there were yuppies ("Century City Rag") to pop so infectious that my punk friends hated themselves for liking it ("This Kind Of Feeling"). Members of the band have apologized for "Every Summer Day," but it is in fact a brilliant parody of SoCal conformity ("I wanna go back to when the world was free/When all my friends were just like me"). The ballady "Someone's Laughing" personifies the nerd-heartbreak that comes of being different...and the music scene of that time was all about being different, so a lot of us identified with that song.
Anyway, I'm not usually the sort of person to wallow in nostalgia, but I bought "L.A. Explosion" as soon as I heard that Bomp had released it on CD, and I'm wallowing a bit even as I write.
And, I'm finding that it's not always a bad thing."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1