20/20/Look Out! [Original recording remastered]

Twenty-Twenty, 20/20 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Real Gone Music
• ASIN: B008BBSGI8
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,724 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Sky Is Falling 7/79

2. Yellow Pills

3. Cheri

4. Out of This Time

5. Tell Me Why (Can't Understand You)

6. Tonight We Fly

7. Remember the Lightning

8. She's an Obsession

9. Leaving Your World Behind

10. Backyard Guys

11. Jet Lag

12. Action Now

13. Nuclear Boy

14. Out of My Head

15. Strange Side of Love

16. Alien

17. A Girl Like You

18. Life in the U.SA.

19. The Night I Heard a Scream

20. Beat City

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Steve Allen and Ron Flynt followed the power pop path blazed by fellow Tulsa natives Phil Seymour and Dwight Twilley when they moved in 1977 to Los Angeles, where they formed (with Mike Gallo) what has universally become one of the most highly-regarded power pop/new wave outfits of the era, 20/20. How highly-regarded? Well, the long out-of-print CD reissue of their two albums on the Portrait label sells for over $50 and that's for a used copy! But we've gone that previous release one, er, two better with the addition of a pair of non-LP single sides, "Child's Play" and "People in Your Life," that have never been on CD in effect, this twofer presents 20/20's complete Portrait recordings. New liner notes featuring interviews with Allen, Flynt and Chris Silagyi, photos and a fresh remastering by Maria Triana at Battery Studios only add to the 20/20 "vision."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Debut - 5 stars, Look Out! - 3 stars May 23, 2004

By Perry M. Koons

Format:Audio CD

In the late 70's, LA was the headquarters for much of the country's punk influenced new wave and pop. From the Quick to the Last to the Plimsouls to 20/20, there was no shortage of great rocking pop coming from California. 20/20 was perhaps one of the best and nowhere did they shine brighter than on their debut. Early singles for Bomp! Records were amazing - seek them out on the Various Artists Roots of Powerpop CD collection - and they followed up those 60's influenced singles with more quirky, modern new wave-y tunes. Most of the tracks on the debut (songs 1-12 here) are keepers, catchy choruses, swirling vocals, all the trademarks of great pop. Look Out!, while containing a few very cool tracks, was unfortunately not quite up to par, a downward spiral that continued when they hit rock bottom on Sex Trap (their planned next release that barely saw the lgiht of day). Anyway, the Look Out! tracks are considerably less traditional power pop and have enough hooks to appeal to more adventurous fans who wished the debut had more new wave appeal. I, however, am on the other side of the fence, loving 20/20 for their moments of gleeful pop glory - fans of the Plimsouls, Beat, Cheap Trick, and Knack will be doing themselves a real favor to pick this disc up.

Best Tracks:
"Yellow Pills" - This song title was used for a 4 disc power pop compilation series (AWESOME CD's) as well as a huge fanzine. It will forever be a classic of 70's power pop and new wave, and with good reason.
"Cheri" - This next track keeps the energy strong after "Yellow Pills". A great, simple guitar rocker.
"She's An Obsession" - This song starts out with a drumbeat that comes out of nowhere, randomly stops, and has NOTHING to do with the rhythm or tempo of the actual song. A really interesting touch that adds to this upbeat, Knack-style tune.
"Jet Lag" - A terrific pop number/almost ballad with 38 Special-like soloing (though this came a year before any of that band's BIG hits).
"The Night I Heard A Scream" - Bittersweet, delicate song with a jarring bridge and quite blunt lyrics. Very catchy, the best song on Look Out!
"Mobile Unit 245" - Not an amazing song in the traditional pop sense, but a nice Lennon-y vocal and I love the way the intensity builds.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars tracking my high school days May 5, 2005

By T. C. Rae

Format:Audio CD

I'll never forget the first time I heard 'Yellow Pills' - my first exposure to the 'angular' power pop scene. I couldn't really afford to buy records, so I either had to tape LPs off friends or wait until a birthday or x-mas and nag my grandmother. I got this for my birthday in 1979, and formed a band about 6 days later. But, just to be perverse, the only track we ever played from the record was 'Leaving Your World Behind'...

These guys were the soundtrack of my early-mid teens. Saw 'em three times (a riot in San Diego, in a barn in Escondido, and in San Francisco), one show for each of the first three albums. Different drummer each time, too. Fantastic live band; the harmonies in particular were superb.

You will like this if you like pop with an edge. The first album is more traditional power pop, the second is more new wave-ish. But both records have a terrific combination of good melodies, great harmonies, dirty guitars and the odd synth. Although a lot of people felt let down by 'Look Out!', I cannot IMAGINE why 'Nuclear Boy' wasn't released as a single. It's like 'My Sharona' written by someone who isn't a pederast...should have been huge. I wore out two copies of that LP in the end...remember how crap vinyl really was?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars World's best song to smoke weed with. Anybody remember the STARWOOD? August 25, 2006

By Steve

Format:Audio CD

Well I remember sparkin up and listen with "Yellow Pills" in my headphones. I have not touched weed at all in about 15 years, but I still remember this one. Great vocal work, mix is very tight, I remember taking a very very pretty date with me to the STARWOOD club to see 20/20. Later the owner of the club met with an ill fate due to some sort of mob activity and a related murder, if I remember correctly after all those drugs I did as a teenager. The STARWOOD club was shut down. Somehow I survived anyway and my last 20/20 memory was at UCLA where I was attending as an undergrad when 20/20 played live outside on a perfect bright sunny day. Side note I have seen a review on the net that refered to "Nuclear Boys" as something new wave related when it was obviously political, which the record company objected to as it was about Ronald Reagan. The reviewer (Chris Woodstra) completely missed what that song was about, and it did cause the record company to object strenuously I believe.