Customer Reviews

American Worker

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Arista couldn't figure out how to market a black funk-rock band. Most blacks were into r&b funk and disco and hiphop hadn't yet proven that white audiences would respond to aggressive lyrics and music from black artists.

These guys were good and this CD aged well, even though their debut was even better. There are several types of Rock songs on here (only Soul Surfing, a surf-rock jam with social lyrics addressing the band's fish-nor-fowl identity echoes the feel of their first album). They performed New Shoes in the movie 48 Hours, which is how I came to be interested in them.

Heart and Soul was covered the very next year by Huey Lewis and The News was a chart hit (bittersweet for the Bus Boys, no doubt). In fact, Huey Leweis & the News could be seen as a more radio-friendly, white-bread counterpart to The Bus Boys' sociopolitical funk-rock. I think the content of this album probably reflected pressure from Arista to make something more radio-friendly. To no avail; they left Arista after this album.

Anyway, pick it up, you won't regret it. The strongest cuts are New Shoes, Last Forever, Opportunity, Heart and Soul, I Get Lost, Soul Surfing, which make up the middle 6 songs this 10 song set.

this is a great album from a great band the flew under the radar. They should have gotten more airplay but their music didn't fit into any genre.

I agree with everyone else. This is an absolute gem that should have got more attention then it did. For starters they cover a whole boatload of different styles and do it with memorable original cuts from the synthesized new wave rock of the title track (American Workers), Bar band boogie (New Shoes), a Sprinsteenish anthem (Last Forever), Ska (Opportunity), and a 50's send up that recalls the lighter moments on their first release (Soul Surfing). They also tear through the pop rock ditty Heart and Soul (The one Huey Lewis and the News would top the charts with several years later).

As good as these cuts are they are not even the best on the record. Those would be the 2 heavy rock cuts "I Get Lost" and "Yellow Lights" along with the hard rock with new wave trappings closing cut (I Believe). I never realized what an impact the Busboys had on the black rock band "Living Colour" but these 3 cuts are living proof. If there was any doubt these guys could rock these 3 cuts put any doubts to rest. They are incredible. The best song on the record? For me it is the 2nd to last cut "Falling in Love". It is one of the best songs of the 80's in my opinion yet it remains an undiscovered gem. It is just a simple, punchy, catchy, new wave classic that never got an ounce of airplay. I recommend everyone check this release out. It is a classic by one of the tragically overlooked bands of the 80's.

AMERICAN WORKER (2nd of 4 albums) is just as awesome as MINIMUM WAGE ROCK & ROLL (debut album), if not better. For some reason, I'm not the only one who feels that way. But the product descrpition according to Amazon.com calls the Bus Boys just an R&B band from L.A. You hardly here just R&B out of this album or MINIMUM. It's a disrespecting diss to this (black) talented rock band.

Fresh start, the title track sticks to your brain like Crazy Glue, "Heart And Soul" was done before Huey Lewis & The News got to it and did it better than the Bus Boys but still not a bad but slower version of it, "I Get Lost" is just awesome, undeniable funk-rock, understandable majority statement 'I get lost, tryin' to find that dream y'all'. This album is slightly different from MINIMUM due to more confidence and chances through different formats of music like the reggae-driven "Opportunity", the spiritual "I Believe" and the head-boppin' blues-rock "New Shoes".

I love this album just like the first one. It is a very slim margin between which one is better. It's not too hard and it's not too soft either but you can feel a more popish connection here than on MINIMUM. Regardless, it's nothing short of a rockin' good time.

Just like their Money Don't Make No Man album, this one is fantastic! The Busboy just flat out rock, it's a sin and a shame that black rock bands get no love, it was the exact same way for Mother's Finest.

It's probably because they blow other bands away, anyway buy all their CDs because they're all very good and hard rocking! The Busboys are a totally underrated band and this is a totally overlooked album, don't make the same mistake, get this one, you'll be more than glad you did!

I've had this LP for years. I recently purchased the CD. These guys are just GREAT! Where to start? These guys are rockin' just like they did in 48 hours, or on Saturday Night Live. However, this time they show a bit more of their versatility while sticking to their rock n roll roots. This is good old fashioned rock and roll. REALLY. "American Workers" rocks. Last Forever is a vintage rockin' love song.(you'll dig it) "I get lost" is a serious heavy rocking commentary on racism and the disappointment one feels when they are raised to believe in the American Dream only to have that dream turned into a nightmare by "some of the HATE people held inside" to quote a lyric from the song.(with an infectious riff that you'll play over and over) Soul Surfing had me doing the dance, "the patty duke" and remembering those annette funicello, frankie avalon flicks on saturday mornings. (lol) Then there's all the rest of the songs on the CD. Just GREAT!

Another incredibly underrated band with some serious things to say. This is just some GOOD OL' ROCK N ROLL, the way it was meant to be played!

give it a shot, you'll find something that you'll like.

When I began to convert my LPs to CD, the Bus Boys' "Minimum Wage Rock & Roll" was one of my first purchases. For some reason, the band's follow-up album "American Worker" was never released. For many years I searched and searched, and when I finally broke down and bought the TEAC GF-350 to record my old LP's to CD, this album was one of the first few I recorded. And then Arista finally released "American Worker" on CD in April 2006!

It's a fun album - not quite up to "Minimum Wage Rock & Roll", but with some great cuts like "Opportunity", the title track "American Worker", and my favorite, "Heart and Soul", on which the Bus Boys take the tune to town. If you like the Huey Lewis version, you should love the Bus Boys.

...from an under rated group. I had seen these guys about four or five times in the early eighties and was completely blown away by the shear exuberance they showed on stage....I only wished they continued to record way back when (and now).

This album (tape) virtually never left my player - it has party style rock, socio-political rock and a ballad or two thrown in for a tight, balanced batch of songs. It plays very well IMO.

I've been a big fan for twenty six (26) years and hope you will be, too. Go to thier website (www.busboys.com) and give them the support they need.

Michael

The CD was in great shape. It arrived quickly and I had no issues at all with the seller. Thank you for being simply incredible.