Customer Reviews

Heads Are Rolling

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Heads Are Rolling" was this great bands swan song. With a impressive catalog behind them, the band must have figured they weren't going to catch on in the States so they dissolved and went their sepaprate ways. My question - what happened to all of these talented musicians? Every City Boy fan (like myself) asks the same question ... why with all of the talent ...why didn't these guys catch on?
I believe the song "5705", off the Book Early release, was the closest they came to hitting it big. Like one other reviewer mentioned, possibly they didn't have a star frontman that the record buying public could embrace. What a shame. I've been listening to these guys for over two decades and I won't stop. Heck, I'm going to pass their music onto my two kids and let them enjoy it as well.
"Heads Are Rolling", like all City Boy albums, is tight, well produced and appealing. My favorites are Mr. Shoes (with the catchy whistling and door slam), Heads are Rolling (the title track) and Domino. Released in a time of sappy over-produced AOR glut - City Boy faded into oblivion. If you're a fan, just take the time to enjoy the fact that you were able to enjoy this great, articulate, and balanced group. One word fans: REUNION.

City Boy was one of those bands that just didn't catch on in the States. Why, is anybody's guess. They certainly weren't lacking for musical prowess or song writing ability. Maybe people couldn't respond to their bouts of humor. Maybe it was the fact that, though their singing was slick and tight, they didn't have that strong vocal frontman that helps "sell" the songs and the band. Heads are Rolling is a strong outing for City Boy. The title track has a lot of get-up-and-go. It's got muscle, but it doesn't rely on it. The track Change in the Weather is SO cool, such a great power pop tune, I'm surprized the label didn't try to push it up the charts. If strong, slick, melodic rock is your poison this band (and certainly this record) should satisfy you.

I don't recall what it was that got me turned on to the group City Boy, but I'm glad it happened. I know it wasn't the radio, today's commercial radio stations wouldn't touch City Boy with a ten foot pole. Why? Because it's over 20 years old and doesn't fit in any particular category. Were they Progressive? Pop? Hard Rock? AOR? All of the above. Today's bland formats don't know what to do with groups like this. So the casual radio listener misses out on the opportunity to hear some truly great music. The only way bands like this persist is through word of mouth.

Well now that you've read this little snippet, consider yourself enlightened. You now have the potential to join the fortunate that know about this gem of a band that released six albums of diverse, finely crafted pop music that defies categorization. Great vocals, imaginative lyrics, excellent musicianship, melodic melodies, and above all, creativity.

This album, "Heads Are Rolling" is technically the last album they released. There was one more after this one, "It's Personal" that hasn't seen the light of day on CD. This isn't my favorite CD by them; that would be "Young Men Gone West" or "Book Early." But "Heads" itself is still better than 90% of the music you'll hear out there on corporate radio, so I give it four stars. You'll get well crafted ballads, some great guitar riffs, and a variety of instrumentation -- just like all their albums. The only thing missing on this was singer/songwriter Steve Broughton. City Boy had a couple of different vocalists, and to me Steve was the best.

My plea to the music industry is to get this band's albums back in print. Music today seems to have little or no direction -- these albums were brilliant. This was a time when bands played their own songs, played their own instruments, and crafted some beautiful, melodic music. There's an audience out there for this stuff -- it just has to be available for us to buy it! Those of you reading this and wondering what the band's music sounds like, try the Anthology first. If you like what you hear, track down the rest -- it's definitly worth it.

I LOVE all of CB's recordings, and "Heads are rolling" is my personal favorite. All killer, no filler. A desert island disc for sure, never sounds dated, Mike Slamer shreds on this! Roy Ward's drumming is fantastic, the vocal production is superb(as always) a brilliant collection of songs for the sophisticated fan of crafty pop songs with a cutting rock edge. Re-Read the very first customer review of this album, I couldn't have said it better! I'd love to someday see a CB box set released, one of the BEST rock groups of all time! A total inspiration, and a joy to listen to for many years to come. BUY A CITY BOY ALBUM TODAY

I have all 6 City Boy CD's as I did with thier LP's in the 70's.
This being their last release, left me wondering what else could this band do to make us americans understand what a good band had been lost.

With songs like "Domino", Your Leaving Me" and "Life On The Balcony", you have no choice but to wonder why yourself. They
may have been to talented for us.

If you want to explore what you missed back them, get as many of their CD's you can get you hands on. Now that some of us have grown up since the 70's, you can put away your quiet riot and ratt collection and enjoy some good music now.

This is a no nonsense rock album with haunting ballads. An especially emotional album, all of the songs' lyrics carry incredibly strong, serious undertones. Topics range from tainted love (a year before Soft Cell remade "Tainted Love") to revolutionary politics. (Their song "Bloody Sunday" predated U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by three years.) Their stripped down sound still featured strong guitar work, amazing drumming, and their signature dual lead vocals.

By the time this album was recorded, City Boy had risen from it's origins as a Folk quartet, to a six member rock band, down to a rock quartet when two of the founding members left before this album. They had produced a string of incredible albums, but they never received the promotion they deserved. Now, these four members were motivated to produce the best work of their lives. And they achieved it. And their label sat on it. Apparently, Vertigo and Atlantic Records were busy pushing New Wave and other faddish styles that parted nondiscerning fools from their money.

The styles those labels were pushing sound dated, today. But a DJ could pick up this album and think it was recorded yesterday. It's still musically and lyrically relevant.

First of all, I was lucky enough to see them LIVE twice. They were an AMAZING band! Tight as a drum...they had everything going for them. Three lead vocalsists (the drummer Roy Ward sang as much as front men Lol Mason and Steve Broughton). So they had vocal chops like Three Dog Night and a band that would blow your mind backing them up. I always liked the even numbered albums better than the odd ones although the first one was the one that got me started with them. But "Dinner At The Ritz", "Book Early" and this sixth one were the best of the bunch. My faves from this album are the poppy (shoulda been a single) "Change In The Weather", the rocking "Need A Little Loving" and the brilliant "Bloody Sunday" (not the U2 song) which leads into "The Sound Of The Bell." I was able to get this album and "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" during a short release from a German label (and I had to CALL Germany to get it...long live Amazon). Anyway, get this album if you like Power Pop meets Van Halen. You'll love it. And if anyone out there has a copy of the radio shows they did in the New York area over WNEW or WLIR...PLEASE contact me at [...]. Later.....

I haveliked Leslie Knauer ever since I saw her in the film clip of "Baby, It's You" when she was singing in the band Promises. She has since gone on to bigger and better things with this album. She plays a mean guitar, has a vocal range all the way up to the stratosphere and she is HOT too!!! What more could you ask for? Rock on girl!!!

Kanary, Leslie Knauer's guitar faces her, operatic, raunchy and plaintiff voice with simplistic riffs that crash her lyrics into your heart. Mary Kay, on bass & bgv, pounds the message home to your mind while Tony Matteucci drives your feet across the dance floor. Kanary makes a holiday of everyday ups and downs.

THIS CD, IN MY OPINION, IS THE BEST FROM CITY BOY - THEIR OTHER ALBUMS HAVE SOME WEAK POINTS IN THEM - THE NEXT BEST THEY HAVE IS "THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE" - THESE 2 CD'S WERE THE ONLY ONES IN CITY BOY'S LIBRARY THAT I FELT I NEEDED TO OWN - THE REST OF THEM GET A LITTLE BORING AFTER AWHILE - IF YOU WANT TO TRY CITY BOY FOR THE FIRST TIME, GET THIS CD FIRST.