Customer Reviews

The Laughing Dogs/Meet Their Makers

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

 

 

There were so many bands that came up through the NYC CBGB's era that one can be forgiven for never having heard many of them. Or for that matter, thinking they were all either punks like The Ramones and Dead Boys or arty popsters like Blondie and The Talking Heads. For every band that got written up or made the charts, there were dozens that didn't. Enter The Laughing Dogs.

While they made their splash in the Max's/CBGB rush of NYC signings, The Laughing Dogs were a smart rock band with more Beatles/Who tendencies. There wasn't any anger or irony involved in their two Columbia albums, but there was plenty of good natured pop fun. They were a bunch of ace musicians, having backed the likes of Rupert Holmes and Davey Jones/Mickey Dolenz on recordings. So when The Laughing Dogs debut, produced by Bruce Botnik was released in 1979, most of the notice came on the group's sharp songwriting. "Get 'Em Outta Town" and "It's Alright, It's OK" are so darn good that how they slipped off the radar is beyond me. I loved 'em in my college radio days, and thought the similarity between this album cover and the Who's Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy was not unintentional. They had a grip on the best of that early 70's hybrid of pop and rock and were pulling it handily into the 80's.

Those comparisons to The Beatles, Who and even The Rascals were even more concrete on "Meet Their Makers." Featuring one of the best album covers of all time, and I do mean of all time...the band members each with their moms smacking them around, and the back cover, playing their sons' instruments as the band cowers in terror, it was even a better album than the debut. "Zombies" takes on the trend-mongers that insist that they knew better than you what your tastes should be. The mild protest of "Formal Letter" saw the band stretching out topically. And again, a great missed single on the album's closer, "Two Who Are Willing."

Sadly, that was The Last of The Laughing Dogs. (Although they still do the occasional one-off show.) Like so many of the great New York bands that couldn't get on the charts or just never seemed to get the success to match the acclaim (The Shirts, Mink DeVille), The Dogs seemed doomed to obscurity until now. Trust me, like the recent Amrican Beat reissues from The Fools and The A's, I snapped this up as soon as I spotted it. If any of the bands mentioned here tickle your memory switch, it may be time to allow these dogs to have their day.

Way underrated, under-exposed(too much clothing),terrific songwriting,awesome vocals,these guys had everything but the proper recognition outside of their region.

Well, after all this time looking for new copies
of these great albums! Here they are! I haven't been
this excited since discovering the group "The Producers"
has also been released on cd! I am going to CRANK it!

My college roommate was the concert coordinator for the University of Delaware, so we got to hear ALL the new bands. I fell in love with the two Dog's albums from first listen. As a musician, the singing and playing impressed me, but the songwriting is also top-shelf. Then my roommate booked them into the "Student Center" with the A's as the headliners. I sat in the front row, and was blown away (by both bands). My jaw was on the floor; they played and sang live as well as the records, but with a more frenzied pace and aggressiveness. Perfect 3 and 4 part harmonies. Multiple instruments. Unbelievable. If you are an aficionado of power-pop, this is a must-have disc.

I picked up these two albums when they came out and I loved the songs, loved the musicianship of the band members, and I loved their sense of humor, but I have to confess that I hate the way the records were produced. The band recorded live, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case all of the sounds bled into each other and made the overall sound pretty mushy, especially on the drums, which sound flat and indistinct (I'm talking about the production, not the playing).

I picked up this CD hoping that the mastering might have been updated, but apparently the lack of production sparkle couldn't be fixed.

Like I said, I love the band. Great 60's influences, great songwriting, great harmonies, great cheekiness (kind of a new-wave NRBQ) and I'd give both albums 4.5 stars for the band's writing, singing and playing, but only 3 stars for how they ultimately sound. I'd love to hear unmushy versions of these songs.

Power pop's late-70s resurgence, particularly the commercial breakthrough of The Knack, spawned a lot of one- and two-album major label deals. This New York quartet issued two albums on Columbia: 1979's eponymous debut and 1980's Meet Their Makers, reissued here as a two-fer with a bare-bones four-panel insert and no bonus tracks. Unlike some of their better remembered peers, the Laughing Dogs didn't have a singular sound. At turns their debut rings with Beatlesque pop, Huey Lewis bar rock, rockabilly fervor, bombastic arena rock and the mid-tempo balladry of Billy Joel and Boz Scaggs. Most of the tunes are washed in precise, multipart harmonies that bring to mind the Raspberries, Rubinoos and Utopia.

The band's charms are amply displayed in the lead vocal harmonies of "Reason for Love," and its lyric of undying dedication and drifting harmonica create a terrific summer vibe. Also memorable is the rocker "It's Just the Truth," opening with a drum beat that threatens "Come on Down to My Boat," before launching into power chords and harmonies. The group's punk associations are heard in the pop thrash of "I Need a Million" and the driving rhythm of "Get Outa My Way," but the sophomore album smooths away the rough edges and indie spirit developed during the group's CBGB days. The song list dips into cover versions for The Animals' "Don't Bring Me Down" and Dionne Warwick's "Reach Out for Me." The former suggests the direction Tom Petty would take with his later live cover, while the ;atter is neatly turned into power-pop with vocal harmonies and an urgent tempo.

The second album's originals reach further from the jangling guitars of the debut, with a funky bottom line on the opening "Zombies," a reggae-tinged rhythm under "Formal Letter," and a bluesy charge to "What Ya Doin' It For?" The polished productions lose some of the club cred of the debut but show the band to be a talented studio unit. Though neither album is truly a holy grail of power pop, the Laughing Dogs' strong harmony singing and sophisticated arrangements stand out from the raw punk and commercial new wave of their peers. Pop fans will find some ear pleasing harmony and chime here, and those who lean to the progressive pop of Steely Dan and Utopia will find some pleasant surprises. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]