Customer Reviews

Mirror Stars/Think Pink

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

 

 

Amid the anarchy of punk rock and the forced quirkiness of new wave a few genuine rock `n' roll bands managed to slip through the cracks. In the UK these bands often derived from the pre-punk pub rock scene, either directly as in the case of Rockpile, or on the tail end as in the case of the Fabulous Poodles. Their flamboyant stage act gave them a jokey veneer, but their records (particularly the debut produced by John Entwistle) were filled with superbly crafted rock `n' roll that combined the melody and drama of Brill Building pop with modern touches and welcome helpings of Bobby Valentino's violin and mandolin.

Vocalist/songwriter Tony De Meur had a flair for dramatizing and adding a touch of humor to stories that feel as if they were drawn from real life, not unlike Ray Davies. He sings as a lonely teenager who grows up to find revenge in stardom, a twenty-something allergic to work, a seductive singing idol, and an overworked and undersexed porn photographer ("they never seem to want to know / a seedy flashgun gigolo"). He celebrates the magic of B-movies, the joy of a perfect haircut (a Chicago Boxcar with a Boston Back - think D-Day in the film Animal House), a bionic dream and a satiric `50s styled rock `n' roll ode to anorexia.

In addition to nineteen group-written tunes, the Poodles cover Mel McDaniel's obscure country blues "Roll Your Own" and the Everly Brothers' "Man With Money." American Beat's two-fer pairs the Poodles first U.S. release, Mirror Stars, which cherry-picks from the group's first two UK albums, with their third and final release, Think Pink. The latter is more pedestrian and forced, particularly in comparison to the former, but Mirror Stars is easily worth the price of this two-fer CD. This is a bare-bones reissue with a four-panel booklet that lists song titles, writers and running times, but offers no liner notes. Mirror Stars: 5 stars. Think Pink: 3-1/2 stars. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

Love the songs, and it's great so see these albums available, BUT: there are glitches on the CD, what sounds like tape dropoffs pretty frequently, and overall the sound is pretty thin, like it was mastered from vinyl. There's an awful, wobbly distorted mess at the beginning of "Chicago Boxcar" that makes you wonder if the engineers listened to the CD before they pressed it. Bummer.

Read the history of this group in the Amazon description. It pretty much tells the story. A great, irreverent, funny group of musicians who could turn out tunes with some killer hooks. Fun, catchy music.

OK, the term "New Wave" totally sucks, but when I was going to college (1980), there was much that was fresh & exciting on the music scene. That is not to say that there still isn't (& hasn't been) but it was a different time. I saw these guys open up for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in January of 1980. Quirky lyrics, upbeat pop, choreography & even a fiddle player!! A song about "Anna Rexia?!" C'mon now! Most of the songs here have been available on an expensive & out of print compilation CD (His Master's Choice) but this is the first time you can get ALL of these songs since vinyl or audio cassette. My audio tape has long since worn out. You get the U.S. versions of their first 2 albums, together, on a single CD. Listen with an open mind, turn it up REAL LOUD & enjoy a great band that shoulda made it big, but never quite caught on. You'll see the strange look on people's faces when you say, "Yeah, the Fabulous Poodles!"

Not long ago a few old friends and I were talking about bands that we listened to and forgot. There is not a chance a so called "Classic Rock" station would ever play this stuff. The topic came up about how I would listen to some of the "weird" stuff and my collection of 8-tracks back then. One friend reminded me about the Fabulous Poodles. At the time I caught a lot of stuff from my dedicated Zepplin friends. I lost all of my 8-tracks 25 years ago and forgot about many bands. When CD's came out many of these bands never went to CD. I decided not long ago to go find a copy of Mirror Stars and so thankful I did. When I played it I could not believe how good it was and confirmed why I liked it over 30 years ago. If you remember the band or you just want to find something that's different, this is a great place to start. I'm glad I took the time to go find this and now enjoying some great unheard music of my youth. I think you'll really like this.

I have continually scoured the Internet looking for Mirror Stars. When this album came out, I could not stop playing it. I eventually found four or five songs off of bootlegs, but the sound quality was awful. This is one of those albums that has never gotten old.

This was one of the many bizarrely monikered bands to pop onto the scene in the late seventies, when it looked like new wave was really going to take over the world. The Fabulous Poodles even appeared on the brink of having an American hit with "Mirror Stars'" title track. They dropped into the world with bands like The Boomtown Rats, Jules and The Polar Bears and The Psychedelic Furs. I remember writing an article for my college newspaper at the time with the headline "Critter Rock." The Fabs were in the best of the bunch.

The "Mirror Stars" debut was less skinny-tie new wave than Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds pub rock. Older types would have even heard a distinct Brinsley Schwartz echo in songs like "Toytown People" or perk up when you heard the Everly Brothers cover on the second album, "Think Pink." The songs were clever and smart, more so than angry. Songs like "Cherchez le Femme" and "Hollywood Dragnet" belie a sense of humor that takes the songs close to dancehall territory.

Ultimately, the unfortunate band name and lack of a connecting single drove the band to obscurity in America but they did have a fling at UK stardom. (Hey, The Who's John Entwistle produced some of those early singles!) Their best work seemed to be willing to pick up the mantle of The Kinks, but the band ultimately called it quits in 1980. This is the first USA CD issue for most of these songs, so snap it up if you're one of those new wave obsessionist types (like me!).

I saw the Fabulous Poodles open for The J. Geils band the night of Lundi Gras in 1978 in New Orleans. Not knowing what to expect, I kept an open mind and really enjoyed their set. This was my first exposure to post-punk Brit pub rock by a well-honed band. Now and then, I would think of the band and wonder what happened. Being able to purchase both of their albums in one is a plus and I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, The Clash and other bands of the era. The Fabulous Poodles are overlooked.

Great double CD set. Mirrow Star is the pick of the two, but the package is faultless. Great sense of fun in the lyrics, strong melody and quality musicianship combine to make a fabulous sound, with the use of some different instruments (violin) providing a point of difference on occassion. Today their contemporaries would include Fountains of Wayne, Bishop Allen and maybe even the Killers.

Had the album on vinyl, then a bootleg CD, glad to finally get and official release on CD. This is a great old fun album