Customer Reviews

Nikki & Corvettes

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

 

 

Nikki & the Corvettes were a minor blip on the cultural radar of the late '70s, a kind of Blondie lite with a touch of the Ramones. Their songs are simple, fun, catchy, sexy, and completely forgettable. Lead singer Nikki Corvette has an accessible, flirty charm that manages to be both naughtily suggestive and innocently wholesome. This well-packaged reissue CD is nice to have mostly so you can throw a few songs on a compilation mix for your friends, but it doesn't hold up to too many repeated listenings, as the Corvettes' range is simply too limited. Basically, after two or three tracks, all the songs begin to sound the same. Still, a fun rarity for anyone who's into the New York punk/pop scene.

One of the first punk rock bands I heard was Nikki and the Corvettes, perfect for the teenager in all of us and the teenibopper in some of us. The songs are by no means intelligent, and you might find yourself losing brain cells in the process of listening to this album, but punk rock is escapism, not illumination. The songs are tight and catchy, and get across exactly what Nikki wanted, which was the mindset of a horny preteen. Buy it if you want a good time, and don't listen to any jerk who reviews it as anything but.

nikki and the corvettes are infectiously cute and punky. they are the kind of band that when you listen to the first time, it makes you giggle, totally oblivious to the fact that you're tapping your toes. then you realize that they are tight musicians that can really play. it's as if your teenage daughter told you she was in band and you laughed at her, until you heard her play. in terms of sheer listenability, this album does the trick. if half of today's bands could play with this kind of energy, it would be a different world.

This is truly a "Must Have" album from the New Wave era!

New Wave was a term thrown around quite a bit back in the late 70's and early 80's. Today, the term has mostly become associated with synth based pop - but it didn't start out that way. Originally the term "New Wave" was simply used to describe the incredible pop scene that was forming from the ashes of punk. New Wave encompassed PowerPop, PunkPop, SynthPop, and even some of the era's newer Rock 'n Roll artists! Heck, I remember articles in various magazines refering to Tom Petty as a "New Wave" artist! No kidding!

Nikki was certainly at the forefront of the New Wave. She mixed a 60's style girl group vocal with a punky Rock n' Roll sound, which conjured up a kind of bubblegum punk treat! Great stuff!

Fans of the Go-Go's, Josie Cotton, and Blondie will probably love this CD!

If you like this CD, be sure to check out Nikki's new comeback effort, available right here on Amazon. It's called "Back to Detroit" By Nikki Corvette. You won't be dissapointed!

JM

It was 1981 and Nikki had just finished a set at the legendary Detroit club Lili's 21. She walked right off the stage and shimmied up to me at the bar, much to my drinking buddies amazement. At the time I was a twenty-year old kid with spiked Billy Idol hair and played in punk bands in basements and garages like everyone I knew. That's what you did in Detroit back then if you couldn't play football. Nikki's shows were marvelous and when she dedicated "He's A Mover" to her new object of affection he was never the same. Nikki became a great friend and taught me the ropes. We NEVER paid cover charge at clubs and Nikki knew 'em all. Johnny Thunders at Traxx, Ramones at The Motor City Roller Rink, clubs that are long forgotten like Bookie's 870 and The Red Carpet. And this CD captures that time perfectly. You see, Nikki was not self-destructive or damaged like many of us who hung out at that time. She represented the fun, even wholesome ( but sexy! ) side of Punk. It was fun over drugs. It was music over Booze. It was playful, sweet sex not rough trade. God bless you Nikki. Amazon shoppers, buy this CD just for he Fun of it. Then play it for your friends to show them how kool you are too.

This CD doesn't promise the moon - much like every RAMONES CD - all they promise you are loud, fun, pop, punk, garagey drums ... with vocals right up front as fast as they can sing ... and in the case of Nikki & the Corvettes, they deliver that plus they're slightly better looking :-)

Yes, the Cd is not full of deep lyrics nor is it a pretentious rock opera. It's drums driving the beat, guitars slashing through and the bass keeping up ... it's good ole' basic rock 'n roll when it wasn't a stage show but just a bunch of people with instruments trying to make it loud and make you dance - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH THAT. The songs are infectious, fun, loud and consistent - every track is great - these are the exact footsteps that Avril and others are trying to follow.

Don't forget that rock should be stripped down to its basics every once in a while - if you can't rmember, let every RAMONES or this CD remind you.

Howdy Boys & Girls! This is a great cd to have, which is their 1980 debut LP with bonus tracks! And if you are a die-hard fan, Nikki's got a couple more cd's out for ya! In 2004 she released a Japan import cd called NIKKI'S WILD RECORD PARTY!, a collection of 10 cover tunes and 2 original tunes. The 2 original tunes were released on a 7" 45 and they are: LOVE ME with the B-side WHAT'S ON MY MIND. Then she released in 2005 NIKKI'S WILD RECORD PARTY- VOLUME 2, which contained 8 more cover tunes and 1 original tune. (See my review of these cd's with full tracklisting here on Amazon.com). She also put out a book called ROCK 'N' ROLL HEAVEN in 1997. C'mon boys & girls, join the Nikki fan club!

Nikki & the Corvettes is a a pop-punk blast straight out of the past. The tunes are short and fast, the rhythm non-stop. No rrriot girls, they are instead the logical extension of the Crystals and Darlene Love, only without any production values at all. Not every song is great, but if you like to snap your fingers while driving down the highway to the croon-drone of girl-pop, this is it.

Three-and-a-half stars. Combining the blitzkrieg guitar sound of the Ramones with the girl-group harmonies of the Go-Go's, Nikki and the Corvettes have a tuneful pop-punk sound, which for their time (late '70's, early '80's) was pretty original. Strong songs include "He's a Mover," "You're the One," "Criminal Element," and, especially, "Gimme Gimme." It's punk bubblegum, not even slightly cynical or ironic, and a lot of fun. At the same time, I give it only three-and-a-half stars because, while most of the songs have melodies that are pretty good, only a few stick in your head after the song's over in the way that the best bubblegum should - something indefinable is missing from the rest. Their sound, which doesn't vary from song to song, can get annoying over the course of an album. And the liner notes, while containing interesting pictures ;) and articles, tell you little about the band. Still, I'm glad I bought it, it's worth owning, and I recommend it.

... let's just say: there was better music being made in detroit in the '70s. a little more entertaining, though, when you could see 'em shake it.