It's a funny, but Andy and Jonathan Paley were the real oddballs to come out of the CBGB contingent. They looked and dressed like teen idols and sounded like something you might have heard on your AM dial in 1976. Yet, there they were, playing with members of the Patti Smith Group and hanging out with David Johansen one minute, only to be opening for poster boy Shaun Cassidy the next. Bottom line is they knew how to play a lighter brand of power pop like pros. No, there would never be any hits, but if you like the sounds of the Flamin' Groovies or the Rubinoos with a dash of harmonies inspired by the Beach Boys, you just may dig the Paley Brothers. Here are a couple of my favorites you can find on what turned out to be the band's only LP.
Stick With Me Baby
Come Out and Play
These boys were before my time. In case you were wondering, my in was when Andy worked with Brian Wilson on his first solo album back in 1988. To get the full story on how that happened, I suggest you pick up that memoir Seymour Stein released earlier this year I keep going on and on about. It's quite a tale. One more aside. Tonight, as I was ripping the vinyl for this post, I couldn't help but notice Mrs. LTL picked up the album cover and asked me all kinds of questions about the two lads. Hmm, interesting. That never happens.
8 comments:
Liking the sound of them. Proper haircuts, too.
Aside from their contribution to 'Rock and Roll High School', 'Come Out and Play' is the only Paley Brothers tune to ever grace my collection, via the 1978 'Sire Machine Turns You Up' compilation, where they could be found sandwiched between The Ramones and Richard Hell & the Voidoids. I'm not sure why I didn't follow up on these guys as I was a big fan of early Dwight Twilley, who wasn't a million miles away, musically speaking.
Glad you liked it, Rol. Thought about sending this one out to Alyson.
Swede, You nailed it with Dwight Twilley. I'm a fan as well. I'm on Fire is a particular favorite from this time period.
Whilst not my cup of tea but I keep looking at that cover! The brother on the right reminds me of someone and it's bugging me as I can't think who it is, apart perhaps from being a cross between a young Peter Frampton and a young Tom Cruise? And they look so *clean*!
I always thought the Paley Brothers made music that should soundtrack EVERY tv show on American tv. That Andy Paley, these days, makes music for television, is quite satisfying to me.
But Andy has had some great highlights in his career. Before working with Brian Wilson and rubbing elbows with the CBGB's crowd, Paley he plied his trade in bands with Jerry Harrison, Elliot Murphy and eventually a re-formed Modern Lovers with Jonathan Richman.
A bit late to the comments box, Brian, as ever. I’ve been acquainting myself with those ‘Sound of Leamington Spa’ compilations all week, having always previously assumed for some reason that they would be crap (in that way you do to box stuff up and make it all manageable…) What a treasure trove, though! How does some feller in Germany put all this stuff together!? Anyway, I’m up to Volume Four and it’s all good so far (possibly a slight quality-dip in Volume Three but I’m definitely quibbling – and the Fourth one is so far second only to the first.) I’ve got 5 and 6 to go but I’m rationing ‘em out. Thanks for reminding me to go back and have a look at those…
Hey, MisterPrime. You can preorder volume 9 right now! Volume 7 might be the tough one to track down. It was not sold separately from the label's anniversary box set called Still Made at Me? that came out five years ago. Uwe is a cool guy. I have corresponded with him a bit. He knows more about the late '80s early '90s indie UK indie-pop scene that just about anybody.
Echorich, You are so right about Andy. When you add up the totality of his career, he should be a legend. As for the Paley Brothers, I feel like they have been remembered fondly since they were rediscovered about five years ago with that big compilation in 2013. It was nice to hear some alternate versions of the S/T album, as well as that song they did with Phil Spector that never saw the light of day.
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