Various Artists - These People Are Nuts! (1989)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1991 jewel case reissue.

A compilation issued to celebrate the 10th anniversary of I.R.S. Records (1979-89) by including twenty-two(!) tracks recorded between the years 1977 and 1989.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks:

1. The Police - Nothing Achieving (1977), the b-side of the band's first single, Fall Out.
   Also on Message In A Box. Nothing memorable.
2. The Go-Go's -We Got The Beat (1981), from Beauty And The Beat
   Freakin' classic and deservedly so.
3. Wayne County & The Electric Chairs - Thunder (1977)
   This one was new to me. Great guitar work on this cross between glam rock, punk rock, and something from Act I of the Rocky Horror Show.
4. Wazmo Nariz - Checking Out The Checkout Girl (1979), from Things Aren't Right
   Also new to me. Humorous upbeat tune - I like it.
5. Root Boy Slim - Dare To Be Fat (1979), from the album Zoom.
   Root Boy has cracked me up since I first heard Christmas At K-Mart. Politically incorrect these days, but that don't mean it ain't funny.
6. Skafish - Sign Of The Cross (1981), from URGH! A Music War.
   I've got that soundtrack album on vinyl (has it ever been released on CD?) and while I can appreciate the punk attitude, this tune doesn't do much for me.
7. John Cale - Jack The Ripper (1978), previously unavailable in US
   I am very unfamiliar with Cale's solo output, but this is a catchy little tune and his voice here reminds of Jam-era Weller.
8. Oingo Boingo - Only A Lad (1980), from Oingo Boingo
   Also on On The Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994. Typical Boingo - I can take it or leave it.
9. Klark Kent - Don't Care (1978), from Musical Madness Of The Kinetic Kid
   Klark Kent is a pseudonym for Police drummer Stewart Copeland. He supposedly wrote this catchy power pop tune for The Police, but ended up recording it himself - playing all the instruments as well as handling vocal duties. Glad to discover it here.
10. Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (1979), from Singles Going Steady
    Freakin' classic and deservedly so. Absolutely love the chorus.
11. English Beat - Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret (1980), from I Just Can't Stop It
    I bought Just Can't Stop It in 1982 and have loved it ever since. Now I gotta pull out that CD for a listen.
12. Cramps - Goo Goo Muck (1981), from Psychedelic Jungle
    As far as I can remember, this cut is my introduction to The Cramps. There's not much to it, but I dig this cover of a 1965 surf rock single.
13. Magazine - About The Weather (1982), from Magic, Murder and The Weather
    As far as I can remember, this cut is my introduction to Magazine. This tune sounds like Joe Jackson tried to write a Motown song and somehow it works. I dig.
14. Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio (1982), from Call Of The West
    Also on this compilation, this compilation, and this compilation. One of the great singles of the '80s that was never as popular as it should have been. Stan Ridgway doesn't have a great voice, but it is perfect for this song.
15. The Alarm - The Stand (1983), from The Alarm.
    Also on Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 13. An admirable attempt to be a "message band" like The Clash or U2. This isn't a bad tune, but I prefer Sixty Eight Guns.
16. R.E.M. - Superman (1986), from Lifes Rich Pageant
    This cover tune is one of the top tracks from the band's best album.
17. Dr. & The Medics - Spirit In The Sky (1986), from Laughing At The Pieces
    Another cover. They don't add anything notable to the song other than some ill-advised synth horns. I'll pass, but it hit #1 in the UK.
18. Lords Of The New Church - Like A Virgin (1985), from Killer Lords
    Also on Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 15. And the covers keep a'comin'. At first listen, this cover sounds like a bad idea, but then you realize (around the time of the first belch) that the band is intentionally trying to make this sound like drunken karaoke. I remember listening to the band's self-titled debut album over at Jim's house back in 1982. That post-punk music is preferable to this Madonna tribute.
19. Timbuk 3 - The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades (1986), from Timbuk 3
    Also on On The Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994. I always liked this tune with the meandering harmonica throughout. How come apocalyptic tunes in the '80s were so upbeat? We got this tune, 99 Luftballons, It's A Mistake, etc.
20. Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home (1985), from Fine Young Cannibals.
    No hooks to be had, but I like the muted trumpet parts.
21. Caterwaul - The Sheep's A Wolf (1989), from Pin & Web
    New to me and I like the groove and aggressiveness of this little bit of alternative rock.
22. Concrete Blonde - It'll Chew You Up And Spit You Out (1987) from concreTe bLonde
    This track and the one before will take you back to MTV's 120 Minutes in a big hurry. It's an alternative version of their song Still in Hollywood but with different lyrics. Same great riffs, though.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
On The Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994 (1994)