The Judy's - Land Of Plenty (1991)

Long missing from my collection, this collection of pop gems finally saw wide release in 2007 and I was one of the first in line to buy a copy. Here's the lowdown on this one from the band's archived website:

In 1990, The Judy’s set out to record a new album with a new Judy’s sound. Featuring the lineup that had been established over a number of years the band, including Barbara Donaho (keyboards/guitars), Lee Malone (bass), and Darwin Keys (drums), set out to explore new horizons musically and thematically. Land of Plenty injected multi-layered keyboards and guitars, stacked vocals, a gospel choir, and even a bit of banjo into the band’s palatte and sought to realize [band leader David] Bean’s vision of a new Americana musical landscape. Broad in its scope and daring in its expansion of the band’s definition of itself, Land of Plenty was shelved when the group disbanded before the CD’s release. While a handful of copies have been given out, this is first time this long sought-after project has been available to the general public.

Gone are the two minute power pop songs of Washarama, replaced by longer songs that represent David Bean's maturing skills as a musician, songwriter, and producer. But one thing remained constant: Bean's lyrics are sardonic and hilarious, as always.

Last I heard, David was enjoying a career in public education. I'd love for him to have taught either of my sons. I hope he still dabbles with music as a hobby, even if it's only for himself. I'm still waiting for digital releases of The Judy's 1987 single, Girl of 1000 Smells, and David's contribution to the Ten From Texas compilation. While waiting, I'll continue to enjoy my vinyl copies of those two.

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

Tracks:  Like any Judy's release, this one has to be heard all through. My favorites include Celebrity, When She Was Good, There Goes The Neighborhood, and Jesus Be My Airplane.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD:  I was completely unaware of this CD until about 2001. At that time, I wasted a lot of time at my job searching other people's mp3 files through the original Napster. I searched for "The Judy's" and found all these songs that I had never heard of. How dare they release new music and not tell me! I tried to put together my own mp3 album, but not all files were available and those that existed were of questionable quality. Still, they had to do until I was able to procure my own copy. So I was a little late to this party, but I'm so happy to have arrived.

In the mid-'90s, not long after I started messing around on the Interwebs, I found an email address for a David Bean in Pearland, Texas. I shot off a quick fan email. Turns out the email address belonged to the band leader's father, also named David. Instead of being annoyed at my intrusion on his life, he sent a courteous reply which conveyed the obvious pride he had in his son and the pleasure he got from hearing about the joy his son's music has brought to others.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Moo (1985)
Washarama (1981)

The Judy's - Moo (1985)

Note: in addition to the 12 tracks from The Moo Album, this CD also contains the 7 tracks of the band's lead singer David Bean's 1983 solo EP, Modomusic. Moo was originally purchased as a cassette, later replaced with an LP. Modomusic was originally purchased as a vinyl EP. Both releases were later replaced by this single CD.

"Does a dog have a Buddah nature? Moo." [sic] - Zen Koan
from the album's liner notes

More New Wave power pop gems from the guys from Pearland. Picking up where they left off with their previous releases, we get plenty of 2 minute songs full of hooks and witty lyrics. The band sticks with its minimalist sound for the most part, but the production is much cleaner. Great job on the remastering. Rumor has it that the Moo album was originally titled "Killer Pussy" but I can't (and won't) comment on that. I can't find my cassette copy of Moo, but I remember the j-card not having the lyrics but instead: "The album has a lyric sheet. You should have bought the LP." Well, the CD doesn't have the lyrics, either, but there's no smartass comment this time, just 19 great tracks. I don't consider my self an "indie" guy, but if I had to give myself that label to listen to this music, I'd gladly do it. I'm a fan.

The band spent some time opening for The B-52's and Talking Heads. Believe it or not, R.E.M. opened for The Judy's in 1981 at Club Foot in Austin. You can check out the band at MySpace. As of this writing, the band's music is still unavailable on iTunes.

Tracks: Nothing to skip here; my favorite tracks from Moo are Teenage Millionaire, Magazine Man, Wilma A Go-Go, Grass Is Greener, Perfect Crime, and Milk (which, appropriately, may be the best track of the Moo songs).

Without question, my favorite track from the Modomusic tracks is Marsha's Car. Other top cuts here are Watch Her Go and Betty-O!. I'm not a fan of Island, but I can't bring myself to skip it. I can't imagine going through my senior year of high school without Modomusic. Hip local music was perfect for a music snob/contrarian like me. One of the tracks from Modomusic, My Imagination, was reworked to sound like a Beach Boys tune and released on a 1984 Elektra LP sampler titled Herd It Through The Grapevine: Ten From Texas which also had local acts like Random Culture, Optimysitcs, and Johnny Reno.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Being big Judy's fans by 1983, my friends and I drove to Houston to buy Modomusic the week of its release.  Most likely we went to the Record Exchange on Westheimer. That place was a laundromat last time I drove by there (which I guess is fitting since I bought an album named Washarama there).

During spring break of my freshman year in college, I drove to Austin and saw the band with Scott at the Austin Opera House.


I found my cassette copy of Moo in San Antonio in the spring of 1989. It was in heavy rotation in my car as work filled my days and grad school filled my nights. I believe the tape eventually stretched to the point I could no longer enjoy it, so I went out and found a vinyl copy.

Previously revisited for the blog:
Washarama (1981)

The Judy's - Washarama (1981)

Note: in addition to the 12 tracks from Washarama, this CD also contains the 6 tracks of the band's 1980 EP, The Wonderful World of Appliances. Both releases were originally purchased as a LP and EP, later replaced by this single CD.

Just three teenaged guys from Pearland, Texas (back when Pearland was a tiny town 30 minutes from Houston, not the huge suburb it has now become). These three guys put out fantastic 2 minute songs. Here's the lowdown from allmusic.com:

"Texas pop cult heroes the Judy's were formed in the Houston suburb of Pearland in 1979 by singer/guitarist/keyboardist David Bean, guitarist Sam Roush, bassist Jeff Walton and drummer Dane Cessac. Inspired primarily by the B-52's (hence the possessive in their name), the four high schoolers almost immediately began writing their own material, honing a terse, minimalist pop approach ideally suited to Bean's wittily ironic lyrics; just weeks before their first recording date, however, tragedy struck when Roush was killed in an auto accident. The surviving Judy's carried on as a three-piece, issuing their debut seven-inch Teenage Hang Ups on their own Wasted Talent label in 1980; issued in an edition of 500, copies of the record were sold in their school's cafeteria. An EP, The Wonderful World of Appliances, followed later that same year, and as the Judy's emerged as major Houston area live favorites, in 1981 they issued their first full-length effort, Washarama."

I held on to my vinyl copies of the band's music for years, even transferring them to mp3 files in the early 2000's. Finally, in 2007, the band released CD's of their back catalog on their (now defunct) website, wastedtalentrecords.com. (I bought "Combo A: 'Give Me One of Everything' Package"). You know I was on that like plaid on boxer shorts. It's hard to describe their music (minimalist-DIY-garage band-New Wave-power pop?), so if you are unfamiliar with the band, go over and hear some of their tunes on MySpace. As of this writing, the band's music is unavailable on iTunes.

Tracks: all the Washarama tracks are top notch. I've heard them so many times, that it's hard to separate them. If I had to pick favorites, they'd be T.V., Reruns (which must be heard back-to-back), Right Down The Line, Mental Obsession, All the Pretty Girls, and their trademark song and social commentary on the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, Guyana Punch.

The Wonderful World Of Appliances has 4 great songs, including Radiation Squirm (about the Three Mile Island meltdown), How's Gary (about Gary Gilmore), and Vacation in Tehran (about the Iranian hostages). It also has two of my least favorite Judy's songs, Zoo and Dogs.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: In 1982, I returned from summer vacation and my friend Jim said he had a new album I HAD to hear. For some reason, me and about 5 of my friends went over to Jerry E's back porch and listened to it there. I was hooked from the get-go. Within a month (if not weeks or days), I had my own copy.

When Scott and I found out that there were a few copies of The Wonderful World Of Appliances available at The Record Rack (@Shepherd and West Alabama), we immediately jumped in a car and drove to Houston that day to buy our copies. I've still got mine of course (see below).

Mental Obsession makes me think of Scott because I think it was his favorite Judy's song. The cassette dub of Washarama was always in heavy rotation in the Markmobile. I can't imagine high school without The Judy's. Hip local music was perfect for a music snob/contrarian like me.