Rock Archeologia

Paul Collins' Beat - The Beat / The Kids Are The Same (2 LP's on 1 CD) 2005 Wounded Bird

Artist/Band: The Beat (Paul Collins)
Album: The Beat / The Kids Are The Same
Label: Wounded Bird Records
Catalog#: WOU 6195
Released: 2005
Country: US
Genre: Rock, Power Pop
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Bitrate: lossless
Total Time: 01:15:13

• Rock icon and cult favorite Paul Collins got his start with Peter Case and Jack Lee in 1974. Their band The Nerves toured with The Ramones and recorded a song called “Hanging On The Telephone.” The song would later become a hit when covered by Deborah Harry and Blondie on the Parallel Lines album.
• Paul Collins formed The Beat in 1979, recruiting members of various rock bands including Steven Huff, Larry Whitman and Michael Ruiz. The result was The Beat, a high energy rock group in the style of The Ramones, Blondie and The Dictators. As the story goes, Collins was awarded a record deal with CBS thanks to his friend Eddie Money and Bill Graham Management. The Beat toured extensively with top acts like The Jam, Pere Ubu, The Police, Eddie Money, The Plimsouls and Huey Lewis. The Beat became Paul Collins’ Beat when a ska band from UK began using The Beat as their moniker.

            Official Website: www.thepaulcollinsbeat.com
            Session - Paul Collins of Radio: www.breakthruradio.com
            Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org
            Discogs.com: www.discogs.com

• 1979 The Beat
A minor classic of late-'70s power pop, The Beat proves that Paul Collins learned his lessons well from his tenure with pioneering L.A. popmeisters the Nerves. If Collins' songs on this set aren't quite as good as what fellow Nerve Peter Case brought to their old band (and would bring to the Plimsouls), he works the classic themes of girls and guitars with winning enthusiasm, and as a band the Beat were leaner, harder, tighter, and lighter on their feet than the Nerves ever were. Compared to the Knack, then the rulers of California's pop scene, the Beat were a lot more fun to listen to and seemed to actually like women, compared to arch misogynist Doug Fieger. The Beat's 13 cuts are full of hooky snaps, especially "Rock N Roll Girl," "Walking Out on Love," and the shoulda-been-a-hit "Don't Wait Up for Me Tonight," and Collins' and Larry Whitman's guitars sing out with passionate energy. The Beat won't change your life, but it will make 35 minutes of it a lot more fun. - Mark Deming
• 1981 The Kids Are the Same
It's a story as old as time (and rock & roll) itself -- band makes great debut album, then has to come up with a follow-up, and doesn't do quite as good a job. While The Kids Are the Same, the second album from Paul Collins and the Beat (here called the Paul Collins' Beat to avoid confusion with then-popular British ska outfit of the same name), is hardly a disaster, it's a genuine disappointment after the modest classic that was their debut album. Producer Bruce Botnick seems to have been going for a more spacious sound on this set, and it doesn't suit the band as well as the tight, AM-friendly tone of the first LP, and Collins doesn't write quite as many instant classics for this disc. Many of the songs go for a more measured approach than the speed-demon hook-fest of album number one, with a conspicuously higher "gal's got me down" quotient, and while the material is still quite good, it isn't as exciting or engaging. But there are still some great rock & roll tunes here, the band is tight and emphatic, and "The Kids Are the Same" is a classic teen anthem waiting to be rediscovered. While there's a bit of "sophomore slump" in The Kids Are the Same, it's still a better pop album than most of the bands in the L.A. "skinny tie" brigade were serving up at the time, with real passion and smart songwriting bringing it home; it sure didn't deserve to be the group's last major-label set. - Mark Deming    

  • Tracklist:

  • The Beat
01. Rock N Roll Girl 02:17
02. I Don't Fit In 02:47
03. Different Kind of Girl 03:26
04. Don't Wait Up for Me 03:02
05. You Won't Be Happy 02:23
06. Walking Out on Love 01:45
07. Work-A-Day-World 02:56
08. U.S.A. 02:13
09. Let Me into Your Life 02:27
10. Working Too Hard 01:57
11. You and I 02:49
12. Look But Don't Touch 03:12
13. There She Goes 02:42
   • The Kids Are The Same
14. That's What Life Is All About 02:31
15. Dreaming 03:56
16. On the Highway 05:46
17. Will You Listen 02:40
18. Crying Won't Help 03:29
19. The Kids Are the Same 03:42
20. Trapped 03:34
21. It's Just a Matter of Time 03:19
22. Met Her Yesterday 02:36
23. I Will Say No 04:53
24. Down 04:38

   Track 13 and 24 are listed as bonus tracks.
   Track 13 taken from "Caddyshack" soundtrack.

Members:

Paul Collins - Rhythm Guitar, Lead Vocals
Steve Huff - Bass, 2nd Vocals
Larry Whitman - Lead Guitar, 3rd Vocals
Michael Ruiz - Drums, Percussion

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