What a find!
J. S. Smith | Chili, NY | 07/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We love finding this old, obscurer-than-obscure skinny tied power pop gems from 20-25 years ago that no one has heard! We dig being the Indian Jones of Pop, ya know? Well, in the spirit of The Explosives and The Toms, meet David Edwards. Go to the first sound bite below "Best Friend" and swallow in the D.L. Byron, Any Trouble, Sinceros, early Squeeze spunk `n spirit. There`s more. For those into the obscure power pop circa 1980, we`ll mention Robert Ellis Orrall on the next track "Rather Be Wrong". Classic! This is a 2 CD set with his two album from 1981 and 1983 and 11 bonus tracks added along with a nice booklet to fill us in on the story. Not all the material falls into the skinny tie field, some of it falls into the Rick Springfield, Huey Lewis soul-pop, MOR field, but the thing is the songs are not overly sappy, limp or lame, especially when you place them in the context of the times. "This obscure gem from the early 80`s, is a must for any "skinny tie" pop fans. Loaded with pop melodies, new wave kitsch and a killer cover the Paul Revere and the Raiders hit "Kicks". David Edwards is an odd combination of Elvis Costello and Billy Joel bringing together the best elements of both in a quirky mix of power pop and singer/songwriter sensibilities. Most lyrical subject matter leans toward more serious spiritual-social concerns making the strange juxtaposition of lyrics and music all the more enticing. From the opening tracks surf music on speed style organ solo to the soft confessional style of "Some One to Trust" this collection is eclectic and satisfying." Not sure where this quote came from as the label sent it to us without letting me know, but it`s quite accurate. David Edwards highlights a time when anyone over 37 years or so, who recalls trolling used record stores in the mid/late 70`s and early 80`s looking for power pop gems no one cared about. Bask in the feeling again. Extremely Highly Recommended!"
