Thursday, September 7, 2017

Fantasize On A Silly Little Tragic


Dwight Twilley Band : Looking For The Magic


With the help of Tom Petty on guitar, The Dwight Twilley Band recorded one of the great power pop gems of decade in "Looking For the Magic". It came off of Twilley Don't Mind, released on September 7, 1977.  The song has achieved a new kind of notoriety thanks to its insistent use in a 2011 horror film called You're Next. Yes, that's Petty helping the band lip sync along to the song on a kids TV program called The W.A.C.K.O. Show 


The early reviews were great for Twilley Don't Mind.  Richard Cromelin of the L.A. Times wrote

Last week may be remembered as a landmark in rock's emergence with the debut of the Dwight Twilley Band. His vivid presence confirms the ability of simple familiar rock elements to remain perpetually fresh and invigorated. Twilley has all the right instincts and unmistakable charisma. One of the great winners for 1978!


Robert Christgau gave the album a B noting that this wasn't the debut. 

If the twelve-cut debut was notable for its songs, this nine-cut follow-up puts the emphasis on sound--a deep, rather eerie, yet undeniably pop sound that reminds me more than anything of the Flamin' Groovies' Supersnazz. And as with the Flamin' Groovies, the sound creates a distance between Twilley and his hooks. But even though I can make up neat theories about how Twilley evokes a comparable distance in the lyrics, I certainly prefer Supersnazz.





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