Some memorable R.O.C.K. in early 1981

Garland Jeffreys : Modern Lovers

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In February of 1981, Garland Jeffreys released Escape Artist. Recorded with members of the E Street Band, members of The Rumour, Adrian Belew, Lou Reed, and Big Youth, Jeffreys has updated his sound. Radio stations played his cover of "96 Tears", but there are a few other gens here including opening track "Modern Lovers" which is not about the band.

The Plimsouls : Lost Time

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Ex-Nerves Peter Case continues his power pop ways with The Plimsouls, whose self-titled debut shows why they were huge on the LA club scene. Ridiculous that this didn't get radio airplay. "A Million Miles Away" is on the follow-up.

From Trouser Press :

The Barracudas : We're Living in Violent Times

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The British band The Barracudas seem to be anticipating the entire neo-psychedelic Paisley Underground scene a year early on Drop Out. They would break up later in the year.

 

Raisin’ Cane

Garland Jeffreys : Cool Down Boy

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One of the great lost albums of the 1970's, Garland Jeffreys's Ghost Writer came out in early 1977 showcasing an artist equally adept at rock 'n' roll and reggae. In "Cool Down Boy" he does both in the same song. 

Much was made of the fact that Garland Jeffreys is biracial (black father, Puerto Rican mother). 

 "Too black to be white, too white to be black," he told The New York Daily News with a laugh. "I don't want to lean on that issue but it's part of the issue, no question."

Jeffreys himself would sing about race most notably in "Why -O" which takes on busing : "If I were a little black boy, say five years old /I'd ask my mommy please, what's goin' on? /And if I were a little white girl, say six years old /I'd beg my daddy, please, do I belong?" The album also features the original legendary 1973 single "Wild in the Streets".

  Rolling Stone Magazine declared Jeffreys Best New Artist of 1977.

Here's Robert Christgau's A- review of Ghost Writer :

Four years is a long time between LPs; if Jeffreys sounded like a talented cult artist on Atlantic in 1973, by now he's collected so much material he sounds like the most fecund singer-songwriter since whoever. Well, save that for the next time. Meanwhile, the racial paradox is dramatized audaciously, the dreams of showbiz glory rendered with an uncommon knowing subtlety, the reggae natural-born, the voice fuller and more passionate, and the album a great buy.

40 Year Itch : Those We Missed from May of 1973

Jose Feliciano teams up with Bill Withers on the catchy title cut of his 1973 album Compartments.Classic early 70's sound! Wish I owned this one.

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Following the legendary Argus and its Tolkien-like imagery, Wishbone Ash recorded a straight ahead, almost generic rock album. What were they thinking?

   New York rocker was just a a few months away from releasing his most famous single, "Wild in the Streets", when his promising Atlantic debut came out. Dr John and The Persuasions also performed on the record.

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On his finest album, "Q" teams up with an all star cast including Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Bill Cosby. Most of You Got It Bad Girl  is lush. Sir Mix A Lot told me nobody has ears like Quincy Jones!

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Peter Frampton's second solo album had future Frampton Comes Alive hits "Lines on My Face" and "Do You Feel Like We Do". Might be his best.

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Thanks to the single "Avenging Annie" ( still embraced by the gay community to this day), preppy Andy Pratt's second album climbed all the way to #78 on the Billboard 100. Roger Daltry covered the song a few years later.

Six Degrees: Garland Jeffreys To Drive By Truckers

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1. Before Garland Jeffreys recorded the anthemic "Wild In The Streets" in 1973 (it would finally appear on the 1977 album Ghost Writer), he played guitar on John Cale's first solo album, 1969's Vintage Violence.

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2. The bass player on this album which Cale himself thought was too simplistic was Harvey Brooks who also played on Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, The Doors' Soft Parade and arranged Karen Dalton's 1971 album In My Own Time.

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3. Among the songs Dalton recorded was this George Jones/Leon Payne number "Take Me" which Jones had recorded on his 1966 album Love Bug.

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4. Though his duets with wife Tammy Wynette are better remembered, Jones also recorded duets with Melba Montgomery, who was raised in Florence Alabama ( the same hometown as Sam Phillips and W.C. Handy) , one of the Quad Cities along with Muscle Shoals.

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5. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is home to some notable recordings including The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses", much of  Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Street Survivors and Millie Jackson's Caught Up, recorded in 1974, with the studio house band known as The Swampers.

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6. David Hood, the bass player for The Swampers, recorded with Traffic, Cat Stevens and Bob Seger. His son Patterson is the frontman for Drive By Truckers. This song , from the 2011 album Go Go Boots, was written by Eddie Hinton who also wrote Dusty Springfield's "Breakfast in Bed".

Patterson Hood