Cats For Dinner - Good Bye Song 7":
Good Bye Song // Hot and Wired
black vinyl
New Decade CD111, 1983

Lineup: Victor Gaberman - vocals, flute / Donald Phillips - vocals, guitar, synthesis / Dan Joy - keyboards, bass synth / Joe Bradley - percussion, drums

Label notes:

Recording Info: Recorded at Starting Point Studio, engineered by Eric Hock, produced by Donald Phillips, executive production Matthew Moore, Ted White.

Notes:

Reviews:

Anyone out there have some Cats For Dinner flyers, photos, or live tapes? Email me!

DC Star - S/T 12":
Is It You / Don't Call Me Punk / Makin' Time / No Friend of Mine / Wasted Time
picture disc w/insert
Escape Records ESC-001, 1982

Lineup: Ken Taylor - lead vocals / Dave Simmons - guitar, vocals / Jeff Avery - guitar, synthesizers, vocals / Henry Farmer - bass / Glenn Jones - drums and percussion.

Label notes:

Recording Info: Recorded at Media Sound by Michael Brauer. Remixed by Gene Shiveley and Fred Mithcell at 54 East Recorders.

Notes:

Reviews:

Dirty Work - Never Give An Inch 7":
Never Give An Inch // The Lady Likes Cocaine
black vinyl
Dove DW9546, 1979

Lineup: Egidio Lenzi - guitar / Rick Prince - vocals / Billy Tanis - drums / Chris Moutsos - guitar / Jimmy Smith - bass

Label notes: David Cohen's label/production company. Only one release?

Recording Info: Recorded at Track. Produced by David Cohen, engineered by Bill McCullough.

Notes: Rick thinks there were 1000 of these, but it turns up so rarely that I don't think that's the case. Unless someone has a box of 'em sitting in their closet, that is.

Reviews: Never Give An Inch is a good rock song with some nice punk touches--the nasty guitar sound in particular. The production is terrible (drums sound like crap, extreme stereo seperation on the guitars, generally weedy sound), but it doesn't really hurt this song very much.

The Lady Like Cocaine an okay generic rock song (Sorry Rick!). It's nothing that excites me, and normally I love explicit and unrepentant drug songs.

Dirty Work - Promo Pack 2x7":
Never Give An Inch // The Lady Likes Cocaine /// American Girls / Keep It Up // It Never Stops / Demolition Boogie
black vinyl + inserts
no label, 1980

Lineup: Egidio Lenzi - guitar / Rick Prince - vocals / Billy Tanis - drums / Chris Moutsos - guitar / Jimmy Smith - bass

Label notes: Not sure who put this together.

Notes: This package consisted of an unsealed copy of the band's 45, an unsealed copy of the band's EP (with an insert I haven't seen before), a list of cover songs Dirty Work played, and an outer slipcover to hold everything. It was loosewrapped in the same way that the band's records were. My copy was opened, so there may be stuff missing from it.

Reviews: Not much to say--nice 'n sleazy packaging.

Dirty Work - Studio Dirt 7":
American Girls / Keep It Up // It Never Stops / Demolition Boogie
black vinyl
Chillum DW03, 1980

Lineup: Egidio Lenzi - guitar / Rick Prince - vocals / Billy Tanis - drums / Chris Moutsos - guitar / Jimmy Smith - bass

Label notes: Band's label (Chillum, MD is where Bill, Chris, and Rick grew up).

Recording Info: Recorded at Track, produced by Ted Niceley. Engineered by Mark Greenhouse?

Notes: Again, Rick thinks there were 1000 pressed.

Reviews: This is a much better record than the Inch 45. It's well produced, with a strong guitar sound and good mix (Thank you, Ted!). The hard rock stylings are almost gone, replaced with a solid powerpop sound and some inexplicable rockabilly stylings (I'd like to meet the guy who invented the rockabilly hiccup, just so I could give him a good gut-punch for single-handedly destroying an entire genre).

It Never Stops is the standout song here--a fantastic power-pop tune with a huge Razz influence...not surprising when you consider that it was produced by Ted Niceley, and that Dirty Work opened for the Razz at Beacon's in 1980--the very last Razz show. American Girls is strong power-popper that does everything right, but doesn't quite manage to hook me.

The other two aren't very interesting--Keep It Up is practically a fucking ballad. Demo Boogie is way too rockabilly. No. No! NO!