In the early ‘80s, The dB’s mixed pop-rock with punk and dashes of psychedelia and experimentation to spawn a new sub-genre called ‘jangle pop.’ Their influential sound was later adopted in some ways by R.E.M., The Bangles, The Smithereens, and The Replacements, among many others. In general and less specific terms, let’s say that The dB’s launched a decade of power pop. Yet, the story is far more complicated as neither of the first two dB albums, 1981’s Stands for deciBels, and 1982’s subject at hand, Repercussion, sold well. Arguably, they didn’t get their due until almost two decades later. The first was only released in the U.K. and Repercussion had limited formats in the U.S. with vinyl unavailable until now. Yet, their sound became a wellspring for like-mind musicians at the time.
While the band took on an underground status, they still have a legit following today. They will reunite for shows this Fall. The band boasts two talented songwriters, guitarist Chris Stamey and guitarist/keyboardist Peter Holsapple. When listening to the post-dB’s work of both, and filtered through those prisms, this music sounds even more elementary but the seeds of their respective talents are evident. Stamey has issued orchestral and small-combo jazz albums, while Holsapple was a key member of the harmonious Continental Drifters with his wife Susan Cowsill. During their time in The dB’s, Holsapple’s influences were more rootsy and bluesy, while Stamey’s inspirations were more eclectic, running even to twentieth-century classical. They formed a quartet, alternating with songs backed by drummer Will Rigby (later a key member of Steve Earl’s The Dukes) and bassist Gene Holder. The band worked with producer Scott Litt, who didn’t have much of a resume then but later drew raves for his work with R.E.M.
The band had a leisurely seven days to record in London and used it wisely. The reissue presents the original album sequence and, to these ears, begins with a defiant, snarling, punky attitude of love gone wrong on Holsapple’s “Living a Lie,” “We Were Happy There” and Stamey’s “Happenstance” (the first three tracks) and later “I Feel Good Today” consistently through to the last track “Neverland.” So, they were songwriters with ostensibly different sensibilities that purposely or accidentally found common ground thematically. Meanwhile, their musical experimentation mostly worked well, too. The Rumour Brass punch up “Living a Lie,” they use a ‘steel drum” keyboard patch on one tune, and Holder employs John Enwhistle’s eight-string bass on “Neverland.” Rigby describes his drum groove on “Storm Warning” as punk rhumba.
Holsapple’s “Amplifier” may be the band’s best-known song but is the least indicative of its true sound as it rests on that ever-familiar Bo Diddley beat. Lyrically, the song is a real downer as the protagonist ultimately commits suicide. A more representative-sounding song is Stamey’s lush, flowing “From a Window to a Screen.” Another Stamey standout is “In Spain,” inspired by Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and the NYC band Television. Holsapple’s atmospheric “Nothing Is Wrong” may evoke Alex Chilton’s Big Star, which significantly influences the band’s sound.
Those last three songs are fine examples of how the band effectively filtered psychedelic effects into their sound. Some of that is evident also on the basic instrumental bonus track “pH Factor” which was recorded as a test at the Power Station in New York as a test run. This prompted the label to have the band record the full album in London.
It’s always worthwhile to revisit these historic pioneering bands. The remastered sound is solid, and the information in the liners offers an insightful look at those times and the challenging events the dB’s were confronting in London.
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Steve Earle.