Album Review #23 - The Hooters - "Nervous Night" (1985)

Album Review #23

 

Artist:  The Hooters

Album:  Nervous Night

Year of Release:  1985

Grade:  5 / 5

 

Band Members

Eric Bazilian – lead vocals, guitars, bass, mandolin, saxophone

Rob Hyman – lead vocals, keyboards, melodica

Andy King – bass, vocals

John Lilley – guitar

David Uosikkinen – drums

 

Additional musicians:

Patty Smyth – harmony vocals on “Where Do The Children Go”

 

Background

Philadelphia based band The Hooters released an independently released album called “Amore” in 1983.  The success of this regional album led to the major label signing with Columbia Records.  Their first release under Columbia Records was “Nervous Night”.  Several videos were filmed in support of the album. 

 

Their unique sound a cross between pop, ska, and new wave was something new to the airwaves.  The album achieved multi platinum status.  The first single released was “All You Zombies” followed by “And We Danced” then “Day By Day” with the last single being “Where Do The Children Go”.  Their rabid fan base in the northeast such as Philly and New Jersey led to their being the opening band for Live Aid.

 

I was able to see the Hooters open up for Squeeze on the tour for this album.  They were two of my favorite bands.  I was able to see the Hooters many years later in 2019 with Evan where The Hooters played at Epcot in Orlando, Florida.  They played three sets each night and we saw them both nights.  We were able to meet Eric and Rob after the show.  Evan was a big fan as well. 

 

 

Track Listing

1.      “And We Danced” (Rob Hyman, Eric Bazilian)

2.      “Day By Day” (Hyman, Bazilian, Rick Chertoff)

3.      “All You Zombies” (Hyman, Bazilian)

4.      “Don’t Take My Car Out Tonight” (Hyman, Bazilian, Chertoff)

5.      “Nervous Night”  (Hyman, Bazilian, Chertoff)

6.      “Hanging On A Heartbeat” (Hyman, Bazilian, Glenn Goss, Jeff Ziv)

7.      “Where Do The Children Go” (Hyman, Bazilian)

8.      “South Ferry Road” (Hyman, Bazilian, Chertoff)

9.      “She Comes In Colors” (Arthur Lee)

10.  “Blood From A Stone” (Hyman, Bazilian)

 

Note:  “Nervous Night” song was available as a CD and cassette bonus track only

 

Review

 

Their album opening track “And We Danced” is my favorite on the album and remains one of my top 5 songs of the Hooters.  The song opens up with a Hooter (the nickname for a melodica instrument, which is a keyboard that you breathe into).  The vocals trade off between Eric and Rob.  The opening sound of the melodica quickly changes from a simple sounding tune into a rocking pop tune.  This song is everything that is great about The Hooters.  Writer Eric Bazilian said this:

We wrote the first draft of “And We Danced” in the Poconos during the summer of 1984. I think we knew immediately that we had the germ of something special though there were a lot of versions between that one and the one we now know. I honestly don’t know where the lyrics came from… the verses were written last, when we were already mixing the rest of the album and were down to the wire. I think we just liked the way “she was a be bop baby” sounded.

 

 

“Day By Day” is a perfect follow-up to “And We Danced”.  It has a similar upbeat feel to it that leaves the listener to tap their toes.  The song itself is about appreciating the moment and taking life one day at a time.  This is another one of my favorite Hooters’ songs.

 

“All You Zombies” is an interesting song.  When it first came out, I really liked it but as time has gone on (almost 40 years) that I am not enamored of it as I was.  It has a distinct reggae feel to it along with some biblical themes but even the authors say there was no real heavy meaning behind it.  A different version was released on the “Amore” album. 

 

“Don’t Take My Car Out Tonight” is a rocking little number featuring the melodica again.  I’m not sure that I understand what the song is actually about.  It could be about a relationship.  The chorus is quite catchy.

 

“Nervous Night” is the bonus track on the cassette and CD versions despite being the title track.  I think this is a very underrated song.  It is a crowd favorite in concert.  It seems to be about a relationship but sometimes you just can’t tell.

Evan and I were actually at this show at the link:

“Hanging On A Heartbeat” is a quirky song with a bit of reggae flavor.  This was another track that was released on Amore in a slightly different version.  It’s about a person not being true to themselves and hiding who they really are in order to fit in.

 

“Where Do The Children Go” is a song about children who have been cast aside.  Whether it be runaways, foster kids, abused children.  There is harmony vocals provide by Patty Smyth of the band Scandal.  Having been involved in foster care for almost two decades, this song speaks to me more than it does others but it is a really good thought provoking song.

 

“South Ferry Road” is an uptempo song that just feels like a driving with the windows down type song.  However the song seems to be about a young couple’s secret one night stand/rendezvous.  Instrumentally, the song has a lot to offer.

 

“She Comes In Colors” is the only cover song on the album.  It was originally recorded by the band Love in 1966.  It is a decent enough song but when I think that the original vinyl album had this rather than “Nervous Night”, this song falls flat.  It is just a mediocre song for me.

 

“Blood From A Stone” is the final song on the album.  It is an anti-government song about the government taking too much money in taxes from the workers.  I don’t like it when music and politics mix too directly.  However, as a song, I like the melody.