Oct 032012
Remember teen-hearthrob Shaun Cassidy‘s play for musical credibility, an album called Wasp? On this 1980, Todd Rundgren-produced album the younger half-brother of David (and star of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series),covered songs by David Bowie, The Who, The Animals, Ian Hunter, Talking Heads, and more. Cool songs. Rundgren and Utopia back young Shaun.
As mind-blowing as the thought of this album was when it came out, I never heard a lick of it…until now. Have you ever heard the entire album? Check out the following tracks and let me know if Shaun Cassidy belated deserves credit where credit is due.
Wow, I didn’t know this album existed! While I admire an artist trying to blaze new trails, this attempt seemed more like dragging a stick on the ground. A stick painted in neon colors. I don’t know how I’m going to wrap my head around a Hardy Boy performing “Rebel Rebel.” What would Parker Stevenson think, let alone Pamela Sue Martin?
Were any of you under the impression that Cassidy had died? No offense to the man if he is reading this but I would have sworn he had died. But then again, I’m most likely confusing him with that other sad musical family, the Gibbs.
Speaking of brothers, THIS album was a surprise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Brothers_(1995_album) This looks almost worse than “Wasp.”
I, too, will give him credit for trying to think outside the box, but sometimes the box is there for a reason. I burst out laughing when the vocals for Rebel Rebel came in. I love how the blog says that vocals turn Rebel Rebel into a “near parody”. If that’s just a near parody, I’d live to hear what they could come up with if they were actually going for it.
Wow. I had no recollection of this, either. I hope the check didn’t bounce, Todd.
I don’t know which is funnier–this record Wasp or the idea of Shaun Cassidy in the band W.A.S.P. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NFEEi6B4A8
6 of one, half a dozen of the other.
I remember this at the time, and it seemed more like an act of desperation than somethig legitimately cool. I only would have given him credit if he had written some of his own harder rocking or punk-ish music rather than doing a bunch of mediocre-to-poor cover versions of good songs. David Cassidy’s “Gettin’ It In The Street” is a much cooler career move than this. It’s not great, but at least it seems like he grew up in a legitimate way and didn’t really care if what he did was going to be popular with his own fans or not.
I started laughing, too! I don’t think Todd Rundgren is Shaun’s friend. Frienemy would be a stretch. I think todd considers Shaun his arch enemy. No friend would ever let another friend do that.
Have to say, I do dig the cover photo and the title.
I listened until the end, where he started to shout and phrase the rebel rebel line like Elvis Costello. Props for THAT!
You ask yourself, how slowly can It’s My Life go? And then you listen to Shaun and say it can get none more slower. Are you sure is wasn’t Vanilla Fudge backing him up for that one?
Here’s the thing that gets me about this album: when it came out I was 17. I was desperately trying to get “cool points” for the often-mocked punk rock/new wave badge I was wearing. I badly wanted someone from the mainstream to “bless” this new music. In 1980, Linda Rondstadt put out her new wave album and Shaun Cassidy put out this one. Although Rondstadt was “hot” in the eyes of my musically stagnant friends, her blessing of the new music didn’t carry much weight. Cassidy’s embracing of the new music was no sell at all! Imagine walking through the hallways of a high school (even a peaceful Friends school) in 1980 clutching a copy of Shaun Cassidy’s new wave album in hopes of validation? It wasn’t going to buy me any favors. I went to great lengths to avoid even hearing the album. Now I feel bad. The guy had cool taste. I assume the album’s covers involved his personal interests. Maybe he had more in common with me than I could have ever imagined, beside the fact that he was a dreamboat with perfect hair and had girls swooning in his presence. As I listened to these tracks the other day I couldn’t get over the thought that Shaun Cassidy might have been “cool” enough to hang with me and my little group of musically advanced friends.
You can get over it, ’cause one listen makes it pretty clear he wasn’t cool enough. This makes Ronstadt’s bid for new wave sound cutting edge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nuGIap6qsY
Boo. I like Mad Love. I thought Linda did fine on the Elvis Costello songs and Hurst So Bad was a great single. She certainly didn’t look any dumber than amy other Ne Wave artists. Besides, it’s fun to hear Linda sing fast songs.
Yeah, I liked that song too. Is that Russ Kunkle on drums in the clip misterioso posted?
I never heard How do I Make You before. I like it, but I have a real sweet tooth for this kind of pop. Here’s another version in which Linda has yoinked Pat Benetar’s entire look and Will Ferrel seems to make an appearance at the 6:58 mark.