Bad Boy - Private Party (1981)

TRACKLIST:

Run From Yourself
Don't Pretend
Can't You See
Have I The Right
How Long
Let Me Love You
Come With Me
Come A Bit Closer
Here I Am
Private Party

Headquartered up in Wisconsin - where they apparently enjoy a large fanbase even today - Bad Boy scored a two-album deal with United Artists in the late '70s and released two more LPs, several singles and an EP on assorted smaller labels over the next decade. Althought UA material is still missing action, "Best of Bad Boy" assembles tracks from the band's '80s releases, Private Party, Electric Eyes and Girl on the Run, along with two singles and two newly recorded tunes. Playing this disc opens a time capsule back to the days of long hair, spandex, block-long limos and leopard-print leotards. The silliness begins with three songs from '81: the Def Leppard-spotted "Run from Yourself," AC/DC-electric "Here I Am," and "Private Party," on which the Boys kick up a quiet little riot. Although lyrics like "Oh no! Run from yourself! Run! Run!" and "Come on baby/Don't say maybe!" aren't gonna cause Leiber-Stoller any sleepless nights, the terrific ascending power chords on the choruses - as well as the textbook-perfect artillery barrage drumming - will put a shimmy down the stiffest backbone. Four songs from 1984's "Electric Eyes" offer less bang: only the April Wine whine of "Something Ain't Right" shows much personality. The Boys are back in form though, on tracks culled from 1986's Girl on the Run: "She Can (Drive You Crazy)" is a Bon Jovial rave-up propelled by crashing power chords, lingering sustain and more of those amazing drums with just the right mix of boom and kerwhack (unforunately a lost art among the new crop of '90s heavy rock acts); "Girl on the Run" - which actually uses backward masking - delivers an evil laugh with a line about a "nice tight sweater." Those were the days, right? Apparently, these STILL are the days for Bad Boy, as testified by the new tunes, the funky "Sex Thang" and a Scorpions-styled styling called "Gotcha!". "Best of Bad Boy" makes this material available for the first time of CD. It's a shame Surgeland Records hasn't issued the dam thing on 8-Track tape. Somewhere, I'll bet, there's a Camaro Z/28 dashboard that's hungry for it. - Gregory Nicoll, Creative Loafing, October 31, 1998

THANKS TO ''BE'' FOR UPLOADING THIS GEM...