Present Tense / Tongue Twister

Album Review

Some things were destined to be together: Lennon and McCartney, peanut butter and jelly, hamburgers and French fries, and country & western are a few examples. The fabulous Present Tense/Tongue Twister CD is another. The entirety of Shoes' first two Elektra albums (1979's Present Tense and 1981's Tongue Twister) on one disc makes for one of the most highly recommended power pop CDs of all time! Forget what you have heard about Big Star (they were way too sloppy), Raspberries (too inconsistent), and Jellyfish (too self-indulgent); these two albums are the real deal. With harmonies that embrace and cradle your heavy heart plus some of the most delicious melodies since the golden days of Badfinger, Shoes will win over anyone searching for bands that know how to write "the song." Bassist John Murphy and guitarists Jeff Murphy and Gary Klebe all write and sing their own tunes on these albums, all remaining individually distinctive while creating a unique group sound that sets them apart from other bands of their era. On Present Tense, the band's chunky electric and gentle acoustic guitars and floating harmonies stand out, sounding like the backing track to 10cc's "I'm Not in Love" played by "Junior's Farm"-era Wings. Every song deserves mention, but their signature song, "Tomorrow Night," and the haunting "Three Times" distill the album's essence into small, but enticing, samples. Tongue Twister found the band turning up the chunky guitars, virtually abandoning the acoustics, but remaining as wonderful as ever. Another stunning classic, featuring "Karen," "She Satisfies," and the beautiful "Found a Girl," this album is Present Tense's tougher younger brother. With both albums on one disc, there is absolutely no reason that any pop music fan should be without this CD