features in: Album Chart of 1981 ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1980s ● 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die  |
For their July, 1981, long-play debut the 3-year-old punk-turned-power-pop quintet from Los Angeles lined up: Belinda Carlisle (22, lead vocals), Charlotte Caffey (27, lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Jane Wiedlin (23, rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Kathy Valentine (22, bass, backing vocals) and Gina Schock (23, drums, percussion). They had recently signed to Miles Copeland's I.R.S. Records and some degree of success was anticipated, the Police manager being wise in the ways of the business. Not even he in his wildest dreams envisaged the record sitting atop the U.S. album charts for six whole weeks, although it took several months to do so, the slow-burning ascent coming on the back of the two hit singles “Our Lips Are Sealed” (#20) and “We Got The Beat” (#2), both of which were backed by cute MTV-friendly videos. Whilst their pop image is not for me, I really enjoy a few of the tracks. Whilst on tour with the Specials in 1980, Terry Hall played away with guitarist Jane Wiedlin and “Our Lips Are Sealed” was their baby together. Cool cuts on side two include the Shangri-Las-like “Automatic” (another of Jane's) and album-closer “Can’t Stop The World”, a hook-laden beauty of the new indie pop variety. By now they were miles away from their hardcore punk roots, but this is very much the acceptable face of teen-pop, and fair play to them for hammering in these signposts for a new generation.
The Jukebox Rebel
22–Sep–2018
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [02:45]  The Go-Go’s - Our Lips Are Sealed (Jane Wiedlin, Terry Hall) New Wave |
| A2 | [03:06]  The Go-Go’s - How Much More (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin) Pop |
| A3 | [03:35]  The Go-Go’s - Tonite (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin, Peter Case) New Wave |
| A4 | [04:04] The Go-Go’s - Lust To Love (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin) New Wave |
| A5 | [03:20]  The Go-Go’s - This Town (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin) New Wave |
| B1 | [02:36]  The Go-Go’s - We Got The Beat (Charlotte Caffey) New Wave |
| B2 | [03:41] The Go-Go’s - Fading Fast (Charlotte Caffey) Indie |
| B3 | [03:07]  The Go-Go’s - Automatic (Jane Wiedlin) Indie |
| B4 | [02:54]  The Go-Go’s - You Can’t Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can’t Sleep) (Charlotte Caffey, Jane Wiedlin) Indie |
| B5 | [03:06]  The Go-Go’s - Skidmarks On My Heart (Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle) Indie |
| B6 | [03:20]  The Go-Go’s - Can’t Stop The World (Kathy Valentine) Indie |
