Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Worth Another Listen - The Alarm

the alarm

Back in the day [as the kids say], I wanted nothing more than to rock out with some sanitation-challenged Brits. Yes, a dirty Brit-boy with a guitar made me stop in my tracks. A group of those would be The Alarm, with lead singer Mike Peters. They played flat out stadium Rock, anthems for the ages. These days, I feel like it might be more 'anthems for the aged.'

mike peters,the alarm

Yes, back in the days of big hair and a bigger selection of products, I wanted nothing more than to follow those bands, and work my hair up into a frenzy. Gels, mousse, and Spritz sprays, you name it, it was in my bathroom. And they rocked the music as hard as they rocked the hair. I loved The Alarm. When I saw the video for 68 Guns and for The Stand, I loved them. When I saw Strength, I knew I was in love. My own hair, cut at the Astor Place Barbers, did some wild things.



Last fall, The Alarm put out a new CD, Guerilla Tactics. Old habits die hard, so I had to buy it. I like it, and the boys can still rock it out. I will say when I saw pictures of Mike Peters, I was sorta depressed. He is just a year older than me, and he looked old. Damn the passage of time! Anyway, for the release of the CD, Peters showed up at Times Square in NYC with an acoustic guitar and a videocam, and played some of the songs. I happen to like Love, Hope and Understanding.

4 comments:

  1. Scary hair.
    I thank god I never went that route, because if I did, I'd be at a picture burnin' right about now.

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  2. Yes, scary hair. I remember it well. The great thing about doing the blog is not risking the pictures showing up on it. LOL

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  3. Hi Howard - I heard something interesting about the lead singer of the Alarm - I heard that he had cancer and miracously it receeded one day. I am not sure if that was a sign of faith or what but somehow their music seemed to be "divine".
    Strength with that one line "someone write me a letter I need to know that I am still alive" - had me sold and thought of this band as poets from Wales.
    I liked the album "Eye of the Hurricane" - all the songs are so good on it. The follow up was good as well - and how can you deny a good title as "Devolution Workin Man Blues" - this band rocked!

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  4. I came across the album, Raw, by the Alarm. The title song really rocks. There are 1 or 2 clunkers, and the music is really out of fashion these days. But you have to hand it to them for keeping the music guitar based and full of passionate, youthful idealism (naivety).

    RH

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