The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco
NOT FOR EVERYONE
Self-Release
A Beat Crazy Streetlife Serenade On 52nd Street.
WOW! Seriously……WOW!
As happens, a few weeks ago I received an e-mail suggesting I may like a guys music because of a review I had recently posted. This happens most days and out of courtesy I listen to the first song and ‘make a decision;’ usually negative I’m afraid; but in this case the enigmatically named 1957 Tail Spin Fiasco very nearly blew my mind to shreds with the refreshingly, toe-tapping modern Rock & Roller 15 Hands and everything which follows.
A very eloquent, piano led, throatily sung punchy ballad of the highest order sir; and it could be straight out of the Joe Jackson/Billy Joel songbook…..and I immediately put the kettle on and sat back in the armchair.
Okay; this isn’t groundbreaking or indeed ‘hip’ but hey……..what’s not to like about great grown up Pop Songs like Swings and Roundabouts or the razor sharp wit of Vista Familiar?
Even on a follow up e-mail after I had expressed my undying love, all I could find out was 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco are Malcolm Myers and David Myers who may or may not be from Essex and may or may not be popular on some cool NYC Radio Stations……I do like a mystery!
As they told me, they originally got together to play songs by their favourite artists and that evolved into writing their own songs in that same vein; which is obvious when you hear the clever wordplay in the tightly wrapped ’65 Rioja and beautiful Happier With Horses which closes this exquisite album which both have a glorious blend of 10CC and the two great singer-songwriters I mentioned in the second paragraph.
There’s enough intelligent wordplay here to satisfy even the most ardent Randy Newman or Steely Dan fan (me!) and the moody playing and production could only be created in a dark NYC studio surely? Possibly or probably not; but you get the sense these guys have an extensive and interesting record collection; not unlike my own.
The accolade of ‘favourite track’ is a tie; going to the magnificent Commodore Rooms 1975-76 and Cold Cuts; the type of song I would have spent hours wallowing in, listening to on huge black headphones in my bedroom as a teenager.
This remarkable album is timeless in many ways and targeted very much at fans of Classic AOR; the type of music fans who listen to ‘Gold’ music stations whining that “they don’t make them like that any-more;” well……THEY DO! Here’s the proof; now how do we get these songs on National Radio across the universe?
https://the1957tail-finfiasco.bandcamp.com/
Released 2nd June 2017
The Rocking Magpie 