(City Boy - timing is the whole enchilada) Somebody once told me that getting a movie made, no matter how bad it was, is a miracle - all the elemen
September 25, 2009

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(City Boy - timing is the whole enchilada)

Somebody once told me that getting a movie made, no matter how bad it was, is a miracle - all the elements falling magically into place and hoping an audience finds it. And no matter how good a movie is, if there is no audience for it, nobody sees it.

The same is true with albums. The miracle of all the elements falling in place, the support and momentum of the record company - hoping an audience finds it.

In the case of City Boy, a folk outfit turned electric, their first several albums went nowhere, despite good reviews. 1975, when their self-titled first album came out, there was a change in the audience, and rock music was about to undergo a radical upheaval. Groups in Britain featuring lavish harmonies and progressive instrumentation just weren't cutting it with an audience who fell head over heels for all the raw viscera of Punk. And City Boy, during their first few outings sounded a little too much like Supertramp for comfort.

It wasn't until much later that their style changed and their audience changed its mind. They did score well with two hits, "5.7.0.5." and "The Day The Earth Caught Fire", but sadly things didn't work out and they broke up in 1982.

But whatever is to be said about timing, one thing is certain; City Boy were an excellent band who made some wonderful albums which, thanks to a recent reissue, are having a chance to be discovered all over again.

This track, (Moonlight) Shake My Head And Leave, opens their first album.

Good undiscovered albums, like good undiscovered movies are further evidence having an open mind has its rewards. Remember that next time you think you've heard and seen it all.

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