n the late 1970s and early ‘80s, most L.A. pop-rock bands of the era sounded almost painfully calculated, but 20/20 was different; founders Steve Allen and Ron Flynt were Oklahoma boys who loved classic British Invasion pop and heard the same call of the electric guitar that guided fellow Tulsa native Dwight Twilley, and like Twilley, they moved to Los Angeles to form a band and make it big.
But Allen and Flynt had sharper tastes than most of their peers, and while 20/20 had killer hooks and plenty of tuneful energy, their music was a bit more angular and far more melodically surprising than most of their peers on the L.A. scene, reinforced by the band’s strong songwriting skills, superb harmonies, and gift for lyrical twists and turns.
Signed by Portrait / Epic Records 20/20 released 2 albums: 1979’s self-titled “20/20”, and 1981’s “Look Out!”. After years out of print Real Gone Records has remastered/reissued 20/20’s two LPs on one CD; “20/20 + Look Out!“, their complete Portrait-Epic recordings, plus two non-LP b-sides, both taken from the “Strange Side of Love” promo 7″.
These are great energetic, hook-filled songs. Classic power-pop… before the term was even coined. There’s elements of The Cars, The Producers, The Knack, also some early Loverboy.
20/20 developed a loyal following in Los Angeles and scored a record deal with Epic Records subsidiary Portrait Records, for whom they cut two major-label albums that are still revered by power pop obsessives but never came close to becoming hits.
Debut “20/20” was recorded in a matter of weeks. The follow up, “Look Out!” took over a year. It also marked some changes for the band, with original drummer Mike Gallo out and Joel Turrisi in, the sound was also shifting. The energy was still there but a more American outlook was entering. The harmonies were even tighter and the lyrical content was taking on a darker tone.
The 1979 debut ”20/20” is a front-to-back winner, delivering brilliant idiosyncratic pop (“Yellow Pills” is a masterpiece even if the lyrics prevented it from ever becoming a hit single), revved-up rock (“Tonight We Fly”), hooky almost-punk (“Backyard Guys”), and fine mood pieces (“Tell Me Why”). There’s also very good ‘inside cuts’ like “Ride The Lightning” or “Cheri” overshadowed by the more famous songs.
Produced by Richard Polodor (who was helming some great bands in this period), on “Look Out!” there was no mistaking that the band had tightened up. “Nuclear Boy” and “Beat City” were vibrant looks at the world, while “Mobile Unit 245” and “The Night I Heard a Scream” looked towards life’s tragic moments.
While the nervous energy that fueled the first album was tempered, the songs were way more gripping and (like “American Dream”) more experimental. They’d matured rapidly into their power-pop shoes.
For this edition, Real Gone has remastered both albums in full, as well as including two rare, non-LP B-sides (“Childs Play” and “People in Your Life”).
20/20 were among the best and most interesting bands to emerge from the L.A. power pop boom, and anyone who wants to hear them in their prime should waste no time picking up this disc, filled with 79 minutes of smart, hooky bliss.
Highly Recommended
20/20
1 The Sky Is Falling 7/79
2 Yellow Pills
3 Cheri
4 Out Of This Time
5 Tell Me Why (Can't Understand You)
6 Tonight We Fly
7 Remember The Lightning
8 She's An Obsession
9 Leaving Your World Behind
10 Backyard Guys
11 Jet Lag
12 Action Now
Look Out!
13 Nuclear Boy
14 Out Of My Head
15 Strange Side Of Love (Single Version)
16 Alien
17 A Girl Like You
18 Life In The U.S.A
19 The Night I Heard A Scream
20 Beat City
21 Mobile Unit 245
22 American Dream
Bonus Tracks
23 Childs Play
24 People In Your Life
20/20 – 20/20 / Look Out! 2012 Remaster
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