The Kings-Are Here (1980)


 

Artist: The Kings

Title: Are Here

Label: Elektra

Format: LP

Cat:  X6E-274

Year of Release: 1980

Country and Year of Edition: Canada 1980

Sell Price: $9.62

Sell Date: 12/21/23

Condition: VG+/VG+

Discogs Last Sold 12/14/23 VG+/VG+ $5.15

Low: $2.14 VG+/VG

Median: $5.08 

Average: $5.66

High: $11.95

Current low price: $5.95

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 17

Have/Want: 1236/52

Where Sold: Grove City, OH

Time It Took To Sell:  2 years

Where and When Bought: internet lot a couple years ago around $4

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade:  A-

Sad To See It Go: No

The Bob Ezrin produced band The Kings formed in Vancouver and had a major AOR hit with the two track segue way "The Beat Goes On/Switching To Glide" that opens up the album.  My friend Kenny had raved about the track a good 25 years ago but I somehow never heard it in my AOR listening Worcester youth even though they made it all the way to American Bandstand in 1980.  I got a CD reissue of this around then to make up for lost time, but the rest of the album didn't stick with me despite constant play when I was working at Club Midway on Ave B where the old Save The Robots used to stand.  I actually ended up BOOKING the Kings to play there around 2008 after getting an email directly from the band.  Sometimes synchronicity creates strange happenings, I didn't even know they were an active touring band at the time, just a band we were playing after hours because the CD was in our DJ booth from Kenny.

I listened to this a few weeks ago so these songs were fresh in my mind when this sold a couple days ago, but I put a couple more spins in to solidify.  The Kings are one of those bands that reward you with familiarity as you would expect something called Power Pop to.  Distinctively Canadian with it's charm and occasional veering toward harder rock on tracks like "Go Away" and the closer "My Habit."  "Partyitis" is somewhere between Devo and The Dickies style New Wave.

Beyond the hit the standout tracks for me were the perky song after the hit,  "It's OK" as well as the low tempo ballad "Don't Let Me Know."

This time, I'm switching to Glide.


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