Review Summary: So take the heed of what I say to you. See if you can change.
No introduction to the work of Paul Collins can begin without mentioning The Nerves, the short-lived power pop collective composed of guitarist Jack Lee, bassist Peter Case and Collins on the drums. Despite the group only releasing one four-song, self-titled EP, their overall impact proved palpable through the creation of The Plimsouls (spearheaded by Case) and The Beat (formed by Collins) upon their breakup as well as through Lee’s song “Hanging on the Telephone,” which became famously popularized by Blondie on their seminal album Parallel Lines.
While their debut may not have been a success commercially and the waters get murky when trying to decipher how exactly the band was marketed due to a British ska band establishing themselves in Europe under the same name first (look no further than how both bands appear on this site), the music on Paul Collins’ Beat survives as an integral piece of power pop as the 70’s were coming to a close. Groups like Badfinger, The Raspberries and most notably Big Star are more well known for laying the foundation down for the genre, but Paul Collins’ Beat does a masterful job of pushing those building blocks forward towards the close of the decade. Through an inspired preservation of The Nerves’ formula, Collins and company amplify short, snippy pop originals through the use of consistently sharp guitar leads, driving percussion play and energized harmonies. It’s a record in no short supply of jauntiness (the effortless swing of “Let Me Into Your Life” and the beachy “U.S.A.”), bark (the punk-laced snarl of “Look But Don’t Touch” and the sting of “You Won’t Be Happy”) and charisma (such as “Rock N Roll Girl” and “Walking Out on Love”). With his debut album, Collins manages to successfully emerge from the ashes of his humble introduction into the music scene and flourish on his own through a tightly knit package of catchy, confident tunes.
