ARTIST: 20/20
TITLE: Look Out!
YEAR RELEASED: 1981
CHART ACTION: #127
SINGLES: Strange Side of Love,
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Only if you adore power pop
LINEUP: Steve Allen, Ron Flynt, Joel Turrisi, Chris Silagyi.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Second album from relocated Midwestern power-pop quartet is hooky and melodic
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Power pop was either a hit or miss (usually a miss) on the charts, since it fell in between radio-friendly rock, pop, and adult contemporary and only the catchiest tracks could catch on with the radio.
Which means a band like 20/20, who had catchy hooks, harmonies, and interesting songs and melodies, didn’t catch a break in the era when the Top 40 was transitioning away from disco and into new wave and arena rock.
This second foray by the band covers a lot of the same ground as their debut. Some of the tracks near the end didn’t work as well in reality as in concept, and at times it felt like a slight re-write of the first one. Still, there was enough here that it could have done better on the charts had radio taken a flyer on it.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: They added a new drummer, and after the album only Allen and Flynt remained.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Two extra tracks.
GRADE: B+: A few duds near the end, otherwise another good representation of power pop.