A forgotten band that fits right in with today’s trending music.
The quality is lo-fi. The hooks are catchy as hell. The music was a breath of fresh air in an industry that all leans the same way. Not only does this describe the industry as of 2018, but it also describes a band from the 1970’s called The Nerves.
Think of Mac Demarco, Tame Impala, Father John Misty or some other trendy indie group that is popular at the moment. If The Nerves were snuck into the lineup of bands at a Beach Goth type of festival, then they would fit right in.The Nerves were a band originally out of San Francisco, but later relocated and found success in Los Angeles. You may not have heard of them but you have definitely felt their impact.
The lineup included Peter Case on guitar, Jack Lee on bass and Paul Collins on the drums. They weren’t a long-lived trio, lasting only three years from 1975-1978. It was during that time that they managed to release a small EP called One Way Ticket. In an era of much harder rocking bands like Aerosmith or Def Leppard (who ironically covered one of The Nerves’ hits), The Nerves were giving the world a different type of sound. They excelled in fast-paced, catchy hooks and lyrics that became known as power pop.
Their one and only hit song, Hanging on the Telephone, earned them some notoriety and even gave them the opportunity to tour the country. You may not have heard their version of the song, but you probably heard Blondie’s cover of it or even Def Leppard’s version of the same song. Blondie’s version even earned its place on their acclaimed album Parallel Lines.
As the story goes, Debbie Harry heard the song on the radio while touring in Japan and liked it so much that she had to put her stamp on it and bring it to a wider audience. Blondie’s version is great but the original has a more authentic sound.After The Nerves broke up in 1978, they continued on under different aliases with a revolving lineup.
Their popularity was short-lived and their tiny EP was forgotten with time.That was until 2008 when Alive Records decided to reissue One Way Ticket along with a compilation of songs released by the bands that the trio started afterwards.
The reissued album, again titled One Way Ticket featured the original four songs, When You Find Out, Working Too Hard, Give Me Some More Time and of course Hanging on the Telephone. Those four hits combined with a handful of tracks and demos made for an awesome record.
Noteworthy tracks include Hanging on the Telephone, When You Find Out, Stand Back and Take A Good Look, Paper Dolls and One Way Ticket.
The Nerves | Hanging on the Telephone
Check out the album below.
