Teenage Head "Trouble In The Jungle" (1986)

A shocking death occurred in the rock world earlier this month. Gord Lewis, the guitarist for the Canadian band Teenage Head, was found dead in his Hamilton, Ontario apartment on August 7th, at the age of 65. Authorities said that Lewis was a victim of homicide, and his 41-year-old son has been charged with second-degree murder.

Teenage Head began as a punk rock band. Their self-titled 1979 album had a sound that resembled those of the Ramones and the Stooges, and the band gained notoriety in 1980 when a riot broke out at a concert in Toronto. However, their music did not possess the usual rage of punk rock. Instead, they played fun, lighthearted songs about cars, girls, and parties. The five albums the band recorded in the '80's generally had more polished sounds than their debut, and the band became prominent in Canada. Much like the Flamin' Groovies, from whose 1971 album they took their name, Teenage Head covered numerous rockabilly songs from the '50's and '60's, and also performed originals which were influenced by those sounds and times, filtered through an updated perspective. Lewis' guitar played a major part in rendering post-punk concoctions through the band's retro influences.

The band's fifth release, Trouble In The Jungle from 1986, is out of print. This album was the last one recorded before the temporary departure of original singer Frankie Venom (a.k.a. Francis Kerr), who died of throat cancer in 2008. The album was recorded in the studio of Bob and Daniel Lanois. On Trouble In The Jungle, the quartet came across as a more mature and controlled bunch of party types than they did in their earlier days, usually with less aggressive guitar work from Lewis. Their rendition of the Barracudas' neo-surf-rocking "I Can't Pretend" and the band-written "Splatter Man" are the songs that show the most post-punk attitude. Otherwise, the tone of this album alternately takes the form of power pop and rockabilly from the garage, a far more spontaneous sound than that of the Tornado EP that preceded it. Most of the tracks are unpretentiously rocking covers of '50's and '60's tunes. The band draws material from Elvis ("Little Sister" and "I Need Your Love Tonight" show the most guitar aggression), Eddie Cochrane ("Teenage Heaven" -- how could they resist? -- and "Weekend"), the Beach Boys ("Drive-In"), Tommy Roe ("Jam Up And Jelly Tight"), Bobby Fuller (emphasizing the "La Bamba"-like guitar riff of "Let Her Dance"), and Jimmy Rogers (turning the blues song "Sloppy Drunk" into a rockabilly rave-up).

The band-written originals "Frantic Romantic" and "Save Your Love" are somewhat reminiscent of power pop bands like Shoes and the Records. The Gord Lewis composition "Parasite" stands out the most, especially after his death. "Parasite" is an example of rockabilly at its darkest and loneliest. Where most of Trouble In The Jungle sounds like a party in a basement, "Parasite" sounds like it comes from a deeper and gloomier place of despair.


Teenage Head - Trouble in the Jungle

Teenage Head "Trouble In The Jungle" (Warpt WR-924) 1986

Track Listing:

1. Frantic Romantic
2. Let Her Dance
3. Drive-In
4. Save Your Love
5. I Can't Pretend
6. Weekend
7. Splatter Man
8. Jam Up And Jelly Tight
9. Parasite
10. Teenage Heaven
11. Sloppy Drunk
12. I Need Your Love Tonight
13. Little Sister

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