TPOH/Love Junk(1988)

TPOH is short for The Pursuit Of Happiness in case any of you’s were wondering but probably not as you already know this as you are all educated RAWKER’S!

Love Junk released in 1988 and produced by Todd Rundgren is simply a masterpiece which I would consider now as back in 1988 when I bought this on the heels of the fantastic single I’m An Adult Know there was so much rock out that it was hard to keep up but I really dug these Quirky Canadians. Hell even across the Big Blue Ocean  Mr 1537 champions their cause as well! All Hail the LegoNater!

Moe Berg had the whole I’m a Geek look down but he could fizzle up a real good batch of hooky cancon hard rock and deliver it with a stellar band behind him.

Moe Berg – guitars, vocals
Kris Abbott – guitars, vocals
Dave Gilby – drums
Johnny Sinclair – bass
Leslie Stanwyck – vocals

The Charm of TPOH lye’s in the Women of the band. Kris Abbott  and Leslie Stanwyck  added ABBA like backing harmonies and Rundgren brings them to the forefront right with Moe and his singing which at time’s is part-time speak as well as sing!

Hard Rock blasted in a different way but a real cool original spin on things. Hell even Axl Rose dug em! Photo evidence…

Betcha Moe has this pic above his fireplace! Wouldn’t you?! I sure as Hell would!

Love Junk Tracks..

Coolest pile of Junk ..EVER!

All songs written by Moe Berg….

“Hard to Laugh” (2:38)
“Ten Fingers” (2:53)
“I’m an Adult Now” (4:25)
“She’s So Young” (3:34)
“Consciousness Raising as a Social Tool” (2:27)
“Walking in the Woods” (3:51)
“Beautiful White” (3:27)
“When the Sky Comes Falling Down” (3:25)
“Looking for Girls” (2:50)
“Man’s Best Friend” (2:35)
“Tree of Knowledge” (3:50)
“Killed by Love” (4:01)
“Down on Him” (2:30),

Hard To Laugh kicks off this album in fine fashion and a way’s back I reviewed this track all by its lonesome…Need a refresher click the link Friends…..

Cool Lil Numbers….The Pursuit Of Happiness/Hard To Laugh

Hard To Laugh has Old School Cheap Trick sensibilities but the ladies deliver that cool backing vocal vibe….

The second track  is 10 Fingers and it’s another brilliant song as Moe gets down to the nitty-gritty act on this album about sexual frustration which delves into a lot of these songs. Moe though is clever through his lyrics and Man oh Man 10 Fingers Rocks! The Chorus is totally enhanced by the Ladies. Sooooo Good! Check out the video clip below….

I’m An Adult can we all agree right down to the video is an all time Classic song man. Back in 88 I was 21 . Later this year I hit the halfway point to 100! This song is Pure Genius and Moe I have to tell you I really don’t know if I’m a Adult Now! I try too try to be… The drums must be mentioned as they sound good on this album as it does not sound 80’s Whatsoever! Perhaps these Ladies/Gents were well ahead of their time!

She’s So Young has a single written all over it. Pop sensibilities reign supreme here. This tune and video were played a ton in Canada. I dig this kind of rock as the drums by Kilby kick it, move it along. Nice job fella!

Consciousness Raising As A Social Tool What a title wouldn’t ya say?  Nice hard-driving AC/DC like riff a roll and that must be Kris or is it Leslie doing the second vocal as well. Crafty Hard Pop don’t ya just love.

Side 1 is a complete winner! Every track is top notch. Hence where the Singles came from. Side 2 though is no slouch either. Looking For Girls  has Moe inner channeling his best Angus Young on guitar and even goes one better and drops the F-Bomb which would make his pal Axl happy! Killed By Love is another driving like AC/DC number which features a real slick bass line. Gotta love Moe on this album with these lyrics as he’s tormented by Women throughout! Down On Him Again ends the album with a nice like jingle jangle clean guitar sound with a  REM’s Document like vibe except Moe sings “Your Going Down On Him Again” HAHAHA….fantastic!

Come to think of it for a second….let me ramble here…

AC/DC released Back In Black in 1980. I basically said in my review of that album it  told me about he birds and bee’s of life if you catch my drift…

If I would have been 13 when Love Junk came out this album may have had the almost the same kind of impact as Back In Black lyrically as  Berg  captured on one album his vision of the birds and bee’s….!

I’M  AN ADULT KNOW??? NOPE!

Cool Lil Numbers….The Pursuit Of Happiness/Hard To Laugh

I remember watching Muchmusic in the late 80s and this band from Western Canada(Edmonton) called The Pursuit Of Happiness had made a home-made video called I’m A Adult Now and man the geeky dude who is singing and playing guitar(Moe Berg) played the part well plus he had  in his band  on bass(Johnny Sinclair) and drums(Dave Kilby) and a female lady guitarist (Kris Abott)and a female backing singer as well(Leslie Stanwyck)

So through various outlets but probably in Music Express Magazine I read that TPOH signs a worldwide record deal with Chrysalis Records and there off and running and there debut album Love Junk(1988) is a good dose of power pop slickly produced by Todd Rundgren and I tell you first song on Love Junk  Hard To Laugh and the second track 10 Fingers are wickedly good!

Hard To Laugh is great rock track almost AC/DC like and it’s just driving guitars cranked, a real cool sloppy half arsed solo,excellent backing vocals courtesy of the ladies that sounds fantastic  and then Boom  Moe telling us how it’s …

Hard to Laugh when you know she’s been cheating/Had her arms around him/And she’s been givin it a beatin!

Ha…these are great lyrics and man the video is well done…bonus points awarded to Kris Abott playing the Ibanez Paul Stanley guitar in the video!

Check out Love Junk and give it a spin…..there’s nothing like this kind of Canadian Rock out there anymore but that is why you all got Arena Rock!

Ha…