Teenage Head - Self-titled Album (1979) [Remixed, Remastered & Reissued in 2005]

Teenage Head's debut album was a breath of fresh air for all of us who endured Canadian corporate rock of the late 1970s. The record's lo-fi production, lack of annoying soloing and straight-ahead simplicity heralded punk's growing influence on homegrown artists. The album was amazing from start to finish, full of catchy, memorable punked-up rock 'n roll with that great late 70's raw, crisp, yet full analog production. Somebody said in an earlier review it sounds like The Ramones with a Chuck Berry edge.., and all kinds of great Rock & Roll influences in there!

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Teenage Head - Self-titled Album (1979) [Remixed, Remastered & Reissued in 2005]

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Canada's early answer to new wave sounded suspiciously like classic '50s and '60s rock & roll with the amps turned up and the lips curled back in a sneer. In a lot of ways, Teenage Head skirts the edge between new wave and punk, often sounding like a slightly more versatile version of the Ramones. Lyrically speaking, it skips from one degeneracy to another and is often a bit on the stupid side (like many other punk classics, come to think of it), but the music is solid enough throughout to make that irrelevant.

~ Sean Carruthers, all media guide

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Teenage Head - Self-titled Album (1979) [Remixed, Remastered & Reissued in 2005]

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In 1977 Teenage Head were part of the punk rock explosion that put Toronto on the map alongside New York and London. Teenage Head was the first band that brought Canadian punk toward the mainstream,evidenced by the riot they brought on at the Ontario Place Forum when a sold-out show caused locked out fans to jump the gates. Although the band's subsequent Frantic City release sold more records, it's their debut that really stands the test of time. Before they traveled the musical road from rockabilly to plain old rock, their debut captured the band between haircuts - a transition that merged the glam of the New York Dolls and the drive of Iggy Pop's Stooges with their emerging early rock passion. Their newly shorn hair gave wayto an unfashionable flamboyance resulting in some of the catchiest punk power pop this side of the Buzzcocks. Their original party singles "Picture My Face" and "Top Down" from 1977 are re-mixed here with tremendous success by Chris Spedding and Peter J. Moore. Along with the full album, complete lyrics and lots of pics, is the embarrassing '78 Beach Boys-ed version of "Top Down" specifically geared for radio. At the time, singer Frankie Venom was probably the best frontman in Toronto boogie-ing up the crowd with reckless abandon. On his ode to excess, "Kissing The Carpet", Frankie sings "I'll take today, you take tomorrow". Little did he realize that when tomorrow rolled around he'd want a little bit of that too.

~ Ian Danzig, Exclaim

Tracklist:

01. Top Down
02. Ain't Got No Sense
03. Bonerack
04. Picture My Face
05. Lucy Potato
06. Curtain Jumper
07. You're Tearin' Me Apart
08. Little Boxes
09. Get Off My Back
10. Kissin' The Carpet

all songs written by Teenage Head


Produced by Alan Caddy & Teenage Head. Engineered by Kirk Hawkes
Recorded & Mixed at Thunder Sound, except "4" - Recorded at Phase One Studios, Produced by TH.
Mastered by Andy Condon. Digital Remastering by Nick Blagona at Metalworks.

• Frankie "Venom" Kerr - vocals
• Gordie Lewis - guitars
• Steve "Marshall" Mahon - bass
• Nick Stipanitz - drums

additional musicians:
- Kelly Jay - piano on "10"
- Dave Rave - acoustic guitar on "10"

Original Release Date: 1979
Remaster Reissued: July 24, 2006
Format: Original Recording Remastered
Label: Lobotronics Records, Canada
Catalog No.: TH 1957