Doug and the Slugs: Slugcology 101(1979-1988) Plus the Entire Discography! (almost)

Last week I spent $2.00 at flea market for a copy of Doug and The Slugs greatest hits, a.k.a. Slugcology 101. And it wasn't just for a quick post material either; since I've started this series the band is the highest it's been in my regard since 1980 when I heard a radio concert where Doug did a long monologue about how he was accosted by a mysterious stranger in a bar who told him he had to become the greatest rock singer of all time (the memories are pretty dim, I confess).

Doug never did fulfill that mission. Despite being a lyricist who could combine Elvis Costello's angry acuity with Dashiell Hammit's obsession with sleazy-living and leading a band that, when not showing off for American radio, will remind you of some of those other Pub Rock vets turned New Wave aggregation like Nick Lowe's Rockpile or Graham Parker's Rumour.

Still, some might resent Doug and The Slugs for profiting from the New Wave, while fellow Vancouver-ites of the era, like Art Bergmann, D.O.A., The Pointed Sticks et al, never got their due. But that sick injustice does not diminish these clever, catchy, well-crafted songs (even those late eighties hits, which sound much better when jumbled up non-chronologically on Slugcology). And if any one thinks a band selling 50,000 copies of their hit records and being on the Meatballs II soundtrack back in the eighties had it made, they should read this quote from Doug Benet buried in in the Slugcology liner notes: "Thanks to...our children to whom Dad was often 'that guy with the funny hair who's always away or asleep."

Call me mushy-headed but I think it's Slug Time!

 
Slugcology 101 is now available at iTunes


Biopunk commented "I had no idea you posted so much Doug and the Slugs! " and in case anyone wants to know just how much, here's their entire discography (minus their less-known 1992 album Tales From Terminal City, for which I would require a rip n 'scans from some generous reader). Just click on the links provided and you'll get a slug!

Cognac and Bologna is here











Wrap It! is here











Music for the Hard of Thinking is here











Popaganda is here












Doug Bennett's Solo album, Animato, is here.











Tomcat Prowl is here.











And, by the way, ViaComClosedMeDown... over at Down Underground has posted a cassette rip of a strange looking Doug and the Slugs release (likely a repackage) here.

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Doug and the Slugs: Cognac and Bologna (1980)

[It's] your basic rock and roll but with a certain Kafka-esque, grass roots, Pavlovian, existential, Calvanistic, Zen, New York liberal Jewish intellectual kind of slant to it.

Doug Bennett

Doug and the Slugs were a Vancouver bar band gone New Wave that got a big push in Canada in the very early eighties. The band (Doug Bennett on vocals, John Burton on guitar, John "Wally" Watson on drums, Richard Baker on guitar, Simon Kendall on keyboards and Steve Bosley on bass) survived in some form till Doug Bennett passed on in 2004.

(This song kinda crosses Elvis Costello with SCTV's Five Neat Guys.)

The band debuted with Cognac and Bologna in198o, and it's clearly aimed at being a radio-friendly take on the work of those wordy, angry young white men like Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson (as well as his fellow Canuck Phillip Rambow). While not of those artists' caliber as singer, song-writer or band-leader, this album proves that in 1980 the "new music" bandwagon had room for a man and his backing band who were just out for a good time and a good song. As someone reviewing the Superman musical of the sixties said, "It's a merry adventure into the ridiculous".


MRML Readers: leave us a comment with your views on Doug and the Slugs and whether you want to hear more!



Cognac and Bologna is now available at iTunes!


Canadian Norm McDonald (warning 4:30 of 90's sit-com-ness first) used "Too Bad" as the theme of his short-lived show.

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Doug and the Slugs: Tales From Terminal City (1992)

For an even briefer moment then their fellow eighties CanCon radio stars, The Payola$ (see HERE), Doug and the Slugs were a part of the Vancouver punk scene documented in Bloodied but Unbowed (see HERE). By the time of Doug & The Slugs final release, 1992's Tales From Terminal City, which seeks to re-capture the wordier, rawer nature of their earliest work but in 1992 there wasn't much call for good-time, smart-alecky pop songs, least of all in the in the Pacific Northwest.

Before the MoFo's at MF locked my files, MRML had posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can see them  here!

Hey Sluggers, I've had plenty of requests for a new (and improved rip) of this late period D & S album, so feel free to give us your reaction in the COMMENTS section!

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Doug and the Slugs: Tales From Terminal City

COMMENTER THANK YOU'S (#2 in an intermittent series).

(As MRML's thanks to the great commenters, those who add to the
conversation here, I'll be trying to fulfill some of their requests.
This one is for West Coast Doug (whose last name is not Bennett)

(Poster from D & S' Facebook page - click to enjoy!)

This is Doug & The Slugs final release, which seeks to re-capture the wordier, rawer nature of their earliest work but in 1992 there wasn't much call for good-time, smart-alecky pop songs, least of all in the in the Pacific Northwest.

Believe it or not MRML has posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can find them here!

Tales From Terminal City link is in the comments fixed link added, just scroll down a bit!


Speaking of comments, don't forget to leave one in support of the departed Mr. Bennett and his Gastropod Mollusks.

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Doug and the Slugs: Love Shine (1984)

For an even briefer moment then their fellow eighties CanCon radio stars, The Payola$ (see HERE), Doug and the Slugs were a part of the Vancouver punk scene documented in Bloodied but Unbowed (see HERE). The band edged closer to bland as the decade wore on but as chart fare of the era goes they were never less then decent, as "Love Shines" nicely demonstrates.






These new D & S rips and scans were generously provided by ace archivist BristolBoy from My Life's A Jigsaw, who deserves a flurry of thanks!

Before the MoFo's at MF locked my files, MRML had posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can see them  here!

Hey Sluggers, let us know what you think of this later period single in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the single link).

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Doug and the Slugs: Real Enough (1982)

For an even briefer moment then their fellow eighties CanCon radio stars, The Payola$ (see HERE), Doug and the Slugs were a part of the Vancouver punk scene documented in Bloodied but Unbowed (see HERE). The band's leap into the mainstream worked out just fine as the band's singles, like the doo-wop-ish "Real Enough" made the radio way more fun.





These new D & S rips and scans were generously provided by ace archivist BristolBoy from My Life's A Jigsaw, who deserves a flurry of thanks!

Before the MoFo's at MF locked my files, MRML had posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can see them  here!

Hey Sluggers, let us know what you think of this slick little number in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the single link)

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Doug and the Slugs: Too Bad (1980)

For an even briefer moment then their fellow eighties CanCon radio stars, The Payola$ (see HERE), Doug and the Slugs were a part of the Vancouver punk scene documented in Bloodied but Unbowed (see HERE). The band rate passing mention in the movie because of this 1980 independent single, "Too Bad" which would later be re-recorded and find them swept away as Canada's part of the new wave that inundated radio in the late seventies and early eighties. (The B-side, "The Move", has never been re-issued)





Before the MoFo's at MF locked my files, MRML had posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can see them here!

These new D & S rips and scans were generously provided by ace archivist BristolBoy from My Life's A Jigsaw, who deserves a flurry of thanks!

 

Hey Sluggers, let us know what you think of this rare version of the band's debut single in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the single link)

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Doug and the Slugs: Too Bad (1981)

For an even briefer moment then their fellow eighties CanCon radio stars, The Payola$ (see HERE), Doug and the Slugs were a part of the Vancouver punk scene documented in Bloodied but Unbowed (see HERE). Once the band re-recorded their debut single, "Too Bad" the band left the underground and waded into the mainstream, adding some great catchy, clever, pub-ish new wave to staid Canadian radio.






Before the MoFo's at MF locked my files, MRML had posted EVERY (out-of-print) Doug & The Slugs albums and you can see them  here!



These new D & S rips and scans were generously provided by ace archivist BristolBoy from My Life's A Jigsaw, who deserves a flurry of thanks!

Hey Sluggers, let us know what you think of "Too Bad" in all it commercial glory in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the single link)

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My Want List: What I Didn't Get For Christmas!

MRML's Want list!


So you're all familiar with the give/receive binary and how the former is widely considered to be optimal  here during the jolly season.

Therefore in order to give you, dear readers, a chance at betterness, here is a list of out-of-print releases for which MRML is seeking donations of decent quality rips  and cover scans for:

If you can help, please feel free to e-mail me at:

musicruinedmylife(at)gmail.com

~

• Mega City Four: Any demos (1987-1994)

UK pop-punk

• The Gas: Emotional Warfare (good rip) + early singles. (1981)

UK new wave

• The Cry: Leave Your Bones in the Hallway (1981)

Canadian new wave/power-pop

• Ruggedy Annes: Jagged Thoughts (1984)

Canadian indie-punk

• V.A. - Not Just Mandella (1987)

UK pop, punk, indie compilation

• On the Air: Ready for Action 7"

UK mod-punk w/Simon Townsend (Pete's bro)

• Swalk: No Shame (~1983)

Eighties glam-pop w/ Jo Callis

• Modernettes: Gone But Not Forgiven LP (1981)

Canadian power-pop

• The Payolas: China Boys/Make Some Noise 7" (1979)

Canadian power-pop

• Wreckless Eric: Yuletide 45 (1990)

UK/France rock n' roll

• Poisoned 12" (1986)

Canadian Eighties new wave band w/ Art Bergmann

• Rise: Joy 12" (1990)

Canadian melodic hardcore

• Doug and the Slugs:  Ten Big Ones LP and any radio broadcasts (1979-1981)      

Canadian new wave

• The Slugs (-Doug) "Running Around" 7" (1981)

Canadian new wave

• Graham Shaw: Good Manners in the 80's (1981)

Canadian new wave

~

Speaking of of all that giving, MRML loves fitting musical donations of Mp3's and cover art (as you shall see in just a few hours, meine freunde). So if you think you're in possession of other out-of-print treasures not listed here (nor available at cooler blogs) by all means let me know at the e-mail above!

Doug and the Slugs: Music for the Hard of Thinking

It's hard to say exactly when The Eighties, in the the pejorative sense, began. Certainly by 1983 things were already pretty dodgy. By that time Doug and the Slugs' retro-mindedness and predilection for gimmickry ended up insulating them, at least somewhat, from the winds of crap then blowing gale force.




Music for the Hard of Thinking L.P.

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Doug and the Slugs: Popaganda

Doug Bennet and his Slugs grew stronger as musicians and composers but the eighties was a harsh mistress and those who sought her love drenched themselves in echo-ey beats and key-tars. To be fair as a biased man can be, that approach worked for some English bands who led with their haircuts but it tended to embarrass those who'd learned their trade in more organic times. Popaganda is actually a fine pop album and they saved the worst of the eighties damage for their Tomcat Prowl album (or so I'm told, I've never heard it). Hope you all enjoyed the Slugginess!



Popaganda L.P.

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Doug and the Slugs: Wrap it (1981)

For their second album Doug and the Slugs, sharpen their attack a bit but they remain simple fun.



Wrap It L.P.

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29

Doug Bennet: Animato

I had a request for the sole solo outing by lead Slug, Doug Bennet from 1986. So here you are.

As even an occasional visitor might ascertain, Animato (and even the last couple of releases by Vancouver pop band Doug and The Slugs), is not in the typical, relentless style of MRML's usual material - not with the backing vocal trio, The Memphis Horns, that big beat drum sound and that slight touch of Bruce Willishness - but Bennet never stopped writing memorable songs and for that I'm glad to pay tribute to his memory.



Animato link is in the comments

Update: A second link has been placed further down on the comments in case anyone is having trouble with the first link.

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Brian Plummer: No Questions (1980)

It's Canada Day, so let's re-up a neglected Northern Nugget:

This may be someone's temple
but it sure as Hell ain't mine
Brian Plummer, 1980

Curse the art director on the late Brian Plummer's No Questions for packaging the initial version of his debut as if it was a self-released album by some morose Canadian Christian folkie. Granted, Plummer is Canadian (from Saskatoon, no less) but other than that what you've got is a hooky-but-pissed-off North American New Wave/Rock album. His fellow late-seventies Canuck rockers like Doug and the Slugs and Phillip Rambow would sympathize as would his American counterparts like John Hiatt and Tonio K and, lest we forget, those Angry Young Englishman like Graham Parker and Elvis Costello.





Like so many North Americans, who could relate to the anger of punk but lacked the disdain of pop's status quo, Plummer sometimes aimed to the lighter AOR sound (check out that slick guitar solo in "Killing Time" or the sax break on "The Wizards Have Come"). That said, No Questions stays out of Eddie Money or Billy Joel territory, though the incursions into the Springsteen-land on tracks like "Full Moon on the Midway" are hard to miss. Both "Money Talks" and "Jacky Boy" were mid-level hits because Plummer had the good luck to be talented and unknown during a time the hopelessly staid Canadian radio industry was desperate for young(ish) musicians willing to play louder and meaner but still accept a lot of the old rules. The result, to these old Canadian ears, is a stinging record that while clearly a product of its times has kept its edge. I've kept returning to this album and keep finding little touches that remind me that good things can come in unsightly packages.





A1         Money Talks        
A2         No Questions        
A3         Jacky Boy        
A4         The Wizards Have Come        
A5         Roll Away The Stone        
B1         Full Moon On The Midway        
B2         Killing Time        
B3         Hole In The Wall        
B4         Change The World (If You Want)        
B5         Losing Touch


Hey, MRML readers, if you haven't already, give this album a little chance and let us know what you think in the COMMENTS section!

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Doug and The Slugs: Tomcat Prowl

The most eighties of D & S' albums but there is some real charm beneath the sheen.

Let us know what you think of this in the COMMENTS section (link for Tomcat Prowl is HERE)

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