Monday, July 1, 2013

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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13 comments:

  1. Do leave us a COMMENT about what you think of this LP because there is a follow-up in the offing:
    http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/1951914/file.html

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  2. Sounds great...thanks!

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  3. It's really a nugget.
    Tank you.

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  4. This is good stuff and it is new to me. If you have more of this artists, please post.
    Thank you,
    Doug

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  5. This is a fabulous album -- i have it on vinyl. It's a sin it's mostly forgotten now. Thanks for posting!

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  6. is possible reupload the comp Teenage Zit Rock Angst ?
    thanx !!!

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  7. Hey Jeffen

    Brian Plummer lost his battle with cancer in Nanaimo about 5 years ago.Brian RIP.

    How about this great lyric from a prairie boy.

    'If you can't stand the wheat stay away from the lone prairie.'

    Spread the word about Brian Plummer!

    Cheers

    Doug

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  8. Looking forward to checking this out. Thanks Jeffen.

    -Jeffro

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  9. Really appreciate the good words people - more new eave obscurities will be coming eventually.

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  10. I have been a Plummer fan since I was a young lad growing up in North Battleford. Something about his voice, Higbee's lyrics and Brian's songwriting hit me deep in my soul. Still does.

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  11. Bought the album after listening to it when I borrowed from the library. Just a fantastic piece of work that will be lost in the millions of garbage cds they call music today. Thanks for posting. Going to get the Itunes version now.

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  12. I was the recording engineer on this album. I got out of that field for more then thirty years not long after it was done.
    I'm back and making it my goal to try to preserve the old masters.
    I'm pretty sure Brian's still exist.
    Anyone out there have any leads on where they might be?
    gerry@pulsworks.com

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