Kix - Cool Kids (Metallic gold Vinyl)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals – Donnie Purnell
Drums, Backing Vocals – Jimmy (Chocolate) Chalfant
Guitar – Brian Forsythe
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Brad Divens
Lead Vocals, Saxophone – Steve Whiteman
Written by Amanda Blue (A1), Holly Knight (A1), Biran Forsythe (A3), Steve Whiteman (A3), Nick Gilder (A4), Donnie Purnell (A5, B1-5), Jimmy Chalfant (B5), Brad Divens (B5), Biran Forsythe (B5), Steve Whiteman (B5)
1 LP, Gatefold jacket
Limited edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : Metallic Gold
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : unspecified
Label : Friday Music
Original Label : Atlantic
Recorded at Criteria Recording Studios, Miami, FL
Engineered by Steve Klein
Produced by Pete Solley
Mastered by Joe Reagoso
Photography by David Michael Kennedy
Art Direction by Lynn Dreese Breslin
Originally released in March 1983
Reissued in November 2023
Tracks:
Side A:
- Burning Love
- Cool Kids
- Love Pollution
- Body Talk
- Loco-Emotion
Side B:
- Mighty Mouth
- Nice On Ice
- Get Your Monkeys Out
- For Shame
- Restless Blood
Reviews :
"This 1983 album pushes Kix in a more new wave direction than their hard-rocking debut outing. On this surface, Cool Kids might seem like a commercialized cash grab: it contains a handful of tracks penned by hired guns like Nick Gilder and Holly Knight and also adds a layer of new wave-styled synthesizer shadings to Kix's pop-metal sound. However, this impression is soon revealed to be wrong as soon as the album is spun because the outside song contributions fit neatly in with the group's own songs and the sonic embellishments enhance the group's sound instead of watering it down. The standouts among the outside contributions are the title track, which blends new wave verses driven by staccato guitar lines with a hard-rocking, shoutalong chorus, and "Body Talk," a danceable fusion of hard rock firepower and a synthesizer-layered new wave beat. The group's songs live up to the standard set by these carefully constructed tunes by presenting an equal amount of hooks and inspiration: "Mighty Mouth" is like a bubblegum song played at hard rock speed and "Get Your Monkeys Out" blends glam rock drum beats with jungle noises and a singalong chorus. However, its finest achievement is "For Shame," an soulful, acoustic power ballad with lovely harmonies that predates all the hair metal ballads that would become popular during the mid-'80s. Pete Solley's slick production manages to bring all this strong material to life by effectively balancing the group's guitar-fuelled power with an array of arrangement frills (voice-box guitars, drum machines) that draw attention to the strong pop hooks in each song. The end result is an underrated gem that is begging to be rediscovered by fans of pop-metal." AllMusic Review by Donald A. Guarisco
"The 1981 debut album from Maryland boogie-rockers Kix was a sweet slab of AC/DC-meets-Cheap-Trick style hard rock. But despite its high-octane tracks like "Atomic Bombs" and the perennial live-set closer "Yeah Yeah Yeah," the album didn't make much of a splash outside of their home base in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.
When it was time for album number two, the band underwent its first personnel change. Guitarist Ronnie "10/10" Younkins was sidelined due to personal issues, so his slot was temporarily filled by Brad Divens, who would later turn up in Baltimore-based thrashers Wrathchild America.
The lineup change was accompanied by a tweak to Kix's sound, allegedly orchestrated by the suits at Atlantic Records. The band was paired with British producer Pete Solley, an ex-member of progressive rockers Procol Harum turned TV-jingle writer, and under his guidance the hard rockers added a slick new-wave sheen to Cool Kids, which was released in March of 1983." HubPages Review by Keith Abt.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3 / 5 ; Discogs : 3.74 / 5 ; Collector’s Guide to Heavy Metal : 7 / 10