Sunday, June 1, 2008

Dave Clark Five - Try Too Hard

(Epic, 1966)

I’d like to get personal for a moment and let everyone out there know that I’m in love. Truly in love.

With baby food!

Yes, that delightful mush has become a major dietary staple over the last few weeks, and my tastebuds and tummy couldn’t be happier. Whether it’s a single jar for a light breakfast or a midday snack, or a three-jar mix-n-match for a full meal, baby food keeps me going full-speed through my rat-race days and my rock ’n’ roll nights. My favorite flavor so far is Turkey Tetrazzini, though the zesty Ginger Chicken & Veggies is not without its merits. Want something a little more exotic? Try the Carne Asada, which is part of Gerber’s “Recetas Latinas” line. Spicy stuff; you Latin babies really know how to party! The biggest disappointment has surely been the bland Beef Vegetable, but as far as I’m concerned even a great company like Gerber is allowed to swing and miss every once in a while. As long as the overall quality level remains as sky-high as I’ve found it to be, I’ll continue to shell out the big bucks for those tiny jars. Keep up the good work, folks!

So what does all of this have to do with the Dave Clark Five’s “Try Too Hard” / “All Night Long” single? More than you might think. In an industry first, the DC5 sold this 7” as a delicious brownish paste pureed to a consistency that even the littlest mouths could handle when fed by… Hang on. Let me start over.

“Try Too Hard” is yet another pumping, wall-of-beat classic from our five heroes, and while the band’s simply sticking to the formula that made all of its rockers so satisfying going back to ’64, heck, things ain’t broke so there’s no need to fix ’em. Not much to say about this one, just another winner in a string of distinctive, “DC5-sounding” hits. Best of all, though, we get two fast ones this time around, as “All Night Long” is a frenzied beat-group freakout whose only vocals are screams and wordless oh-oh-ohs – a real hot number! Both songs get my official Don’t Hesitate To Play These At Your Next Party (DHTPTAYNP) seal of approval, so don’t hesitate to play these at your next party. Free advice, that. Now get outta here, you knuckleheads!

1 comment:

Donald Brown said...

I have to admit no apple sauce is as good as Gerber's babyfood apple sauce. I remember wanting to steal it away from my baby brothers when they were babies and I was . . . not. My mother wouldn't let me, God knows what psychic ramifications that's had.

But what I'm really thinking about Roger Mexico driving a car with babyfood jars under the seat that keep spontaneously ejecting themselves under his feet and getting in the way of the pedals. Why I'm thinking of this I don't know...