The Scene Is Now, Total Jive (side A)

1987's Total Jive is another one where I'm biased—I recently mixed a couple of songs for The Scene Is Now. It's an evenly divided album. About half of the songs, and the band seems to have constructed a more commercial "set" for this purpose, were recorded in a professional studio. The sound quality is generally clean, though the snare is too loud here and Chris Nelson's vocal EQ is not quite right. Among these, the opener "Bank" is a clear highlight, with funny and pointed lyrics, out-of-control trombone, and careful craftsmanship. The remaining half of the album collects home recordings that reflect a more gradual evolution from TSIN's debut album of two years earlier. The haphazard alternation in the sequence, and inconsistent mastering on the vinyl original, sometimes leads to a confusing flow. Many of the tracks are great, and Total Jive stands as an impressive follow-up to 1985's classic Burn All Your Records.