Up-Front
	Produced by Paul Wexler
	Released on 1980
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
SP 70402 cover [high resolution photo]

T his formal introduction to Fleshtones includes the delightful “Cold, Cold Shoes” and a handful of retro garage rock numbers with names like “The Girl From Baltimore” and “The Theme From ‘The Vindicators.’” In the early ‘80s, I.R.S. was introducing new bands at a breakneck pace, some of whom stuck (The Police, The Go-Go’s) and most of whom had but one shining moment and soon disappeared into obscurity or the indie label swamp (The Fleshtones, Skafish, The Payolas). “Shoes” is that shining moment for Fleshtones, a tightened-up version of ‘60s garage rock that gets under your skin in a hurry. The rest of Up-Front shows more musicianship than The B-52s or The Crammps, but far less personality than those bands. In the end, it’s the faceless nature of the music, good for a one-time jolt of retro rock revival, that caused Fleshtones to fade into the crowd again. Among ‘80s artifacts, Up-Front delivers some good music (like a playful cover of The Stones’ “Play With Fire”), but suggests that the band might have trouble sustaining interest over an entire album.

SP 70402 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. THE GIRL FROM BLATIMORE    (Peter Zaremba)    2:24
2. COLD, COLD SHOES    (Keith Streng/Peter Zaremba)    2:37
3. FEEL THE HEAT    (Keith Streng/Peter Zaremba)    3:01
4. PLAY WITH FIRE    (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards/Brian Jones/Bill Wyman/Charlie Watts)    2:26
5. THE THEME FROM "THE VINDICATORS"    (Peter Zaremba)    2:20

CREDITS

BILL MILHIZER --
JAN MAREK PAKULSKI --
KEITH STRENG --
PETER ZAREMBA -- jacket design
Action Combo -- brass
Brian Spaeth -- tenor sax solo (5)
Gordon Spaeth -- alto sax solo (5)
Jerry Napier -- engineer
Joe Stevens -- front photo and small rear photos
Mike Morse -- back photo
Sir Carl Grasso -- art direction

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