My Amazon Reviews: The Kings "Amazon Beach"

The Rulers of Amazon Beach
3 Out of 5 Stars

The Kings were a Canadian band that had exactly one moment of pure genius, then faded rapidly into the new-wave dustbin. That moment (or technically, two) was "This Beat Goes On/Switching To Glide" was a Cars/Queen first pumper with a 60's styled organ line and chunky guitar hooks. However, that song appears on The Kings' debut album, "The Kings Are Here." "Amazon Beach" was the 1981 follow-up, and despite the rascally fantasy cover art, it's no vacation.

The problem is twofold. First, producer Bob Ezrin should have encouraged the band to get some of that bar-band mojo from the first album and apply it to this one. The arrangements are bland and lack in power. The second is in the songs. Other than "I Got Two Girlfriends," very little of "Amazon Beach" approaches the new-wave fun of the debut. "All The Way" and "Fools Are In Love" come close (with Fools being an admirable Joe Jackson clone). The obligatory ballad "Why Don't Love Do" apes Billy Joel Adult Contemporary piano pop, but singer David Diamond lacks the vocal chops.
 

Diamond is a much better party barker than singer, like a lot of 80's bands. (Think The Rings, Hoodoo Gurus.) Had they not been tagged with the new wave mantel, they would have been a one-hit garage band. The muddled sounding averageness of "Amazon Beach" was where The Kings were beached for good; despite some reformations in the late 90's, the band never recovered from this.