Point Blank - AMERICAN EXCE$$

Geez, i can't even commit to being non-commital. It's snowing here today, so i've fed animals, and played snow princess with the josinator, and washed dishes, and now i'm ready for some all but completely forgotten late 70s/early 80s hard southern arena rock. Point Blank, if you've spent some time listening to classic rock radio, you've heard their hit "Nicole." I like it when a band name serves a grammatical function.

I don't like it when the one hit doesn't actually represent the band. They are actually better than "Nicole." Not to say that's a bad song, but they definitely suffered from the "already heard it" mentality. They sound like all the bigger bands of the era, and it's way too easy to just say "Derivative!" and move on. Let that idea go. Is it silly or boring? No. Is it cheesy or offensive? No. Is it good old mid-tempo Texas-boogie type rock and roll that makes you want to drum on the steering wheel and sing along? Yes, totally.

Sure, the first verse murder suicide of "Walk Across the Fire" is a little jarring. Sure, most of the rest of the album is generic love/break up song type stuff, but at least it's not party party chicks and booze, i'm a rebel, born to lose nonsense. Sure, every single track reminds you of a different song from a more famous band. Why is that a bad thing? I mean they aren't faking it. This isn't hack work. They're good, they aren't jerks. Their core hard-rock sound leaves plenty of space for synths or boogie-woogie piano or harmonica and meandering solos happening under the verses themselves.

I think they just weren't at the top of MCA's list of priorities, 'cause almost any song from AMERICAN EXCE$$ could have been a hit, and wouldn't sound out of place in the rock block at all.

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