Where Are All the Nice Girls? by Any Trouble (CD, Sep-1997, Compass USA)

Originally released by Stiff Records (original home to Elvis Costello, among others) on vinyl in 1980, "Where Are All the Nice Girls?" introduced the world to the impressive, airy and joyful band, Any Trouble. Perhaps because their music lacked the somewhat bitter/ always cynical edge shared by many of their label-mates, or perhaps because they were unfairly compared to Elvis C. (lead singer Clive Gregson does sound similar to Elvis), the band failed to catch on.

"Where Are All the Nice Girls" was subsequently followed by four equally excellent pop albums during the next four years (Wheels In Motion (1981), Live At The Venue (1981), Any Trouble (1983), and Wrong End Of The Race (1984)) and then ... just like that ... Any Trouble were no more.

In 1997, Any Trouble's first album was finally released on CD. It is worth finding and purchasing. Each song on the disk is a minor masterpiece offering its take on life, love and/or love gone wrong. (The weakest track on the album is its only cover tune: a serviceable version of Bruce Springsteen's "Growing Up".)

TRACKS:
1. Yesterday's Love (Gregson) - 2:48
2. Second Choice (Gregson) - 2:58
3. Playing Bogart (Nick Simpson) - 2:45
4. Foolish Pride (Gregson) - 3:35
5. Nice Girls (Gregson) - 4:09
6. No Idea (Gregson) - 3:07
7. Turning up the Heat (Gregson) - 2:58
8. Romance (Gregson) - 4:03
9. The Hurt (Gregson) - 2:55
10. Girls Are Always Right - 4:17
11. Growing Up (Bruce Springsteen) - 2:36
12. Honolulu (Gregson) - 3:35
13. (Get You off) the Hook (Gregson) - 4:01