I've always been a fan of The Babys. To me, they blended the hard rock hooks we'd hear on the radio in the Seventies, with the slightly New Wave-informed power pop of contemporaries Cheap Trick. The Babys: Live at the Bottom Line, 1979, out now via Omnivore Recordings, adds more evidence of the chops of these guys, with the familiar hits served from a band on fire.
Hits "Everytime I Think of You" and personal fave "Isn't It Time" are stantdouts here, with leader John Waite sounding wonderfully in command of the material. "Isn't It Time" is more spacious, with an intro that's downright playful, even as "Everytime I Think of You" is lush and punchy in equal measure. Elsewhere, "California" is supple, while "Crystal Ball" is a crunchy riff factory. The song would end up called "Anytime" later in the band's career, on their Union Jacks album. Of course, the band's cover of "Money (That's What I Want)" is here, and it's a standout of the performance.
The Babys: Live at the Bottom Line, 1979 is out now via Omnivore Recordings.
More details on The Babys via their official website.