Some things were destined to be together:
Lennon and
McCartney, peanut butter and jelly, hamburgers and French fries, and country & western are a few examples. The fabulous
Present Tense/Tongue Twister CD is another. The entirety of
Shoes' first two Elektra albums (1979's
Present Tense and 1981's
Tongue Twister) on one disc makes for one of the most highly recommended power pop CDs of all time! Forget what you have heard about
Big Star (they were way too sloppy),
Raspberries (too inconsistent), and
Jellyfish (too self-indulgent); these two albums are the real deal. With harmonies that embrace and cradle your heavy heart plus some of the most delicious melodies since the golden days of
Badfinger,
Shoes will win over anyone searching for bands that know how to write "the song." Bassist
John Murphy and guitarists
Jeff Murphy and
Gary Klebe all write and sing their own tunes on these albums, all remaining individually distinctive while creating a unique group sound that sets them apart from other bands of their era. On
Present Tense, the band's chunky electric and gentle acoustic guitars and floating harmonies stand out, sounding like the backing track to
10cc's "I'm Not in Love" played by "Junior's Farm"-era
Wings. Every song deserves mention, but their signature song, "Tomorrow Night," and the haunting "Three Times" distill the album's essence into small, but enticing, samples.
Tongue Twister found the band turning up the chunky guitars, virtually abandoning the acoustics, but remaining as wonderful as ever. Another stunning classic, featuring "Karen," "She Satisfies," and the beautiful "Found a Girl," this album is
Present Tense's tougher younger brother. With both albums on one disc, there is absolutely no reason that any pop music fan should be without this CD.