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The Romans, "You Only Live Once"
Some will remember the Romans as a supergroup of sorts, comprised of members of LA's more aggressively strange bands Monitor, Human Hands, and the Los Angeles Free Music Society, among others. Whereas some of the members' previous bands were intellectual and confrontational art-punk, the Romans' music is much more straightforward and fun.
This CD reissues their 1983 LP, along with plenty of extra tracks from 1979 through 1984. Tunes like "Motu Tapu", "Footsteps" and "Nazarene" could be precursors of Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet's sideways surf-rock. Other tracks expose the band's roots nicely, as in the dark "Tuned Out" (whose bass-led, dramatic elegance suggests that maybe some folks outside of Boston were listening to Mission of Burma records back then) or the odd synthesizers and tape effects that pop up in unexpected places. The opening and closing tracks of heavy electronic drift are even more interesting when placed side-by-side with the surf tunes. But the mix of electronics and party-rock never feels forced or kitschy (as with recent Trans Am); it comes across as an honest extension of a single, multi-facted musical idea. The production is clearly the star of the show here, downplaying the jazz-guitar licks and bright horns with understated, dissonant keyboard lines that throw off the otherwise upbeat tunes just enough to keep things interesting.
 
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