1980 J. Giles Band ~ Love Stinks LP
Cleaned, and tested. Outer plastic sleeve on album.
Vinyl: VG
Cover: VG+
The band's first EMI release, 1978's Sanctuary, was their first to achieve gold status since 1973's Bloodshot. But it was their 11th LP, 1980's Love Stinks, that started their early '80s ascension in earnest. As with countless other acts of the era, all it took was adding some synths and a few stomping dance beats to their repertoire.
Not that the J. Geils Band's records had ever been less than danceable. Since arriving in record stores with their self-titled debut in 1970, they'd been one of rock's more reliable purveyors of R&B and soul-drenched party-ready rave-ups – it's just that, to their persistent commercial detriment, their sound really didn't have a home at Top 40 radio. That sad state of affairs would only get worse in the '80s; fortunately, the band was poised for a style overhaul.
When they returned with Love Stinks on Jan. 28, 1980, guitarist J. Geils and his titular crew sounded less like a seasoned party band and more like one of the polished, MTV-ready groups that would soon find themselves in incessant demand. Featuring eight originals and a cover of an old song ("Night Time") co-written by Blondie producer and Brill Building writer Richard Gottehrer, the album caught the band mid-metamorphosis between Stax-loving roughnecks and future video stars.
While the group's new sound may have been more commercially friendly, it added polish without sacrificing their essential personality. From the anachronistic cover to the bizarre, non sequitur-loaded "No Anchovies Please," Love Stinks had plenty of cockeyed humor to go along with its '80s gloss – and nowhere was this more apparent than the title track, which brushed the lower reaches of the Top 40 with its whining synth lead and singalong chorus.
The change in sound may have surprised longtime fans, but it definitely didn't hurt the band's profile; the Love Stinks LP peaked at No. 18, their best showing in years, and gave them another gold album in the bargain. As harmonica player Magic Dick later suggested, the group's stylistic shift may have had as much to do with looking for a hit as it did with simply learning how to cope with changing recording technology.
Read More: How 'Love Stinks' Gave the J. Geils Band an Overhaulhttps://ultimateclassicrock.com/j-geils-band-love-stinks
1980 J. Giles Band ~ Love Stinks LP
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MINT (M)
These are absolutely perfect in every way.NEAR MINT (NM OR M-)
A good description of a NM record is “it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.” In other words, it’s nearly perfect.VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or EXCELLENT (E)
VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience.
Very Good (VG)
VG records have more obvious flaws, lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail.Good (G),
Good Plus (G+)
or Very Good Minus (VG–)
Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along.POOR (P)
and Fair (F)
Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them.Sealed Albums
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