Living Eyes (Radio Birdman album)

Living Eyes
Studio album by Radio Birdman
Released	1981
Recorded	1978 Rockfield Studios, Wales
Genre	Punk rock Hard rock
Length	33:11
Label	WEA
Producer	Deniz Tek
Radio Birdman chronology
Radios Appear (1977) Living Eyes (1981) Zeno Beach (2006)

Living Eyes was the second studio album released by Sydney, Australia punk-rock band Radio Birdman. It was the last recorded album by the band as they split up shortly after it was recorded in 1978.^[1] The album was recorded over a three week period at the Rockfield Studios in Wales^[2] whilst the band was on its first overseas tour, supporting the Flamin' Groovies around Britain and Europe.^[3] The original master tapes disappeared before the album was released and as a result the album was mastered from a cassette recording of trial mixes, which impacted on the sound quality.^[3] Living Eyes sound was heavily influenced by the lead guitarist and producer Deniz Tek who had lived in Detroit before moving to Australia and been influenced musically by the "Motor City Rock" sound. The music of Birdman has been compared to that of The Stooges and MC5, but their sound is also comparable to that of 60's rock 'n' roll bands such as The Rolling Stones.

In 1995, John Foy (Red Eye Records) retrieved the original master tapes from Rockfield Studios^[4] and the band had the songs remixed, remastered and re-sequenced.^[3] The remastered version of Living Eyes (which includes the instrumental "Alien Skies", written by Pip Hoyle together with the previously unreleased "Dark Surprise" and "Didn’t Tell The Man") was issued in 2005 on Red Eye (through Polygram).

Track listing

1981 original

1. "More Fun"
2. "TPBR Combo"
3. "455 SD"
4. "Do The Movin' Change"
5. "I-94"
6. "Iskender Time"
7. "Burn My Eye '78"
8. "Time to Fall"
9. "Smith and Wesson Blues"
10. "Crying Sun"
11. "Breaks My Heart"
12. "Alone in the Endzone"
13. "Hanging On"

2005 remastered reissue

1. "Hanging On"
2. "455 SD"
3. "Do The Movin' Change"
4. "TPBR Combo"
5. "I-94"
6. "Iskender Time"
7. "Burn My Eye '78"
8. "Alien Skies"
9. "Time to Fall"
10. "Smith and Wesson Blues"
11. "Crying Sun"
12. "If I Wanted To"
13. "Breaks My Heart"
14. "More Fun"
15. "Alone in the Endzone"
16. "Didn't Tell the Man"
17. "Dark Surprise"

Credits

• Warwick Gilbert - Bass
• Ron Keeley - drums
• Pip Hoyle - Organ, Piano
• Chris Masuak - Guitar, Harmony vocals, percussion
• Deniz Tek - Guitar, Harmony vocals
• Rob Younger - Lead Vocals

See also

• Proto-punk

External links

• http://www.divinerites.com/dr_birdm.htm
• http://www.radio-birdman.com/ - Official Radio Birdman Website

References

1. "Radio Birdman - Living Eyes". PunkNews.org. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
2. Tangari, Joe (17 July 2001). "The Essential Radio Birdman". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
3. Ginsberg, Geoff. "Living Eyes - Radio Birdman". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
4. Bell, Steve (9 October 2014). "How To Get Your Head Around Eight Discs Of Radio Birdman". TheMusic.com.au. Retrieved 14 July 2015.