The Real Kids are a Boston-based band that started playing together in the mid to late 70's. The band's frontman and songwriter, John Felice, played with Jonathan Richman in an early version of the Modern Lovers, but The Real Kids is his real claim to fame. "Better Be Good" gives you just a taste of the raw energy and irresistible hooks Felice and company were able to create.
The record starts with "All Kindsa Girls", the first single the band released in 1977 on a French label called Sponge. The song is catchy, yet driving, combining Felice's breathy vocal delivery with great chord changes and a solid beat. The second song, "Common at Noon", was the flip side of the single and shows a mellower side to the band. Somehow, they mix bells into their pure rock 'n roll sound and make it work. From there, the tone of the record is set. The listener is treated to one catchy rock song to the next. I still marvel at how many hooks Felice is able to throw into his songs.
For some reason, The Real Kids really remind me of an American version of The Undertones. I guess it's the attention to writing extremely catchy songs with slightly gravelly, breathy vocals. If you are unfamiliar with The Undertones, I can suggest slight reminders of bands like The Kinks, The Who, and early Stones. Of course, Felice would remind you that The Real Kids play "working class rock 'n roll", and who am I to argue?
The record is completed with great liner notes by Felice, from which much of the information in this review was gathered. Another great source for information on the band is a recent interview in "Ugly Things" fanzine, which covers a great deal of the band's history. Can you imagine seeing both The Real Kids and The Dead Boys playing their first New York City gigs at CBGB's? What a show that would be.
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