Published on Aug 29, 1997
It’s not often I write a review “flying blind.” I usually have a
basic knowledge of the artist, either from just listening to them
for years, reading the liner notes or finding information on other
areas of the Internet.
But Donnie Iris is a different story. Had it not been for my
friend Diane and her husband giving me a whole mess of albums, I
never would have heard of Iris. And once I decided to review his
1980 effort
Back On The Streets (which I had a bitch of a time finding
at my local used record store), I hit two more brick walls. The
cassette has no liner notes, and there is damned little about him
in any of the books I consult on a daily basis. The Web? No help to
me in this instance.
So, we’re left with what really is a “forgotten” artist and a
forgotten classic. Were it not for the minor hit “Ah! Leah!” off
this one, Iris would have slipped through the cracks of rock
history. But a few listens to
Back On The Streets shows that Iris is an artist who might
be due a rediscovery.
“Ah! Leah!” is the leadoff track on this album, and what a song
to be remembered for… well, remembered in a sense. The guitar
work and keyboards complement each other so well, and the vocal
harmonies are captivating. This is a song I honestly can’t get
enough of, and has rightfully made it onto several “500 best” lists
from classic rock stations. (There is a promo-only live album from
around this time which has “Ah! Leah!” on it – I haven’t had a
chance to dust off the copy Diane and John gave me.)
But Iris quickly shows his talents went beyond one song. At
times, his work reminds me a bit of Huey Lewis & The News for
the doo-wop sounds and vocal harmonies, though Iris was more
interested in making music for 1980 and not revisiting old ghosts.
“You’re Only Dreaming” and the title track are two prime examples
of how good of a songwriter and musician he was for that time
period.
In fact, maybe it was the doo-wop that hurt Iris in 1980. While
America was embracing groups like Pink Floyd and artists like Bob
Seger, others like Iris, who were trying to merge yesterday’s rich
history with the electronics of that day were forgotten. (One
wonders what would have happened if this album had been released
just one year later, with MTV coming on the scene.)
The second side of
Back On The Streets is a tad weaker – one song, “Too Young
To Love,” almost sounds like a leftover from “The Rocky Horror
Picture Show”. Others, like “She’s So Wild,” are killer tracks that
keep your foot tapping, while still others lile “Daddy Don’t Live
Here Anymore” fail to ignite. Still, the misfires are few and far
between.
In fact, the biggest weakness I heard on this one was in the
drum tracks – they often do not sound like acoustic drums. I could
be absolutely wrong on this, but I’d venture to guess the majority
of the drum work was synthesized, a complaint I have had with
certain Huey Lewis songs. The album has aged a bit – you can tell
from the keyboard work that this wasn’t stuff banged out last week
– but still remains somewhat fresh… kind of like the jar of
stewed tomatoes that lingers in almost everyone’s food
cabinets.
So why bother to talk about this album if almost no one has
heard of it? Simple: warts and all, it’s a decent enough effort
with a few excellent tracks. It shows the talent of Iris quite well
– and it makes me mad that books like
The New Rolling Stone Encyclopedia Of Rock & Roll don’t
even reserve one fucking sentence for him. Something is messed up
here, kids. There is a reason some people still remember “Ah!
Leah!” One listen to that song – and the rest of
Back On The Streets – and you’ll understand why.
It’s only a matter of time before Iris and his body of work is
re-discovered and recognized for what it is. My thought is that
it’s been neglected for far too long. You don’t believe me? Call
your local classic rock station and request “Ah! Leah!” and tell
them that I asked you to. Discover in three minutes what I did
courtesy of a gift. Nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.