The Hooters – Nervous Night/One Way Home/Zig Zag
BGO Records
www.bgo-records.com

Rating: B

Damn, these guys were one fun band when they released Nervous Night. The album rocked the radio with three hits, “And We Danced,” “Day by Day” and “All You Zombies.” This was pop rock that was there for Friday nights, the perfect music to forget the troubles of the work week.

The band’s follow-up, One Way Home, didn’t sail off the shelves or onto the airways like the one that came before it, but the music is cut from the same cloth. This album is the forgotten diamond in the rough of the band’s catalog.

By the time the band released Zig Zag they were burned out and the happiness turned darker and more political. This proved to be a mistake, as the band’s fans met the album with a lukewarm reception. This was the end of the commercial run for the band.

This triple album collection on BGO Records really showcases the band and their musical strengths and changes. At the end of the day, The Hooters really were unique with the way the blended electric guitars with that weird keyboard thingy that the guy blew in. They had their signature sound that was safe and fun. They had their time and place and this collection reminds us all of what a good band they were.

By Jeb Wright