Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes: In the Heat - 1984

 

Strangely, considering it is in the same basic style, this was far more acceptable than the previous year's abomination. 

Now, it wasn't an archetypal horns 'n' Springsteen-esque boardwalk rockin' soul Southside album at all, but it was collection of brassy, robust fare with a funky edge in places and a soulful vibe in others. The synths are still there, and dominant, but for once it doesn't seem to matter. It is one that has definitely grown on me over the years having dismissed large parts of it on release back in 1984. The vanilla disco and funk somehow works on here in a way that it blatantly didn't on Trash It Up! and I can't explain why, other than there is just more of a grinding power and soul  to the material here. A late night NYC cab ride grit.

Typical of this sound are the funky grind of Love Goes To War, the Hall & Oates-ish Love Is The Drug (not the Roxy Music song) and the infectious and hooky disco/soul lite of Captured. More in the old Southside style but still having a bit of this album's slick, punchy sass about it was New Romeo, another one with a memorable hook. 

I Can't Live Without Love is in the synth/disco style of the previous album but it makes the best use of Southside's voice and, as with many of the songs on here, has a great hook. Why, it even has a funky bass solo! A synth riff introduces the poppy Over My Head but what the hell, I like it anyway. Guess what?  It's got a fine singalong chorus and another groovy little instrumental break. Southside's voice soars on it too. Maybe old South could do this sort of thing after all.

Check out that delicious bass introduction to Tell Me Lies, which also mixes rock guitar, a bluesy harmonica and a Get Ready brass riff to its upbeat dancey vibe. I take everything back that I said in 1984, this is good stuff. It rocks more than it funks by the end too. 

Actions Speak Louder Than Words has a slick Motown-ish, bassy soulfulness to it. Once more, I have to say that this is a top quality cut. Not what you would expect from Southside, but there you go. 

Southside could always deliver a cover too, couldn't he? He duly does exactly that here with an absolutely superb version of The Temptations' Don't Look Back (easily the best track on the album) and a bluesy, muscular rendition of Tom Waits' New Coat Of Paint. It is a song that was made for Southside. You know, every time I hear this album, I like it more and more - isn’t that odd?

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