Meteors

  • Meteors
  • Teenage Heart (PVC) 1979 
  • Hungry (Hol. EMI) 1980 

This Dutch sextet (unrelated to the prolific British psychobilly band of the same name) is kind of raunchy for such a modern combo: Hugo Sinzheimer’s vocals are like Bowie in truck-driver drag, and the band could be Lene Lovich’s backup with more guitar and motorcycle jackets. In fact, Lovich picked the lover’s pledge, “It’s You, Only You,” from Teenage Heart and recorded it for her own No-Man’s-Land. Then again, the Meteors also offer an anthem of lust frustrated, “(One Hand) on the Wheel,” whose UK title and the chorus are “My Balls Ache.” Lots of punch and melodic smarts, but overly juvenile when they turn to swagger’n’shock tactics.

The Meteors shed some of their musical rough edges on Hungry in favor of more sophisticated arrangements facilitated, no doubt, by Conny Plank’s production. Though the material isn’t as immediately appealing as on their first LP, it’s more consistent, and the lyrics (save a couple of missteps) indicate growth, with less gratuitous sleaze and even occasional eloquence limning the underside of life.

[Jim Green]