everywhere at once (1983) - the plimsouls: geffen records, GHS-4002

One of the cruelest myths in American folklore is that the only ingredients for success are willingness to work hard, tenacity to remain dedicated, and a reasonable level of talent. That’s all it takes.

That sure sounds good in a Horatio Alger sort of way, and really seems to be the central core of the egalitarian American dream. You know, the whole nose to the grindstone, be willing to sweat and suffer, keep getting back on the horse, and reap the reward.

Too bad it’s a load of crap. Because if it were true, then Peter Case and The Plimsouls would have been mega-stars. Although, when they first came around, it looked as if that would indeed be their fate.

The Plimsouls were yet another one of the many incredible bands to sprout from the ridiculously fertile soil of the late 70’ - early 80’s LA music scene. The 1980 release of their debut EP, Zero Hour immediately drew attention from influential LA radio station KROQ, and their local acclaim continued to grow with the 1981 release of their self-titled album.

By 1982 the Plimsouls were a constant presence on radio and in clubs in LA. They brought intensity, clever writing, musical accomplishment, and a sense of sardonic wit. Their style was more folk and blues than punk, experimental, or electronica. And, it’s safe to say that The Plimsouls were the West-Coast doppelganger of REM. Or, vise versa if you want to go in chronological order.

Everywhere At Once was their second studio album, released in 1983.

Side 1: Shaky City Magic Touch Oldest Story In The World Lie, Beg, Borrow And Steal Play The Breaks
Side 2: How Long Will It Take? A Million Miles Away My Life Ain’t Easy Inch By Inch I’ll Get Lucky Everywhere At Once

Looking over that list of songs, one would think that the Plimsouls finally managed to get national recognition and were on the same sort of trajectory as their counterparts, REM. Particularly when you add in the movie Valley Girl featured the song A Million Miles Away.

But even with buckets of talent, a quiver full of great songs, exposure in a hit movie, the support of a major radio station in one of the top two markets in the country, and the sort of dedication required to play countless gigs in countless clubs, success for the Plimsouls remained a million miles away (sorry, I couldn’t help myself).

Everywhere At Once peaked at 186 on the Billboard charts, and even though they continued to be wildly popular in LA, the Plimsouls never seemed to be able to break out. Perhaps it was because the country was only able to abide one musically gifted power-pop band with roots in traditional American music, and REM was the one. Or, maybe it was just that the Plimsouls never had that one MTV video needed to truly break into the national consciousness. Whatever the reason, the Plimsouls continued to play together for only a short while after Everywhere At Once, before lead singer/songwriter Peter Case decided to go solo, effectively ending the band.

Happily, the album remains. And it is great. Songs like How Long Will It Take?, A Million Miles Away, and Everywhere At Once continue to be as catchy and lively as they were when they were released. There’s very little musical cliché to make the songs sound dated or stereotypically “80’s” pop. Quite the contrary.  The band’s reliance on established American music, including use of groovy organs and harmonica, give the songs an evergreen feel. Even when released, the songs couldn’t be easily categorized as contemporary, since they sounded as if there were equally in place in the 60’s or 70’s.

The only thing that really dates the album is the fact that so much current pop music relies on exactly the sort of temporal clichés that the Plimsouls avoided: derivative electronic enhancement, heavy use of formulaic bass, and artificial autotune and studio cleansing.

In the end, the most enduring legacy of the album is how it showcases just how good music can be when it relies on the simplicity of instruments, rather than the artifice of producers.

Up next: Canadians politely take over the world.