Propeller (’94) each have two or three great tracks on which the band captures the songwriting wonder they displayed on their Elektra albums. Not all the songs on the albums work, however, and on Silhouette and Stolen Wishes there are times when the band turns to a glossy, synth-pop approach that feels like a misdirection borne out of artistic uncertainty.


Jeff: “There was a decision to experiment with new musical options and we had purchased a synth for the studio in ’83. We did have several discussions on whether or not there was too much synth on the record [Silhoutte]. But it was, after all, just another tool in the shed. In hindsight, the record is more time-stamped as a result of the keyboards on it.”


In ’95, just one year after the last of this trio of post-Elektra releases, Shoes came out with a live album, Fret Buzz – an unexpected move from a pack of studio animals.


“We were never known to be a live band, so we thought it would be interesting to release a live disc,” Jeff explains. “A live disc from the band that rarely plays live! We hooked up with a new drummer named John Richardson that we met through a member of our old road crew, who was his brother. He was a fantastic drummer that helped give us the confidence to get out and tour in places we never had before. We brought along a couple of ADAT recorders and taped the shows to see if anything was usable. Fret Buzz was recorded on New Year’s Eve in Chicago, after we toured the East Coast. Being close to home, we had the luxury to ensure that the recording was done properly with more time to get set up.”


A long lull in Shoes releases was broken up by the 2007 issuing of the revelatory Double Exposure – a 2-CD collection of all the home demos the band made of the songs that would appear on Present Tense and Tongue Twister, along with a handful of tunes they wrote and demoed then, but which didn’t appear on the records. In some cases the tracks merely sound like what they are – works-in-progress still in need of some polish – but it’s great to hear these rawer versions of the band’s best songs, and in many instances the demos far outshine the finished product that appeared on the Elektra albums.


It’s great that Shoes made the effort to unearth that collection of old recordings, but when might we be treated to some new material by the powerpop wonders of Zion?


Jeff: “It could happen any time! Our different schedules are the biggest obstacles. But we talk about it often, when we do get together. It’s not just the writing and recording that makes it tough, it’s the marketing and distribution that makes it hard. We tend to become more focused when we have a specific goal or reason to write and record. We still love making music together, so you never know what tomorrow will bring!”


• 33


Although Shoes’ other albums are nowhere near as consistent as Present Tense and Tongue Twister, they all contain a few standout tracks. This ’87 compilation shows off the best of PT and TT while rather handily including the stuff you need to hear from lo-fi debut Black Vinyl Shoes as well as later, non-essential albums Boomerang and Silhouette.


Shoes Better, Shoes’ Best Some good places to start your Shoes collection. By BRIAN GREENE.


Present Tense/


Tongue Twister (Black Vinyl CD, 1988)


Double Exposure (Black Vinyl 2-CD, 2007)


Powerpop doesn’t get any better than this. On ’79’s Present Tense, Shoes’ three songwriters take turns spinning out dazzling gems. The album is flawless, and is one of those that you have a different favourite song from every time you hear it. Tongue Twister, released two years later, isn’t far behind. Shoes’ two best albums are combined into one CD on the Black Vinyl reissue.


Shoes Best (Black Vinyl CD, 1987)


There’s not so much studio gloss on the Elektra versions of Present Tense and Tongue Twister as to be irksome, yet there are moments when the ’80s sheen is a bit thick and weighs things down. This collection of all the home demos the band made of the songs on those albums (plus a handful of tracks that didn’t make the final cuts) sets things right by showing Shoes playing their finest material in a raw fashion.


Shoe Fetish:


A Tribute to Shoes (Parasol CD, 2001)


We all know


most tribute albums are rubbish – half- arsed acts hacking out lame versions of songs that should have just been left alone. But once in a while a peach of a tribute record comes along, and the Shoes one is outstanding. Recognisable names like Matthew Sweet, DM3, ex-Raspberry Scott McCarl and the team of Don Dixon and Marti Jones share space with unknowns, and all come at their Shoes covers with energy, enthusiasm, and keen senses of rhythm and melody.


All Shoes albums are released on the band’s own Black Vinyl label, www.blackvinyl.com


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