ELECTRIC BOYS’ “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride” is Yet Another Reason why 1989 Rocked Pretty Hard!

 

I already talked about 1989 and how important this year was for rock music. In fact, why don’t I just put it right here so that you can have a look, in case you haven’t – MY TOP 15 Rock Albums, Released in 1989

Maybe it’s personal or it’s indeed a fact, but there’s just something very special about that year of 1989. Why? Well, first of all, it was the year that marked the end of a decade of solid rocking and rolling; Second of all, grunge was slowly but steadily making its way into the industry. The winds of change started to feel much colder all of a sudden so it was basically do or die for many bands. Shaky or not, this year will forever remain one of the strongest years of rock in my book. From powerful comebacks to solid debuts, 1989 had tons to offer to the fans. To some people this album I want to talk about today may just be one of the many late ’80s glam rock albums that flooded the scene; however to me, it’s a beautifully-made, highly entertaining and immensely captivating “modern” hard rock release that guarantees tons and tons of great time! I give you Electric Boys and their  1989 debut album “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride”.

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Electric Boys

For those of you who don’t know much about Electric Boys, I will try to briefly introduce the band and what they did throughout the years just so you can hopefully get intrigued and decide to dig a little bit deeper by yourself. You thought those handsome, long-haired guys come from the USA? Well, guess again! Electric Boys actually come from Sweden – yes, THAT country which spawned so many brilliant rockstars, including my beloved TREAT, ROXETTE and of course…EUROPE!

Originally a duo, Conny Bloom (guitar/vocals) and Andy Christell (bass guitar), hit it big locally with the ultra catchy single “All Lips and Hips” in 1988. What happened next? Well, you see talent anan opportunity and you grab it! Two more people were added to the line-up and the band’s debut album Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride saw the light in 1989, with of course that “little” song “All Lips and Hips” leading the way! Do I even have to say that they didn’t get what they deserved? Well, I’m going to say it – they didn’t get what they deserved. A little bit of success here and there, a great tour supporting my lovelies, Thunder and that was it basically. By the time the follow-up album was released, grunge was already a strong force so no luck for our Electric Boys and their pretty decent sophomore effort.

Three albums and the band was no more. Thankfully, there was a reunion in 2009 and a new album in 2011. We will see what the future holds…

“Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride”

We are here for this album after all, so let’s get down to it! It’s all about the music at the end of the day now isn’t it? I already mentioned that “Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride” is Electric Boys‘ debut album, released in 1989 but what you really need to remember are the electrifying songs and I’m sure you will because they are THAT good. Let’s start with the obvious mega hit, “All Hips N’ Lips” – a playful, sexy and absolutely hypnotizing piece of music which just begs you to crank it up and dance your ass off to it! This was the first song of theirs I heard and since I had no idea who was performing it, I had to write down the lyrics and search for it later on. Imagine what happened when I found it – listened to it for days without stopping. This seductive catchy rocker makes you wanna dance in the middle of the street without a single care in the world. Who cares whether this song is cheesy or doesn’t shine with that much lyrical or musical depth? I don’t. I absolutely adore vocalist Conny Bloom and we need tracks like this one in our lives every now and then. The album is so much more than this song, though. “Psychedelic Eyes” is equally appealing with its perfect mixture of raw energy and pleasant melodies. “If I Had a Cigar” is the song that finally explains why this album’s title says “Funk-O-Metal”. The groovy, alluring tune is one of the highlights of the album. I love the choruses. Moving on to another satisfying tune – “Rags to Riches”. Where do I even begin? There’s just something a bit aggressive in their approach to music and I simply love how they combined it with the desired melodic rock sound to create universal appeal…with a twist! What I miss is a gentle rock ballad – the ones I’m always looking for in an album but actually Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride gives me way too much energy to even think about why they didn’t include a solid tear-jerker. The whole album is one huge invitation to dance, party and basically a way to lift your spirits up! There’s no way you can resist it. Funky, heavy, melodic – what else can you ask for! Listen to the songs, I dare you!

All Hips N’ Lips

Psychedelic Eyes

Listen to the entire album from start to finish:

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