The Fabulous Poodles

This is one of the vinyl LPs I most wanted to rescue from oblivion by digitizing it for replay on CD and iPod and I got the job done yesterday.

Mine is a review copy that was sent to The Indianapolis News in 1978, complete with 8x10 black-and-white glossy photo, press release and poster.

I never understood why these guys didn't make it because this is a killer album. As far as I can tell, it was never released on CD. Amazon.com has two used copies of the LP for $10 and $19.99.

Seven of the 10 tracks turned up in 1995 on a kind of greatest hits CD titled His Master's Choice. It's out of print and I found one copy available on Amazon.com for $199.99.

The Fabulous Poodles released their second LP - Think Pink - in 1979 and Amazon.com has one used copy for $9.95.

All 10 of the tracks on Mirror Stars are brilliantly crafted, well-performed pop songs that I have a hard time getting out of my head. One song was used by John Entwhistle on a solo album and the whole thing has a Who-ish vibe to it.

Small wonder, since the enclosed biography from Epic Records says the leader, tony de Meur, claims the Who and Tom Waits as influences.

So now I am most certainly the only guy in Arkansas with the first Fabulous Poodles album on his iPod. How's that for a distinction?