Street Light Shine
| Street Light Shine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Mike Thorne | |||
| The Shirts chronology | ||||
| ||||
Street Light Shine is the second album by the American band the Shirts, released in 1979.[1][2] They supported it with a North American tour.[3] "Out on the Ropes" was released as a single.[4]
Production
The album was produced by Mike Thorne.[5] The songwriting was shared by the six bandmembers.[6] "Triangulum" is a science fiction narrative.[7]. "Outside the Cathedral Door" contains elements of prog rock.[8]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [8] |
| Alternative Rock | 7/10[9] |
| Robert Christgau | B−[10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| The Great Indie Discography | 4/10[12] |
| The Muncie Star | B−[13] |
| Omaha World-Herald | [14] |
| The New Rolling Stone Record Guide | [15] |
The Globe and Mail stated that "there are traces of the New Wave freneticism here, but once past the opening cut, 'Laugh and Walk Away', this outfit settles comfortably into a ballad groove."[16] The Omaha World-Herald noted the "distinctive, varied sound marked by a minimum of anger and negativism."[14] The Spokane Daily Chronicle said that the Shirts' style "is too nebulous, too undefined to be distinctive."[17] Hit Parader dismissed the Shirts as "quite possibly the worst band in New York City."[18]
The Gazette concluded that, "without losing a cutting edge, the sextet shows a penchant for hooks, unusual chord changes, and eminently commercial ditties".[19] The Pittsburgh Press said that the band "deal in arty rock and deliver it in above-average performances."[20] The Daily Breeze called the album "a platter full of overly-sophisticated cabaret-style mish-mash".[7] Robert Christgau stated that the band's "sincerity can be infectious."[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Laugh and Walk Away" | |
| 2. | "Love Is a Fiction" | |
| 3. | "I'm in Love Again" | |
| 4. | "Milton at the Savoy" | |
| 5. | "Ground Zero" | |
| 6. | "Triangulum" | |
| 7. | "Out on the Ropes" | |
| 8. | "Starts with a Handshake" | |
| 9. | "Maybe, Maybe Not" | |
| 10. | "I Feel So Nervous" | |
| 11. | "Outside the Cathedral Door" |
References
- ^ York, William (1982). Who's Who in Rock Music. Scribner. p. 324.
- ^ "Around Town". New York. Vol. 12, no. 34. September 3, 1979. p. 19.
- ^ "The Shirts rock band in free concert at FSU". The Fresno Bee. November 2, 1979. p. H11.
- ^ Olson, Nick (October 25, 1979). "Albums". The Northern Echo. p. 8.
- ^ "Albums". Reading Evening Post. November 10, 1979. p. 10.
- ^ Margulies, Stuart (September 1, 1979). "Shirts' 'Shine' missing some glow". Morning News. p. 37.
- ^ a b Bensoua, Joseph (September 28, 1979). "On the record". The Daily Breeze. pp. E9, E13.
- ^ a b "Street Light Shine Review by Mark Deming". AllMusic. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. Miller Freeman Books. p. 808.
- ^ a b "The Shirts". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 424.
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate. p. 141.
- ^ Teverbaugh, Kim (November 18, 1979). "Capsule Reviews". The Muncie Star. p. B9.
- ^ a b Smith, Will (August 28, 1979). "New Sounds". Omaha World-Herald. p. 16.
- ^ The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1983. p. 460.
- ^ Niester, Alan (September 29, 1979). "Street Light Shine The Shirts". The Globe and Mail. p. F4.
- ^ Wetzel, Carol (September 7, 1979). "Discritique". Focus. Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 20.
- ^ Spina, James (February 1980). "Spin Addict". Hit Parader. No. 187. p. 15.
- ^ Rodriguez, Juan (September 15, 1979). "'Street Light' shines". The Gazette. p. 89.
- ^ Pratt, Chuck (September 20, 1979). "Records". The Pittsburgh Press. p. D8.