Sylvain Sylvain (album)

Sylvain Sylvain
Studio album by
Sylvain Sylvain
ReleasedJanuary 1980
GenreRock and roll
LabelRCA
Sylvain Sylvain chronology
Sylvain Sylvain
(1980) 		Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops
(1981)

Sylvain Sylvain is the debut album by the American musician Sylvain Sylvain, released in January 1980.[1][2] It peaked at No. 123 on the Billboard 200.[3] He supported the album with a North American tour.[4]

Production

Sylvain was backed by his band, Teenage News, which included members of David Johansen's band.[5][6] Many of the songs are about being a teenager and the life-changing intensity of rock and roll.[7] "Ain't Got No Home" is a cover of the Clarence "Frogman" Henry song.[8] "Without You" lifts a musical passage from Simon & Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound".[9] "Tonight" is an instrumental.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Chicago Sun-Times[5]
Robert ChristgauC[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]
The Muncie StarC+[14]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide[15]

The Boston Globe noted that Sylvain "borrows totally from country music and '50s and '60s pop, yielding a sound so worn and tattered that it's erroneous to palm this off as new music."[16] The Los Angeles Times said, "This salute to Sylvain's early rock and R&B favorites is pleasantly unpretentious, but it's also slim."[17] The Citizen opined that "it's Chuck Berry roots filtered through the Beatles and bubbling over like Sylvain and the boys just discovered rock 'n' roll on a street corner last week."[18] The Commercial Appeal called the album "a fine record of rock and roll that walks snappily and coolly."[19] The Muncie Star opined that Sylvain "is a better arranger than writer or singer."[14] Robert Christgau thought that "Teenage News" and ""What's That Got to Do with Rock 'n' Roll?" were the only worthwhile songs.[12]

Track listing

Side A

  1. "Teenage News"
  2. "What's That Got to Do with Rock 'n' Roll?"
  3. "I'm So Sorry"
  4. "Emily"
  5. "Without You"

Side B

  1. "Every Boy and Every Girl"
  2. "14th Street Beat"
  3. "Deeper and Deeper"
  4. "Ain't Got No Home"
  5. "Tonight"

References

  1. ^ Blush, Steven (2016). New York Rock: From the Rise of the Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB. St. Martin's Publishing Group. p. 150.
  2. ^ Lewis, Barbara (December 13, 1979). "New wave rock singer joins RCA". Columbia Record. p. 13E.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums, 1955-2001. Record Research. p. 859.
  4. ^ Scott, Jane (March 21, 1980). "The Happening". Friday. The Plain Dealer. p. 32.
  5. ^ a b Pratt, Chuck (February 13, 1980). "Rock reviews". The Paducah Sun. Field News Service. p. 17A.
  6. ^ Kelp, Larry (March 2, 1980). "Sylvain Sylvain". Oakland Tribune. p. H40.
  7. ^ Becker, Bart (February 6, 1980). "Matter of Record". Lincoln Journal Star. p. 42.
  8. ^ Missett, Bill (February 7, 1980). "Record Reviews". The Blade-Tribune. p. 15.
  9. ^ Carson, Tom (February 26, 1980). "Records". The Boston Phoenix. p. 3.8.
  10. ^ Carlton, Bill (January 14, 1980). "Record Reviews". Daily News. New York. p. 27.
  11. ^ "Sylvain Sylvain Review by Geoff Ginsberg". AllMusic. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  12. ^ a b "Sylvain Sylvain". Robert Christgau. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  13. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 8.
  14. ^ a b Teverbaugh, Kim (February 10, 1980). "Capsule Album Reviews". The Muncie Star. p. B9.
  15. ^ The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Random House. 1983. p. 501.
  16. ^ Allan, Marc D. (February 28, 1980). "Records / Reviews". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 1.
  17. ^ Hilburn, Robert (January 27, 1980). "Disc Derby Spotlights the Debuts". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 80.
  18. ^ Provick, Bill (February 1, 1980). "Sylvain really rocks!". TGIF. The Citizen. p. 24.
  19. ^ Dawson, Walter (February 3, 1980). "Sylvain Sylvain: a return to New York". The Commercial Appeal. p. TV12.
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