This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - David & David's "Welcome to the Boomtown"
Most one-hit wonders from the '80s can fairly be characterized as either justified or understandable, but in the case of this California duo that spun dark tales surrounded by lush, slick and eclectic musical trappings, that modest one-hit status is nearly tragic. The two Davids referenced in the duo's moniker (Baerwald and Ricketts) released only one album together, Boomtown, in 1986, but their partnership yielded one of the decade's most underrated albums, including at least three of the finest brutally honest explorations of despair and suffering in the entirety of the rock and roll canon.Two of these, "Swallowed by the Cracks" and "Ain't So Easy," tackle existential disappointment and domestic abuse, respectively, with grace and insight, all delivered with some highly tasty hooks. The third tune of this list was intended to be the dominant subject of this entry, but I admit I got a little carried away with my righteous indignation that David & David never got the attention they deserved. So a succinct comment regarding "Welcome to the Boomtown" will have to suffice, I guess. As a portrait of the often ignored but universal malaise affecting modern America since at least the '60s, this great song (which, amazingly, made it only to No. 37 on the Billboard pop charts in 1986) offers an unflinching account of our society's oozing underbelly. It's an ugly, seedy picture, but the combination of Baerwald's precise songwriting and Ricketts' instrumental textures makes experiencing the duo's music beautiful nonetheless.
Album Cover Photo Courtesy of A&M Records
Comments
David Baerwald’s story doesn’t end with David and David. He went on to join with friend Kevin Gilbert to create the Tuesday Night Music Club and get screwed out of credit by Sheryl Crow. Check out http://www.kevingilbert.com to get more of the story.
David & David – I simply can not get over why they never took off. They were awesome. Every song on Boomtown has 5 stars on my ipod! What a shame.
I just saw this article today. This album is actually, in my top 5 favorites of all time. Nobody’s ever heard of them, but everyone who I get to listen to it becomes a fan. Wish they’d collaborate again.
What Colleen and Gord said. Word for word.
This album has really stood the test of time. It is still on my top 10 to take to the deserted island. If you like Boomtown you might want to check out David B’s CD, Here Comes the New Folk Underground.
Just great music & songwriting… They’ll always be in my all time play-lists. They should collaborate for another release…