My Amazon Reviews: Gary Myrick "Living in a Movie"

Take One, Take Two
4 Out of 5 Stars

Gary Myrick and the Figures toughened their Texas brand of new wave on their second (and best) album, Living In A Movie. I've often compared The Figures to Elvis Costello's Attraction, and that is really true here. Keyboardist Ed Beyer has so much punch he may as well be a second lead guitar player, with rhythm team David Dennard on bass and Jack White on drums, they drove this album as hard as any rock band to come from Los Angeles in the 80's. I dug this album so much that I scored an interview with Myrick for my college radio station.

There isn't a single as obvious as the first album's "She Talks In Stereo," but every song on "Living In A Movie" sticks to the eardrum. There's a streak of malevolence that runs under most of the music as well. Be it the media death on "Died on Television" to the obsessive love song "Tattooed On My Forehead," Myrick reaches for the dark side. The repetitious fade of the title song niggles at scary places in the manner of The Police's Every Breath You Take.

I could never figure out why Myrick's songs never caught on. Perhaps he wasn't pop enough or just never quite found his footing on video. His live show (as heard on the four live bonus tracks) was solid, and I have no arguements with his songwriting. He eventually got his paycheck by co-writing John Waite's "Missing You," and "My Girl (It's Simple)" is a hit waiting to happen. Still, Myrick's Epic recordings fell into the black hole of Out-Of-Print land until almost 30 years after his debut. All I can say is that it's about time.