91. The Real Kids - Better Be Good
Everywhere I go I hear kids talking
"There's nothing going on -- the town ain't rockin'
Like it did in before
Like it did in '64..."
Led by John Felice, The Real Kids from Boston, Massachusetts, formed around 1972-3 when Felice departed from The Modern Lovers, Jonathan Richman's influential Boston band. The Real Kids's first, eponymous LP came about in 1977 and featured a bunch of hard-rockin', nearly proto-punk tracks. The inclusion of them in this punk list is a function of timing and general consensus.
Sounding a bit like the Dictators but sped-up to about half of a Ramones-esque speed,
The Real Kids featured a lineup of Felice, guitarist Billy Borgioli, bassist Allen "Alpo" Paulino, and drummer Howie Ferguson.
From Allmusic, about
The Real Kids: "They went into the studio with legendary producer Marty Thau to lay down a mix of Felice originals and ramped-up oldies. The resulting self-titled album was issued by the tiny Red Star label and 'bec[a]me something of a classic East Coast punk album, [though] at the time it didn't do much and the band members dialed back their ambitions.' Felice got a gig as a roadie for the Ramones, and back in Boston he formed a new band called the Taxi Boys with Scott Parmenter on guitar, Billy Cole on bass, and Bobby McNabb on drums."
This song could be higher with its "sha na na na nas," but the audience needs awesome grabbers at the front end of this, you know?
An additional track, very much worth hearing. Got that bit of VU sonic drone to it.
Reggae Reggae
Spotify (Better Be Good):
https://open.spotify.com/track/1kooDfP5HWbzkpmHzpaDd2?si=7aeebae7106a433f