Billy Thorpe “Children of the Sun” 1979. The solar eclipse is starting as I’m listening to it and will likely be approaching its peak by the time I get to the second to the last track, “Solar Anthem.” The “space opera” concept album Children of the Sun was Thorpe’s third studio LP and the first to be released in the US. It went to #39 on the US charts and to #44 in Thorpe’s native country Australia. The record overall is standard 70’s rock but I love the title track “Children of the Sun” which reminds me, every single time I hear it, of my dear friend Rhonda who used to rock the shit out of it back in high school. Thorpe released that track as a single, as well as the album opener “Wrapped in the Chains,” the overly dramatic “Goddess of the Night,” and the really awful “Simple Life,” which has Thorpe singing gut-forced overly emotive lyrics over jazzy rock AM gold music. It’s pretty bad. Thank goodness the epic “Children of the Sun” is here to cleanse the palate.