Fischer-Z “Going Deaf for a Living” 1980. British quirky rock/new wave, Going Deaf for a Living was the band’s second LP. Its new wave sensibility is infused with reggae beats making the comparisons to contemporaries The Police unavoidable; Fischer-Z toured with The Police and performed with Bob Marley in the early 80’s. This record has been languishing in the mystery pile for awhile – I think it’s a “should it stay or should it go” pick. Up until this moment, I’m not sure if I’ve ever listened to Fischer-Z; although I’ve read that their third LP, Red Skies Over Paradise (1981), was quite successful and received airplay on MTV so I suppose I could have seen some videos back in the day. On this first, and possibly last, listen, my top picks are the album opener “Room Service” which is a grooving new wave reggae-rocker, the single “So Long” which made it onto the charts in the UK (#72) and Australia (#15), the punk-edged “No Right” and the snotty “The Crank” which is a total rocker with organ/synth.