Rockpile “Seconds of Pleasure” 1980. Today, April 15th, is Rockpile guitarist/vocalist/pianist Dave Edmunds’ birthday (b. 1944). After playing in a few bands and playing solo throughout the 60′s and 70′s, Edmunds collaborated with Nick Lowe and formed Rockville, along with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams, playing “rip-roaring, rampaging rock-n-roll” live in the late 70′s and then recorded Seconds of Pleasure. The band split soon after due to management problems.

Seconds of Pleasure reached #27 on the US Billboard pop chart, the sweet single “Teacher Teacher” (a Gene Chandler cover) hitting #51 in 1981. The album is classic pop rock-n-roll, including a cover of original rockin’ rhythm and bluesman Chuck Berry’s “Oh What a Thrill.” Reviewers and critics always categorize Rockpile into rock-n-roll and pub rock but also add in the tags of new wave and punk. I can’t say that I agree with those last two labels (though “When I Write the Book” is new wave-ish in the Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello vein I suppose), this is straight-up fun and rollicking traditional rock.