Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

CITY BOY

City Boy

Prog Related


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

City Boy City Boy album cover
3.68 | 45 ratings | 6 reviews | 18% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
rock music collection

Write a review

Buy CITY BOY Music
from Progarchives.com partners
Studio Album, released in 1976

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. (Moonlight) Shake My Head and Leave (4:25)
2. Deadly Delicious (4:37)
3. Surgery Hours (Doctor Doctor) (3:01)
4. Sunset Boulevard (6:14)
5. Oddball Dance (5:01)
6. 5000 Years / Don't Know Can't Tell (8:38)
7. The Hap-Ki-Do Kid (3:10)
8. The Greatest Story Ever Told (4:46)
9. Haymaking Time (5:30)

Total Time 45:22

Line-up / Musicians

- Steve Broughton / guitar, vocals
- Chris Dunn / bass, acoustic guitar
- Roger Kent / drums
- Lol Mason / lead vocals
- Mike Slamer / acoustic & electric guitars
- Max Thomas / keyboards

Releases information

LP Vertigo 6360 126
CD Bear Tracks BTCD 97 9415 (1997)

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
Edit this entry

Buy CITY BOY City Boy Music



CITY BOY City Boy ratings distribution


3.68
(45 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music(18%)
18%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection(51%)
51%
Good, but non-essential (24%)
24%
Collectors/fans only (7%)
7%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

CITY BOY City Boy reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by loserboy
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars CITY BOY were a Birmingham based art rock band who mixed funk, prog and pop into their music. It is hard band to exactly peg down this band but I would categorize them somewhere in the 10CC, STARCASTLE, early SPLITZ ENZ school of prog. My favourite track on the album is the 8 minute 5000 Years which is a timeless piece of prog rock. This album features the dual vocals of Lol Mason and Steve Broughton who collectively gave CITY BOY their unique sound. Overall a great album with some pretty cool moments and a couple of real prog gems tossed in. An excellent listen.
Review by Rune2000
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Let's talk about one of the unsung heroes of the '70s, a little band called City Boy. If you thought that Barclay James Harvest had a hard time finding an audience for their music, then hold on to your hats as I do the seven album retrospective of the band that definitely had everything in their repertoire to make them attractive to a wider audience and how their big break just never came. Still, isn't that one time opportunity the reason why so many young people are so attracted to the music business?

The self-titled debut from the sextet was where the band began their exploration of their sound and so the final product can both be considered good and bad. It's definitely a great introduction for any newcomer to City Boy since we get to hear so many sides of the band's repertoire. Unfortunately this is exactly the reason why the album just never managed to strike a definite cord with me. There are just too many different types of songs here that don't make the overall experience a consistent one.

The album is often referred to as one of the band's definite progressive rock moment with Sunset Boulevard and the 9 minute 5000 Years / Don't Know Can't Tell taking the young band's ambitions to the extreme. Personally I never considered this album to be more than a light Art Rock affair, hailed by the great versatility in style and quality between the compositions. The follow-up release Dinner At The Ritz was where City Boy actually tried out their progressive chops to a much greater effect, making that album somewhat of a conceptual piece as well.

If you're new to City Boy then this is definitely the album you should start with since it offers you the best retrospective of the band's sound and some great songwriting to go along with it. The band had a few better albums later on in their career but those releases usually concentrate on a certain aspect of the band's overall sound, showing us exactly why City Boy was such a great album-oriented band. Still, you haven't actually heard City Boy until you've heard this record!

***** star songs: (Moonlight) Shake My Head And Leave (4:25)

**** star songs: Deadly Delicious (4:37) Sunset Boulevard (6:17) 5000 Years / Don't Know Can't Tell (8:40) Haymaking Time (5:28)

*** star songs: Surgery Hours (Doctor Doctor) (3:04) Oddball Dance (5:04) The Hap-Ki-Do Kid (3:13) The Greatest Story Ever Told (4:46)

Latest members reviews

4 stars I was lucky enough to see the band at school -one of my first gigs -when they were touring this album in 76. Not really prog, more pop/art rock. Quite similar in ways to Supertramp especially the use of two distinctive vocalists to play characters in a song. For me, this is their best album. Not ... (read more)

Report this review (#183970) | Posted by The Padre | Sunday, September 28, 2008 | Review Permanlink

5 stars I loved these guys ever since I saw them live in 1978 opening for Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Their self-titled debut album is a true masterpiece that combines great compositions and lyrics, heavy riffs and singalong tunes, instrumental passages and harmony vocals. A must have! Later albums are ... (read more)

Report this review (#29731) | Posted by | Monday, April 25, 2005 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Not a true prog band in my opinion, but very creative and original and fun, nonetheless. I love their first 6 albums, but this one, their first, probably shows their most progressive side. Very unusual vocal arrangements that take some getting used to, but Haymaking time will take you away wit ... (read more)

Report this review (#29730) | Posted by | Friday, November 26, 2004 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Now i have to admit that im an incurable popprog/artrock fan and especially dear to me are the sounds of City boy,10 cc,Charlie,Movies,Lake..etc..etc. This, City boys first album is brimming with wonderful arrangements and crazy musical (and lyrical) ideas..and fabulous vocal arrangements to boo ... (read more)

Report this review (#29729) | Posted by Tonny Larz | Wednesday, May 5, 2004 | Review Permanlink

Post a review of CITY BOY "City Boy"

You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.