CoronaVinyl Day 134 (Massachusetts): Freeze-Frame by The J. Geils Band

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Today's CoronaVinyl category highlights the music of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Rather than lament the fact that the Bay State doesn't seem to have the same musical pedigree as some other larger cities in the U.S., let's focus on what we do know.

The J. Geils Band formed in the late '60s in Worcester, Massachusetts -- pronounced "woo-stah" -- which is the second-biggest city in both Massachusetts and in New England in general.  Fun fact:  J. Geils was the guitarist, not the lead singer.  The lead singer's name was (and still is) Peter Wolf, who I remember as a kid from that video where he jumps the whole time, not realizing at the time that he was the guy who sang "Centerfold."  Funner fact:  the band's harmonica player, Richard Salwitz, had (and still has) the nickname Magic Dick.  Thankfully, I do not remember any Magic Dicks from my childhood.

Anywho, the band built a big enough local following in the Boston that they got signed to Atlantic Records in the early '70s, and then built themselves into one of the most underrated party rock bands of the '70s and early '80s, thanks in large part to their energetic live shows.  They've always had a bit of a sense of humor, as well, which never hurts, unless you're a goth band.  While they did have one Top 10 album in the '70s -- 1973's Bloodshot -- as well as a handful of Top 40 hits in the '70s, it wasn't until the early '80s that they reached their commercial peak.

1981's Freeze-Frame was the band's highest-charting album, reaching #1 on the Billboard album chart, #1 on the Canadian album chart, and Top 15 on the album charts in several other countries.  The album featured three Top 40 songs in the U.S., including their first two Top 10 songs (and first #1), "Centerfold" (#1)" and "Freeze-Frame" (#4).  "Angel In Blue" was the other Top 40 song, squeaking in at #40.

Wolf left the band in 1983, and the band only put out one more studio album, 1984's You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd, before breaking up in 1985.  They reunited a couple times in the 2000s and 2010s for limited shows and tours.  Sadly, Geils died in 2017 at the age of 71.

Favorite song from Side 1:  "Freeze-Frame"

It was definitely a tough choice between the title track and "Centerfold," which are both great songs and also happen to be the band's two biggest hits.  I went with the title track because it's just so damn catchy.

Favorite song from Side 2:  "Piss On the Wall"
For Side 2, I decided to go with "Piss On the Wall."  Because it's called "Piss On the Wall."