Trigger TRIGGER

Personnel: Jimmy Duggan, Richie House (vocals, guitar); Derek Remington (vocals, drums); Tom Nigra (vocals).
Audio Remasterer: Jon Astley.
Liner Note Author: Derek Oliver.
Recording information: The Record Plant Studio B, New York, NY.
Photographer: Lens Kaltman.
Arrangers: Corky Stasiak; Dennis Ferrante; Trigger.
The late '70s certainly had their fair share of notable power pop acts. Cheap Trick, the Knack, the Babys -- the list is endless. It may have seemed like just about every band with a catchy hook and shaggy hairdo scored at least a hit or two, but this didn't prove to be the case, as evidenced by the 1978 self-titled debut album from Trigger. Scouted by none other than Gene Simmons and signed to Kiss' label at the time, Casablanca Records, Trigger's lone album certainly fits in well with the aforementioned leaders of the genre. But there is one thing missing from Trigger's debut -- a clear-cut, bona fide hit single. The group certainly knew how to pen a well-constructed song -- tracks such as "Baby Don't Cry" and "Shake It Up" were heavy on the vocal harmonies and lyrics about the ups and downs of relationships -- but Trigger never got around to penning their "I Want You To Want Me." Although they may have been similar musically to their counterparts, one thing that made Trigger different was their lead vocals, courtesy of the group's pair of singer/guitarists, Jimmy Duggan and Richie House -- whose voices sound more akin to the throaty shout of Slade's Noddy Holder, especially on the album-opener "Somebody Like You." If Trigger was afforded a shot at further albums, they very well may have blossomed into a world-class melodic rock act. But all that is left is a fine debut, and a lot of "what if?" type thoughts. Long out of print, Trigger was remastered and reissued on CD as a European import in 2009, via the Rock Candy label. ~ Greg Prato

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop