Smack dab in the middle of this most wonderful year for music — a year in which many have observed that real deal rock 'n' roll has come back with a vengeance — it seems fitting that we would be treated to a new full-length album from The Amplifier Heads. Super 8 releases tomorrow on the world-famous Rum Bar Records. It is, by my count, the band's sixth LP. And it's almost certainly the finest effort yet from Sal Baglio and friends. It's essentially a sonic journey through rock 'n' roll history — a history that is, in fact, still being written. As you would expect from an Amplifier Heads album, the menu is packed with a variety of popular flavors. You'll hear hints of everything from the blues and first generation rock 'n' roll to the British Invasion to garage rock to power pop to glam rock to the Rolling Stones to OG punk rock. If the firecracker opening track "Rock N' Roll Riot" had been the whole record, Baglio could have dropped the mic and declared victory. But that's just a starting point, and Super 8 keeps on bringing the hits. Life is too short to waste on filler.
Off the bat, "Rock N' Roll Riot" is a pure jolt of raucous energy to get you moving and shaking and dominating your day. It literally starts at the beginning — time-traveling back to the Moondog Coronation Ball in Cleveland in 1952 and rocketing forward into the world-altering sonic explosion that soon followed. On the sexy and sticky-sweet "Hot Stars," the time machine stops off in the early '70s for a rendezvous with Marc Bolan. "A Song Called Sha La La" takes it back to the '60s and slyly pilfers a melody from The Troggs. Baglio, as he longs for someone out there to write another timeless rock 'n' roll radio smash, proceeds to will that very thing into existence. Just like that, you've got an opening 1-2-3 punch that few albums will ever beat. But wait! There's more! "They Don't Dance Anymore" is a reflective ballad longing for a time when rock 'n' roll ruled the airwaves and all the kids still knew how to groove. "A Girl Named Chop Suey" is kickin' livewire garage rock that winks and nods in the direction of "Louie Louie." "Can't Put My Finger On It," which is a little bit country and a whole lot of rock 'n' roll, is an earworm of master class status. "Superstar" sounds like the best song Dave Edmunds never wrote. "Hot Wax" takes us back to a moment in time when rock 'n' roll was climbing mischievously out of the womb of rhythm and blues — a suitable last stop on this full circle journey through time and sound.
It's hard not to look back at last year's tremendous Peppermint Kicks album Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum (which Baglio co-authored) and note that Super 8 seems to have been made from the same magical stuff. Sometimes The Amplifier Heads sound like an intergalactic rock machine, but on this record, they're sticking to Planet Earth and the scorching sounds that pumped new life into it in the latter half of the 20th century. As a songwriter, Baglio has never sounded more inspired. Joined by Kevin "King" Rapillo on drums and Brad Hallen on bass (along with some special guest stars on a few tracks), he exemplifies everything that rock 'n' roll ought to be and still can be. There's no need for bells and whistles when you can conjure this sort of glorious and rousing racket that comes roaring out of the garage and into the dive bars and dance halls. These guys truly put their soul into this record, and the joy is palpable in every note. This is the work of a child of the '60s who fondly recalls the majestic past but isn't resigned to being stuck in it.
Is Super 8 a throwback record? Yes and no. The whole point of all this time traveling is to remind ourselves why we still love rock 'n' roll and why we all remain so passionate about its preservation. All of you out there playing in bands, running labels, promoting music, buying records, hosting radio shows, writing reviews, and going out to see bands don't even have to question why you do it. This is the music that sets our souls on fire. Who wants to live in a world without rock 'n' roll? Thankfully we'll never have to (as the first half of 2026 has made evident). Gather 'round, true believers, and behold the gospel according to The Amplifier Heads!
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