SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE QUESTION – MUCH!

THE QUESTION
MUCH!
OGLIO RECORDS

Between 1983 and 1985, The Question, a band from Los Angeles who developed a huge and devoted fan base in Southern California, released two singles, neither of which charted but they were well loved and are now cherished by record collectors. But between 1983 and the early 1990s, the band recorded a great deal of material, which never saw the light of day, until now. Much! is the name of this collection of music by The Question.

The music ranges from songs recorded on a simple four-track recording facility, right through to studio masters of some fine power pop music. They were not new wave, but rather much more pop oriented. The band falls in with groups like The Go-Go’s, Scandal, Missing Persons or ‘Til Tuesday. That doesn’t take away from their music, but like those bands, The Question were clearly influenced by 1960s British Invasion bands (especially The Beatles).

Both of their singles are included here, but those records were always the tip of the iceberg. They are strong songs, but the real mystery is how they could not get the other ear worms released at the time of recording. These songs are catchy, brilliant power pop songs that are almost instantly recognizable, although one has never heard them before. Even more impressive is the sound of this record (the CD contains more songs). Songs like “Easy” and “Move Around in the Dark” are just two examples of their energetic sound and excitement. They must have been fun to see live.

Listening to Much!, one can see why bands like No Doubt were big fans. One also gets a sense of another era. Not to wax philosophical, but times have changed a great deal, as has music. These songs were taken from a different and more innocent age. The Question made radio friendly songs that were not only perfect for airplay but damn fine songs.

Artist Links