The Front Lines

The Front Lines 4-song E.P., Where Do We Go From Here? Front, 1980 The Front Lines 4-song E.P., Where Do We Go From Here? Back, 1980 The Front Lines "Capital Attraction"/"In This Universe", front, 1982 The Front Lines "Capital Attraction"/"In This Universe", front, 1982

All six of these songs by The Front Lines are available on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and more.

The Front Lines formed at Northwestern University in 1979. After conquering the fraternity scene, they played all over Chicago (Tut's, Wizards, O'Banion's, Misfits, Waves, C.O.D., Park West, Jamie's, Exit). They played midwestern cities like Madison, Iowa City, Omaha, and Detroit, before touring the East Coast (Boston, Philadelphia, DC, New York City, Buffalo). However, by 1984, the band had broken up. For more information on The Front Lines, see Strejcek.net

Where Do We Go from Here? 4-song EP - 33-1/3 rpm
Night Napalm / Dying In Fiction /
Voice of America / Lips Are Sealed

© 1980, 2006, 2021 The Front Lines
Practical Records PR001
Recorded August-September 1980 at Studiomedia (II), Evanston
Written by The Front Lines
Produced by The Front Lines and Benj Kanters
Engineered by Benj Kanters
The Front Lines: Phil, vocals & guitar; Kier, guitars; Steve, drums; Kevin, bass
Guest: Carey Bell, harmonica on "Lips Are Sealed"
Kier says: I wrote the Night Napalm bass line with Kevin in mind (and my DC funk heritage), and Phil (mostly) and I wrote the words. We had made up the song name (and several others) to put on a fake album cover I was making for a student video using a song from the first demo. I think Steve came up with the Night Napalm title. Almost like a challenge.
Dying In Fiction was co-written by Phil and me - very existential. The middle instrumental part was great for rock-star posing on stage. I love the reverb on the vocals and drums at the end.
Voice of America: Steve wrote the words, I wrote the music. I had discovered the E9 chord. Thus I told Kevin to play an F# somewhere during the E, and he created a bass line and runs with it!
Lips Are Sealed predated the 1981 Go-Go's song, which is actually "Our Lips Are Sealed." Many harmonies by Phil, and the Chicago bluesman Carey Bell wails on harmonica. That must have been Steve's idea, and it worked great.
We pressed 1,000 of these 7" vinyl records and they sold out pretty fast. It got heavy airplay on WNUR and Bobby Skafish even played it on WXRT sometimes.

Capital Attraction / In This Universe
© 1982, 2006, 2021 The Front Lines
Practical Records PR003
Released March 1982
Written, arranged and produced by The Front Lines
A Shuldiner-Bush Production
Engineered by John Nevin and Sam Fishkin
The Front Lines: Phil, vocals & guitar; Kier, guitars; Kevin, bass; Bruce, keyboards & vocals; Steve, drums & percussion
Guests: Michelle Kinney, cello; Amy Phoebe, oboe
Kier says: This is my favorite Front Lines recording. Phil and I co-wrote the A-side, I wrote the B-side. Phil and Bruce did great arrangements for piano, cello and oboe on In This Universe. Steve played the bells and the crisp, solid drums. Kevin has the great bass break on the B-side. Capital Attraction has my best guitar solos (especially at the fade-out; use headphones).
Steve says: Note the chimes and twilight zone guitar riff in Capital Attraction. I remember driving to a music rental shop on Wabash to load those chimes into the van and bring them to the studio in Schaumburg. That was analog!