FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $75! *TERMS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY

Tenement Steps To Glory: The MOTORS Tune Up

The sky cracks open and fat raindrops cascade noisily onto city, pavement. Suddenly awake, alone, in a crowded New York City apartment, he hears the soundtrack to his day (rock ’n’) roll into his ears. It’s a matter of flicking on his stereo. The disc—Tenement Steps by the Motors.

July 1, 1980
Rob Patterson

Tenement Steps To Glory: The MOTORS Tune Up

Rob Patterson

The sky cracks open and fat raindrops cascade noisily onto city, pavement. Suddenly awake, alone, in a crowded New York City apartment, he hears the soundtrack to his day (rock ’n’) roll into his ears. It’s a matter of flicking on his stereo. The disc—Tenement Steps by the Motors.

It’s the perfect day to talk with Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster about their latest LP. Rain heaves into a city in the throes of a transit strike, and the locked-up traffic is noisy and fraught with intensity. Likewise Tenement Steps simmers with that same urban energy, and I imagine if they could have gotten this rainstorm onto the disc, it’d be there.

I’m almost tempted to ask them why they didn’t press it in gray vinyl, especially after a 45-block, 45-minute cab ride through cramped and cranky city streets to get to Virgin’s downtown offices in New York. But Nick Garvey, a stout and merrily sarcastic sort, beats me to the punch.

Sign In to Your Account

Registered subscribers can access the complete archive.

Login

Don’t have an account?

Subscribe

...or read now for $1 via Supertab

READ NOW