Sixteen Tambourines by The Three O'Clock

Sixteen Tambourines, released on Frontier Records in 1983, was the first album under the Three O'Clock name, following the LP the same group had cut as the Salvation Army. The phrase Paisley Underground, for the Los Angeles scene his band shared with the Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade and the Bangles, is said to be the invention of singer and bassist Michael Quercio, and this record is that scene at its most candy-colored: chiming guitars from Louis Gutierrez, bright harmonies and Quercio's high, boyish voice on top. Earle Mankey produced it, and Trouser Press praised his work as slick and inventive.

Critics have split on it ever since. Trouser Press heard power pop played and sung as if every station in the land were about to spin it; Robert Christgau gave it a C+ and grumbled about precious falsettos, and a Guardian blogger later wrote the band off as twee. "Jet Fighter" is the song alternative radio kept returning to years afterwards.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.