Most people don't know about Charlie, let alone any of the songs on this album. Charlie is a rather campy outfit... no glitz, no flamboyance, no distinctive qualities or band members (have we ever seen any of their members?). With a bluesy soft rock sheen, they almost sound like nothing more than a warm-up band for Styx or the Doobie Brothers (oh, they were?), but then the songs start clicking on Fight Dirty.

AllMusic's track listing is out of order. "Killer Cut" leads off unobtrusively, as if we're in for a mostly pedestrian affair. But then the title track kicks in next, and we're in business. (in that context, "Killer Cut" makes more sense now) Terry Thomas' crooning and yearning is hypnotic, and "Fight Dirty" the tune makes a good case for being a classic. My vote for one of the 25 most impressive tracks of the year (in a year when Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' claimed six of them).

The rest of the album plays off the breathtaking #2 track, as the songs continue to flow effortlessly with upbeat harmonizing. "So Alone" and "Too Late" are other highlights. None of the songs feel out of place on Fight Dirty, as each contribute to the composite work.

Why is it that so many of the bands with generic names are easily missed? Perhaps a harbinger of poor public relations from the get-go. At any rate, I don't believe one-hit wonders are much of a distinction, but Charlie, on the other hand, is a true one-album wonder. Now, that's a distinction that means something.