RECORD REVIEWS, JANUARY-JUNE 2022.
THE ADAM BROWN. What we’ll Never Know CD (Rum Bar) Based in Montreal, The Adam Brown is a combo who play what can only be called New Wave, with influences clearly resonating from the late-Seventies period when many guitar-bands didn’t want to adopt the aggression of Punk or Metal, but were keen to borrow the more energetic approach whilst still producing catchy, commercial pop music. At the time, many would sneer at such bands for playing the record industry game, but in hindsight, a lot of those records were great and deserved to be successful. Such is the case with The Adam Brown, who have made an album packed with insistent tunes, a lively production and loads of melodic hooks. Of course, four decades down the line, New Wave isn’t the only element in play, with nods towards indie and Brit-pop along the way, but it all adds up to a very entertaining album. Play it on a nice Summers’ day and I’m sure it’ll be irresistible!
THE AMPLIFIER HEADS. Saturnaliens CD (Rum Bar) The Amplifier Heads are a raw rock’n’roll band from Boston who mix the best parts of Pub Rock with the stomping rhythms of The Glitter Band, the sleaze of the New York Dolls and the classic style of Eddie Cochran to create the kind of noise that’s virtually guaranteed to get any audience up on their feet. They obviously know what they’re doing, musically, but keep it all simple and straight to the point. There’s nothing here that doesn’t need to be and that’s a talent in itself. Too many bands ruin things in the studio by trying to be too clever. The Amplifier Heads just want to rock the place and they get the job done. I don’t need to say anything else… just play this loud and love it to death!
ANTHRAX, Serfs Out CD (Grow Your Own.) It’s been a while since their previous album, but this has certainly been worth the wait. Not to be confused with the American metalheads of the same name, this band originally formed in North Kent during 1980 and went on to release two great EPs on Crass records (1982) and Small Wonder (1983) before splitting in 1984. Musically, they were one of the bands that bridged the gap between late-Seventies ‘post’ punk rock and the more ‘hardcore’ sounds that emerged in the UK during the Eighties. They developed their own distinct sound and delivered it in a very powerful style, so it was good news when they reformed in 2010, releasing their first album of all-new material, ‘All For the Cause’, in 2012. Since then, their line-up has been a little erratic, but they’ve continued to play live and have featured on several split-singles, whilst singer Oskar (possibly not his real name) has been busy running the highly-recommended ‘Grow Your Own’ record label. But here’s the new album at last and, to my ears, it’s the record I always hoped they would make. As I said earlier, Anthrax stood out because they mixed the inventiveness of the late Seventies punk scene with the raw energy of the upcoming UK82 bands. Their music had plenty of attitude but was also full of ideas and different ways to put them across. But far from being a nostalgic version of their former-selves (as happens to many bands that reform after a lengthy gap) Anthrax now is very-much about the present, although their sound and approach is still recognisable. Indeed, the unlikely but effective cover-art is an instant introduction to the content you’re going to discover. A sandcastle sporting a union jack, looking proud and pompous whilst in serious danger of being washed away by the tide… Remind you of any recent events? Opening song ‘Dumb it Down’ puts things in perspective without even having to name the errors and the villains who orchestrated them. ‘Beg Society’ goes further, reminding us of the future that was intimated and the reality that we are now dealing with… greed has become acceptable again. ‘Fear Sells’ deals with the shameless shenanigans of populist politicians, while ‘Misery Loves Company’ illustrates the results of so many voters falling for so much deception. But that’s not to say that the mood of the album is negative… The songs are performed with real vitality and the dynamics are delivered with spirit and determination, demanding a way forward rather than accepting defeat. ‘Dead Air’, in particular, sounds like the sort of call-to-arms that this country really needs. The vocals are (understandably) angry, but come across with a real sense of passion rather than just adopting slogans, while the music creates a real sense of purpose and realisation. One of the more notable differences with this album is the addition of a second vocalist, Lara, whose (shall we say) dulcet tones provide the perfect foil to Oskar’s raw delivery. What else do I need to tell you about this album? Not much, except that you really need to hear it as soon as you can. Seriously, it’s a contender for best album of the year, whichever year you get to hear it! You can trust me on this one.
BRIX SMITH & MARTY WILLSON-PIPER. Lost Angeles CD (Cadiz.) Best known for her two stints as a member of The Fall (1983-89 and from 1994-96) Brix Smith also had her own project during that time, The Adult Net, in which she was mostly joined by comrades from The Fall. A series of singles met with some success, but were hampered by the bands’ lack of live performances and constantly fluctuating line-up. Various ex-members of The Smiths were recruited at different times, whilst the bands’ only album, ‘The Honey Tangle’, was released in 1989 and featured Clem Burke as their drummer. However, the record didn’t do as well as expected and the band found itself dropped by their label, leading to their demise. Brix was briefly involved with other projects over the ensuing years (The Bangles, Hole) until she returned to The Fall from 1994-96. After her second departure from the band, she returned to songs she had been writing prior to rejoining The Fall and she recruited Marty Willson-Piper (The Church, All About Eve) to record ‘Lost Angeles’ during 1997. Unfortunately and for various reasons, personal and professional, the album was not released and spent the next two decades being referred to as her ‘lost album’. But finally it’s being made available and the only comment I can make is, why did we have to wait so long to hear such a great album? It’s a wonderful progression from The Adult Net material and musically, it’s not far from Penelope Houston’s excellent ‘Tongue’ album. It’s full of great Pop moments, but also unafraid to include aggressive guitar sounds, whilst also delving into more-personal lyrics and delivery. And although it’s very-much based within its’ Sixties influences, it also isn’t scared of involving more contemporary styles and studio technology, giving the overall sound an effectively timeless quality. It really is a shame that we’ve had to wait so long to hear this album because it really should have established Brix as an accomplished artist in her own right. As it turns out, its’ eventual release is going to coincide with her latest project (a heavier, all-girl band) so I hope the two albums help to promote each other. They may be different beasts, but someone who was part of The Fall for as long as Brix shouldn’t find that to be a problem. ‘Lost Angeles’, putting it simply, is a great album and if you can’t enjoy these songs, you haven’t got a heart.
BUZZCOCKS. Senses Out of Control EP (Cherry Red) I was a bit wary when I first heard that the Buzzcocks were intending to continue as a band after the sad loss of Pete Shelley. However, reports of their ensuing gigs have been very positive and now this new EP finds them on top form in the studio as well. The title track effortlessly stands-up alongside Steve Diggle-penned classics like ‘Harmony in my Head’ and ‘Isolation’, with a strong, upbeat rhythm section, insistent vocals and a great guitar sound. ‘Carnival of Illusion’ is a song that could easily have been an outtake from any of their previous albums, such is its’ grasp of the elements that make-up the best Buzzcocks’ songs. Finally, ‘Hope Heaven Loves You’ takes a slightly slower pace, but is still packed with energy and contains sneaky, repetitive guitar licks that have been a musical signature of the band all the way back to the ‘Spiral Scratch’ EP. The production and arrangement gives the songs a big and powerful sound that really brings out the best of them and Diggle’s vocals are perfectly suited to the overall-delivery. In fact, in some ways, the new songs recall the early recordings by Flag of Convenience (the band that Diggle fronted between 1982-89) but for me, that’s no bad thing. FOC produced some great music, so a cross between them and more the more recent Buzzcocks albums isn’t going to be a problem. This is an EP I’d enjoy if it had been released ten or twenty years ago, so I really can’t see any reason not to enjoy it now, regardless of the changes to the band. If they can keep up these kind of standards, then I hope that Buzzcocks will remain with us for many years to come.
CROMM FALLON. Presents The P200 CD (Rum Bar) Cromm Fallon is a guitarist in The LaissezFairs, but whilst they lean more towards their Sixties influences (with considerable style, I should add) on this, his first ‘solo’ album, the range of sounds and inspirations is a lot broader, There are references to Australian bands like The Died Pretty or The Go-Betweens, as well as harder sounds that you may well have heard from some of the bands on the Homestead label during the late Eighties. There are also Sixties influences, but here they seem more inclined to refer to guitar bands like The Byrds or Big Star rather than psychedelic-pop. The record flows well from one song to the next, so it sounds like a coherent album rather than a disparate selection of different styles. It rocks out with conviction in several places, but also slows things down to moodier, atmospheric moments elsewhere. It’s a great album, unpredictable but full of good surprises. This is definitely something you need to check out for yourself!
FREDDIE DILEVI. In the Light of a New day CD (Rum Bar) Freddie Dilevi is a rock’n’roll crooner in the same tradition as Roy Orbison or Chris Isaacs, delivering his lyrics with a powerful, dramatic voice whilst the music remains true to its’ primal roots. Although he’s based in Spain, the music veers more towards Americana, evoking the sort of scenarios you might expect to see in a David Lynch movie, from desert panoramas through to late nights in seedy bars. The faster songs (‘Damned Love’ and the title track) head towards Ramones territory, whilst the appropriately entitled ‘Misery’ is downbeat and melancholy and the cover of ‘Blue Hotel’ is done with a real style of its’ own. This is an album that takes an established style but brings its’ own character to the proceedings, producing something new that only the most cynical hack would fail to enjoy.
FREELOADER. II CD (Rum Bar) For those of you who don’t already know, Freeloader is the current band led by Nat Freedberg (best known as the front man of The Upper Crust.) He’s been pretty busy over the past few years, releasing several albums of new material under different names but Freeloader seems to be the one he’s concentrating on. Although not as overtly humorous as The Upper Crust, musically this album isn’t too far removed from that band and will undoubtedly appeal to their fans. It delves into classic Seventies Hard Rock, mixing hooks and riffs in a style that recalls the likes of (early) AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd, while the lyrics are more tongue in cheek rather than blatant parody. Like Spinal Tap, this works because although there is a sense of humour involved, it’s not just a joke. The music is performed properly with a real sense of dedication, which is why the songs sound great. The results are catchy and insistent, powerful and entertaining, just like rock music should be. There are so many bands who do bad versions of what they think Hard Rock was all about, so it’s great when a band like Freeloader come along and do it properly. This needs to be heard, loud and often!
GEOFF PALMER. Charts & Graphs CD (Rum Bar) Best known as a member of The Queers, Geoff Palmer has recently spread his wings to record records with his own band, The Guts, a fine collaboration with Lucy Ellis (Lucy & the Rats, The Spazzies etc) as well as several solo releases. This is his latest effort and it effortlessly lives-up to expectations, ensuring that no fan of his previous recordings is going to be disappointed. He has an instinctive grasp of punk-rock-power-pop, where the melody shares as much importance as the buzzsaw guitar sound. Think of The Ramones, add some of Flamin’ Groovies and maybe a slice of The Replacements (there’s even a tribute-track of sorts, entitled ‘What Would Paul Westerberg Do?’) and you’ll get a good idea of the direction that this record will take you. The emphasis is on fun and if that’s what you want (who doesn’t?) then this is a perfect album for you!
THE LAISSEZ FAIRS. Curiosity Killed the Laissez Fairs CD (Rum Bar) This album has one of the most authentic Psychedelic-Pop sounds that I’ve ever heard, effortlessly mixing more mainstream Sixties styles with lesser-known ‘Nuggets’ influences. Overall, I’d suggest The Kinks as a good starting point, but from there you’d have to add everything from The Beatles to Roky Erickson and from the Rolling Stones (circa ‘We Love You’) through to The Monkees. But importantly, rather than it just being a bunch of muso’s making a studied-imitation of the original bands, this whole album sounds like a band having great fun with the songs and it’s that approach which lifts the record above being merely ‘retro’ and makes it so enjoyable right now. They’ve taken the essential elements (fuzzy guitars, Farfisa keyboards, great harmonies) and put them through a contemporary production to give this a real vitality of its’ own. The results are very impressive and certainly stand-up well, even alongside their original influences. If you’ve ever enjoyed Sixties garage-pop, then this is something that you really have to hear!
MARK WAGNER. Son Rise LP (Adaadat) This is quite different to previous releases that I’ve heard on the Adaadat label, but certainly no less intriguing. Based on Hermeticism, an ancient mixture of mysticism and philosophy, the album delves into metaphysical ideas and questions concerning creation and existence. Mark Wagner originally composed this music in 2015, originally intending it to be performed by piano and voice only, but in 2021 during the lockdowns, he extended the scope of the music to include rhythms, electronic sounds and violin to create an album that now stands as a valid work in its’ own right. The piano remains as the prominent instrument, whilst the electronics provide further character to the atmosphere, in much the same way that the more dramatic soundtracks often work. The lyrics are intoned rather than being sung, which draws you in and demands your concentration. The more I listen to this, the more I find to explore, as if there are different layers rather than one complete piece. This is something that you can enjoy on an instant level, but there is also more to delve into if you want to take it further. More information can be found at https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkWagner33
NILS DAMAGE. Hotzenplotz LP (Head Perfume) Nils Damage was a German garage punk singer/guitarist who specialised in a ‘NoFi’ approach which was eagerly embraced by fans who loved raw music dedicated to energy and attitude rather than technical finesse. Nils sadly passed away in 2019, but between 1994 and 2016 he released numerous records under different band names, the best known ones including Superhelicoptor, The Spamchords and The Gothiefs. This album has been put together to serve as a tribute to Nils’ musical output, but also serves as a perfect introduction to his sonically-distorted world. A total of 23 tracks are included, covering all of the bands that he fronted and many of these are long out-of-print or even previously unreleased, so it’s a great overview for both existing fans and those new to his noise. Musically, if you could imagine the raw power of those early singles by Crime, mixed with Greg Lowery’s snotty punk approach (The Rip-Offs, Control Freaks, Zodiac Killers etc) then you’ll be somewhere along the right path, although Nils was always intent on taking things a s far as possible… just listen to the Damnation Kids cover of ‘Human Fly’ to hear what I mean. It’s hardly recognisable until the vocals kick-in, but at the same time, perfectly captures the demented-spirit of the original. Many of the tracks included here take the same raucous approach, although the songs recorded under the name Joe Le Balor take a more restrained approach (part singer/songwriter, part serial killer) and provide some essential contrast! But at the same time, the presentation of this album that is also very remarkable. Pressed on 180g vinyl and packaged in an elaborate gatefold sleeve, it’s a fine-looking album by anyone’s standard, while it also includes a full-colour inner-sleeve and a large 16-page booklet that includes artwork and photos as well as extensive sleeve-notes. As an inclusive and thorough document of Nils’ musical legacy, this has been put together with real care and respect, which has to be commended. Admittedly, this record will not be to everyone’s taste, but if you want to hear something that will really annoy the neighbours and blow away the blues, then this is ideal. Beware… once you get into it, there’s no way back!
999. A Punk Rock Anthology 1977-2020, Cd Box-set (Captain Oi) 999 never really fitted-in with what the music press thought ‘punk rock’ was supposed to be, but at the same time produced some of the best music of the era. Unfortunately such media-preconceptions scuppered their career in the UK, although they would eventually find more receptive audiences in other parts of the world. And quite rightly so, because the first two 999 albums were absolute classics and nothing they subsequently released let the side down. Even as their music developed and moved on, they stayed a lot more true to their roots and original-intentions than many of their contemporaries and this double-CD is a perfect record of a band that created its’ own sound and became an integral part of the Punk Rock scene, rather than jumping on a bandwagon or playing up to media expectations. Singer/guitarist Nick Cash had been a founding member of Kilburn and the High Roads alongside Ian Dury, initiating the Pub-rock scene back in 1971. But when they fell-out, he put together a new band with his brother, Guy Days, and started to write songs in a more abrasive style, such as ‘I’m Alive’ and ‘Emergency’. It was a big step forward from Pub Rock and a similar path as that followed by the Stranglers, but they were in the right place at the right time and the results were vital. Their first two albums, ‘999’ and ‘Separates’ didn’t feature a single bad track but because they didn’t fit the populist-idea of what ‘punk-rock’ was supposed to be, they only enjoyed partial success whilst many lesser bands climbed the Top Twenty. Subsequently, they were ditched by United Artists and drummer Pablo Labritain suffered a bad accident which put him out of action for some time, but their determination saw them through. Pablo eventually returned to the band, who by then had signed to Polydor, and despite the media concentrating on the appalling New Romantic scene by that point, 999 released the albums ‘The Biggest Prize in Sport’ and Concrete’, which both took their sound further forward. The band simply refused to cede and while interest waned in the UK, they began touring in America, where their reputation as a great live act soon built a large following for them. They started to find their place once again, performing reliably excellent live shows and producing further fine albums like ‘13th Floor Madness’ and ‘Face to Face’. By the late Eighties, 999 had re-established themselves with a loyal following both in the UK and abroad (touring as far afield as Japan and Argentina!) and despite some line-up changes, continued to be a busy and productive band. Over the course of these two CD’s, you will hear the best of 999, from the classics featured on their early singles and albums through to the later highpoints of a band that refused to follow the line. 999 have remained the real deal because they’ve never even considered doing things any other way. This is a superb collection of songs by anyone’s standard and you’d be an idiot to miss out on it!
OPENSIGHT. Mondo Fiction CD (www.opensightband.com) The obvious reference point here has to be Mike Pattons’ various soundtrack-related projects. Which isn’t to say that this is all that Open Sight have to offer, as their interpretation of the genre is more than valid in its’ own right. It’s more a case that they’re covering similar ground, whilst impressing their own character on the results. There are certainly elements of the kind of cinematic scores for the likes of the classic, early James Bond movies, as well as the type of arrangements employed by John Zorn (frantic episodes offset with tension and space.) Rhythmically, the music is propelled by a solid style that holds everything together, whilst having the confidence to break into erratic moments when appropriate. The vocals convey the drama of the songs, again with all the confidence required to deliver the necessary gravitas. And to top it all, they even include an excellent cover of the ‘Thunderball’ title track as their finale! Combining Sixties-style surf guitar tones and Seventies Rock style keyboards, this is an almost unlikely combination of styles, but somehow it works really well. If you enjoy Rock music that really tries something different without losing any of its’ inherent power, then this is something you should listen to.
THE PEPPERMINT KICKS S/T CD (Rum Bar) Put together by Danny the K (also of the Shang Hi-Los) and Sal Baglio (of The Stompers and Amplifier Heads) this is an album of vintage mid-Seventies style power pop that sounds both authentic and familiar. The songs reference Fifties rock’n’roll, Sixties beat-pop and Seventies Glam along the way, producing a record that will have you thinking of TRex, Cheap trick, maybe the Kursaal Flyers, perhaps The Replacements… It works because they keep the songs simple and catchy whilst using arrangements that really bring out the vitality and drama of the songs. With their influences coming from some of the very best sources, the results are instantly enjoyable, the sort of songs you hear once and have the tunes stuck in your head for the rest of the week. Let’s hope they can follow-up this debut with more fine releases real soon!
'THE RESIDENTS. Wormwood Box CD set (Cherry Red) I’ve always thought that ‘Wormwood’ was one of the Residents’ more under-rated albums, so I’m very happy that this much-expanded version has been made available. ‘Wormwood’ features songs based on some of the more peculiar stories found in the Bible, with narration and vocals from Mr Skull as well as some excellent performances from long-time collaborator Molly Harvey (check out ‘I Hate Heaven’ and ‘Burn Baby Burn’.) Over the course of nine CD’s, this set begins with the original album and then delves into early demos before exploring live recordings and the ‘Roadworms’ album (which featured the live set recorded in a Berlin studio.) Now, in many cases, so many different recordings of the same basic material would be a pointless exercise as most bands strive to sound exactly the same whether in a studio or onstage. They would call it ‘professionalism’… others call it ‘predictable'. But the Residents have never embraced that concept and, indeed, the music and arrangements for the Wormwood project not only differed when performed live but also continued to evolve as the tour progressed. This is most notable between the recording of the very first performance (‘Wormwood at the Fillmore’) and the ‘Live in Europe’ discs, recorded during their European tour the following year. Taking it even further into the roots of the album, the two discs of ‘Early Worms’ capture basic musical ideas (mostly instrumental) which gradually form into more fully realised demos, while the live recordings are all good quality and capture not just the music but also the atmosphere of the performances. In many ways, it could be said that the key element of The Residents has always been their ideas and how they develop. This boxset gives you a chance to explore how their ideas progressed during the ‘Wormwood’ era, from its’ earliest sketches through to its’ eventual conclusion, touring around the world. Admittedly, if you’re not a fan of ‘Wormwood’, such an extensive record of the project is not going to change your mind, but if you did enjoy the album or were even a little unsure about it, then this may well be the collection that really helps you to appreciate the album more fully. It’s over twenty years since the original release of ‘Wormwood’, but to my ears, it just keeps sounding better than ever!
THE RISEN DREAD. Night Hag CD (therisendread.bandcamp.com/releases) The Risen Dread are an Irish metal band who seem intent on mixing styles and genres to create a concept album which has mental illness as its’ central theme. The band have already toured extensively allowing themselves to hone their sound and then found time during the pandemic to complete this record. The results are certainly powerful, mixing elements of thrash, death and black metal, whilst singer Marco Feltrin produces an impressive range of vocal styles. The production gives it a lively, insistent sound and a guest appearances from Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser adds to the depth of the sound, whilst Brazilian composer Renato Zanuto brings an atmospheric arrangement to the final track, ‘The Night Hag’. As a debut album, this is a pretty impressive album and certainly suggests that this is a band who may well be capable of producing some very interesting records as they progress further. In the meantime, be sure to give this a listen and keep your ears-open for more from this band.
THE STRANGLERS. TheMeninblackinTokyo. LP (Coursegood) recorded live in Japan during November 2019, this album documents one of the final gigs played by the band before the sad and untimely loss of Dave Greenfield. I doubt if any fan would deny how important his keyboard style was to the bands’ overall sound, but if you need a reminder, you listen to this album. It was always one of the key elements that set the Stranglers apart from the punk rock pack and allowed them to carve-out their own place within the last five decades of rock music. It seems impossible to consider this album without paying tribute to Dave-in-Black, but it also stands up very well as a great set in its’ own right. As anyone who has seen the band in recent years will attest, since the band returned to the four-piece format, they’ve regained the dynamic of their early years and it clearly works better for them. They perform their older material perfectly, with all the power and intent it deserves, but also add new songs that are just as integral to the set. That they are delivering new material that stands up so well next to their established classics is almost incredible, but it’s true. This recording is all the proof you need. Songs like ‘I’ve Been Wild’, ‘Norfolk Coast’ and ‘Freedom is Insane’ are totally complimentary alongside the likes of ‘Peaches’, ‘Something Better Change’ or ‘Tank’. What more could you want from a band or a live album? That being said, thid isn’t a perfect representation of the band as the recording is a little too clean and ‘digital’ at times, if you know what I mean, but the performance is great even if the album doesn’t really capture the atmosphere of their gigs and the usual interaction with the audience. But that’s a minor gripe when you consider just how good it sounds anyway. This is a limited edition release, so I suggest you get over to the bands’ webstore promptly. After following the band for so many years, hearing an album like this confirms that I was doing the right thing! I can only recommend that you catch up with The Stranglers soon, if you haven’t already done so.
THE VIBRATORS. The Albums 1985-1990 CD Box-set (Cherry Red) Although many ‘fans’ adhere to the script that the first two Vibrators’ albums are the only ones that remain essential, that blinkered opinion seems to come mostly from punters who have never actually heard the bands’ later offerings. This collection features five albums released between 1985-90 that, admittedly, display a different side to the band but, at the same time, also retain all the energy and songwriting-talent that made The Vibrators a great band in the first place. This set kicks-off with the ‘Live’ album, capturing an incendiary set of songs recorded during a UK / European tour in 1985/86. The band line-up features Knox, Eddie Edwards and John Ellis from the original band and, accordingly, perform the songs with all the energy and determination that you’d want from them. Plenty of older classics like ‘Automatic Lover’ and ‘Troops of Tomorrow’, but also later gems like ‘Amphetamine Blue’ and ‘Rip Up the City’. The subsequent departure of John Ellis led to a new line-up featuring Knox, Eddie, Mark Duncan and Mickie Owen, but the changes didn’t slow the band down with the new, appropriately-titled album ‘Recharged’ and its’ follow-up ‘Meltdown’ both released in 1988. ‘Recharged’ mixed older powerpop influences with Springsteen-styled rock to produce an album not all that far away from the likes of The Replacements. ‘Too Dumb’ in particular is a classic Vibrators song, while ‘Tight Black Jeans’ could easily have been co-written with Iggy Pop. Moving onto ‘Meltdown’, the band refined the style heard on ‘Recharged’, with a harder rock sound but always underpinning the songs with insistent melodies. ‘Cruel to You’ is perhaps the highlight, changing the mood with a brooding sense of menace not far-removed from ‘Troops of Tomorrow’. The band were introducing different styles into their set, but the music was still very-much The Vibrators. By the time the ‘Vicious Circle’ LP was recorded and released in 1989, Micky Owen had been replaced by Nigel Bennett (ex-Members) but the transition seems to have been smooth and the resulting album continues in the successful style of its’ predecessors. It also featured two cover versions, a blistering version of the Flamin’ Groovies classic ‘Slow Death’ and an almost unlikely version of ‘Halfway to Paradise’, which was also released as a single. The final album in this set, ‘Volume Ten’, saw the same line-up stay together and again, there was a mix of powerpop melodies and a harder-edged rock sound that perfectly suited the bands’ new crop of songs. Having got a taste for covers on the previous album, they also delivered a fine, boisterous version of the Buddy Holly classic ‘Rave On’ which proved to be another astute choice, although that being said, it’s their own material that really stands out on this album. It’s a great rock’n’roll record with plenty of energy, catchy songs and a strong production which all comes together to create the best album of this set. So, going back to the point I made at the beginning of this review, don’t fall for that nonsense about later Vibrators albums not being worth your time. If you choose to miss out, you’ll only be fooling yourself. The style may be a bit different on these albums, but trust me, the band still produced music that was every-bit as vital. If you don’t check them out, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice.
V/A. LUX AND IVY SAY FLIP YOUR TOP. CD (Cherry Red / Righteous)) I’m still unsure how much ‘Lux and Ivy’ may or may not be directly involved in this recent series of compilations, but the fact remains that the actual content is pretty damn good! Dating back to the late-Fifties and early Sixties, this collection features fifty tracks from various artists who have only their mutual-obscurity in common. Some of the songs may be familiar (‘Route 66’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’) but the musicians, despite wonderful monikers such as ‘The Flock Rocker’ and ‘Slim Marbles’, are going to mean little to all but the most obsessed vinyl-fanatics. In fact, the only names I recognised are Champion Jack Dupree and Kim Fowley… But that being said, you’re going to find some real treats on this double-disc set. Just check out the demented offerings of the aforementioned Flock Rocker (‘The Chinese Rock’n’Roll’) Stan Freberg’s insane interpretation of ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ or Eugene Fox’s ‘The Sinner’s Dream’, which has a vocal performance that makes Tom Waits’ sound positively sweet! In other places, it’s the subject matter that will have you pondering, what the Hell were they thinking? In this category, you can investigate Chris Cerf and the Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir with the superb ‘Fallout Filly’, or Gerry Granahan with ‘Too Big For Her Bikini’. Musically, the sounds do vary quite a bit, mixing up Fifties Pop with R’n’B, boogie-woogie, Surf, Blues and primal rock’n’roll. I’m always amazed with the bizarre and down-right crazy music you can discover from this era and even now, sixty years later, you wouldn’t expect some of these performances to ever be allowed on the radio, but it all goes to show that you can find real gems from every musical age and genre if you dig deep enough. Whatever contemporary music you may be into right now, this is a collection you ought to investigate because, if you can’t find something to enjoy here, then you really need to refresh your sense of fun!
V/A. LUX AND IVY DIG THOSE NOVELTY TUNES. CD (Cherry Red /Righteous) To paraphrase a wise man, If you can’t dig this, you can’t dig nothin’. This compilation presents 25 tracks from different artists, whose records only received any success if they were lucky enough to be treated as novelty pop by the radio stations. That said, much of these songs probably weren’t intended as ‘novelties’ when originally written and recorded. There are actually a few famous names included here (Danny Kaye and Spike Jones) whose long careers would seem to suggest they took things a little more seriously, while certain songs were destined to become famous for various different reasons. ‘Purple People Eater’ by Sheb Wooley was a big hit around the world and was subsequently covered by singers as diverse as Judy Garland and Ian Gillan! On the other end of the spectrum, the Legendary Stardust Cowboy produced a single so bizarre (‘Paralyzed’) that it remains unbelievable to this day that it actually got him briefly signed-up by Mercury records and reached the Top 200 in the 1968 Billboard Charts. The low-level of success should have meant that he subsequently disappeared into obscurity, was it not for the efforts of fans like David Bowie (Stardust, hmm…) John Peel and Klaus Flouride of the Dead Kennedys, who did their best to promote his name and elevate ‘The Ledge’ to cult-hero status. The thing is, ‘Paralyzed’ is a genuinely- deranged song, rather than a gimmick or novelty, which is why it still PERSISTS+++ . And in the middle of all of this, there’s the original version of ‘Nee Nee Nana Nunu’ by Dicky Doo and the Don’ts. Hearing it now, with its’ insistent rhythms, it’s easy to see why Bad Manners echoes to record a Ska version later on… The same Dicky Doo is also included with the track ‘No Chemise Please’, which probably wouldn’t go down well with the PC Brigade these days (not that you should care about them…) Elsewhere, there are catchy, quirky pop songs from Kookie’s Mad Pad, some great Garage rock, complete with twangin’ guitar from Glen & Christy, while Jerry Neal presents the Bugs Bunny-inspired ‘I Hates Rabbits’. The Five Blobs deliver the title track from the B-movie ‘The Blob’, Hugh Barrett gives us the wonderfully entitled ‘Fungus Among Us’, and Eugene Fox sounds like Tom Waits being possessed by the spirit of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Also worth a mention is Tony Burrello with ‘The Sound of Worms’ which sounds like the most twisted psychedelia re-imagined through post-punk! The thing is, many of these artists probably didn’t start out intending to make a ‘novelty’ or ‘gimmick’ record, but found that their efforts would only have any success if treated that way, even though they may have been totally serious about their music. This means that they can still be enjoyed now and treated with a bit more respect. Basically, this is a great and very entertaining set of songs. Don’t take it too seriously, for sure, but don’t treat it like disposable pap either, because, if you do, you’ll be the one who misses out.