RECORD REVIEWS, JANUARY-JUNE 2024.
THE BLUNDERS. Magic & Manipulation CD (www.theblunders.co.uk) This is a great album. Musically, you can still hear their Anarcho-punk roots, but they’re adding so much more this time. The whole tone of these songs is more angry and focused, railing against the ever-increasing inequalities within the UK and the frustration and anxiety it causes. The production gives the songs a much more expansive sound, while the arrangements allow space for different sounds and influences, including more keyboards, drum machine patterns and sampling. They even have a guest appearance from Frank Cutter (of Anarchistwood) providing her distinct vocals on the song ‘Say It’. This is a very accomplished recording, displaying raw emotions and an aggressive Punk attitude alongside rhythms that are surprisingly catch and danceable. This band deserve to be heard by a much-wider audience. If you haven’t already heard them, start with this album and let yourself be impressed!
CULT FIGURES. Bewtween Us and Heaven CD (Gare Du Nord.) Cult Figures released two fine singles on Swell Maps’ ‘Rather Records’ label back in 1979/80 (‘Zip Nolan’ remains a personal fave) before taking an extended tea-break and eventually re-emerging in 2018. Since then, this is the third album they’ve released, despite the loss of founding-member Gary Jones in 2021. Fortunately, the remaining band members were able to re-focus on their plans, recruited two new members and proceeded to complete this new album. With a strong production and an array of songs that display both their accessibility and their eccentric quirkiness, this may well be their best album to date. At times, you’ll hear hints of the Buzzcocks at their most adventurous, early-Wire or perhaps the catchier moments of the Blue Orchids. Not that they particularly sound like any of those bands, but they seem to share certain elements and influences, adding their own creative ideas to make it something of their own. The album has a wide range of styles and tempos that will keep you on your toes and draw you further into their musical world every time you listen. This is true ‘indie-pop’, full of catchy tunes and genuine credibility. With so much pre-fabricated rubbish out there, desperately trying to be your new favourite band, Cult Figures effortlessly sneak into your consciousness in a way that only the genuine article could manage.
FUZZTONES. Live at The Dive ’85 CD (Area Pirata) Everyone I know who saw The Fuzztones when they first came to the UK in 1985 (a few headline shows and a tour supporting The Damned) still recalls how great they were. They had just released the ‘Lysergic Emanations’ album, considered by many to be their best, and their line-up was undoubtedly the classic Fuzztones ensemble. But instead of coming back to build on the exposure they gained from the tour, the band fell apart and it would take some time before singer Rudi Protrudi resurfaced with a new version of the band. This live recording may be of bootleg-quality but it captures the original band at the legendary garage-punk venue just before they left for that first UK tour. They play all the best tracks from their latest LP and, as it was a pretty special night for them, a bunch of unexpected covers including songs by contemporaries like The Chesterfield Kings and The Lyres. There’s even a few (at the time) unrecorded songs that wouldn’t be released until a few years later and were never actually recorded by this line-up. For fans, that’s what makes this a special recording. The sound quality certainly isn’t hi-fi, but the rough’n’raw tape-recorder sound-quality captures the spirit of their performance perfectly. It’s probably not for casual listeners or the merely curious, but if you’re a fan and especially if you saw them around that time, this is something you’re really gonna want to hear!
IGGY & THE STOOGES. Live at Lokerse Feesten, 2005 LP (Culture Factory) An exclusive Record Store Day release and I’ve got to say, it’s well-worth tracking-down. Technically, this is The Stooges rather than ‘Iggy & The Stooges’ as it’s the line-up featuring Ron and Scott Asheton rather than the later reunion with James Williamson. But forget about the trivia because this album is superb. The live sound captures the band just how they were, with Mike Watt taking-on the bass role and doing it just right, and Steve McKay providing sax just as he did on the ‘Funhouse’ album. Ron plays guitar the way it should be, often copied but never bettered, while Iggy’s vocals tackle the songs with attitude and finesse. As well as their classic, original material, this also includes stunning versions of ‘Skull Ring’ and ‘Dead Rock Star’, proving beyond doubt that the band could still write and perform great new material. You can feel the energy from this gig as the album plays through and it may well be the best recording from The Stooges reunion that I’ve heard. In fact, the only disappointment is that it doesn’t seem to include the full set, which is a shame as the whole event ought to be made available. But in the meantime, play this album loud and let it blow you away.
LENE LOVICH. Toy Box CD box-set (Cherry Red) This is a thorough 4 CD set covering Lene’s tenure with Stiff Records, based around her three albums of that period, ‘Stateless’, ‘Flex’ and ‘No Man’s Land’. Lene had been involved in music and dance since the early Seventies, but didn’t focus on her own music until 1976 when she recorded a novelty Xmas single for Polydor. Although it wasn’t a success, further recordings were made and came to the attention of Stiff Records, who promptly decided to release ‘Lucky Number’ as a single. The quirky, catchy tune and Lene’s unique vocal style would prove to be very popular and propelled the single to a Top 3 chart position. Her first album, ‘Stateless’, was quickly recorded to follow-up the success of the single and Lene was also invited to join the upcoming ‘Be Stiff’ package tour, alongside the likes of Wreckless Eric, Jona Lewie and Rachel Sweet. ‘Stateless’ reached the Top Forty, while her next single, ‘Say When’ hit the Top Twenty. Her sound and visual style fit perfectly in to the ‘New Wave’ era, combining her eccentric yet accessible musical talents. ‘Stateless’ would subsequently be released in America by Epic, who decided that the album deserved a new, less-rushed mix and also gave it new artwork and a different track listing (this version is also included in this set.) Her next album, ‘Flex’, was released the following year, which included another successful single, ‘Bird Song’, and a final album for Stiff records, ‘No Man’s Land’, appeared in 1982. Since then, she has remained busy with numerous projects both onstage and in the studio, and has maintained a loyal following even though her media-profile may not be as prominent as it once was. Regardless, her unique style has remained an often-overlooked influence on remains an instantly-recognisable song whenever it’s played. This collection may be based around the original albums, but it also includes a wealth of demo recordings, live tracks, remixes and rare alternative versions that will be true treasures for any fan, new or old. Together with a 24-page booklet, featuring extensive notes and full-colour artwork, this is a superb collection and captures the essence of a truly unique artist.
THE LONG RYDERS. Native Sons - Expanded Edition CD box-set (Cherry Red) The Long Ryders are a band who could justifiably claim to be the Godfather’s of the so-called ‘Alt-country’ scene, although I doubt that they’d want to say such a thing. But what is undeniable is that, when ‘Native Sons’ was released in 1984, they introduced a new vitality to Country music and while their more obvious influences were the likes of The Byrds, Buddy Holly and perhaps Alex Chilton, they were also unafraid to reference Sixties Garage and Seventies Punk along the way. Indeed, the fact that this album still sounds so fresh and invigorating almost 40 years later is testament to the unique direction that they took. They never shied-away from showing their musical abilities but at the same time never over-stepped the mark, which means there’s nothing on this album that doesn’t need to be there! This 3CD set includes the original album, their ’10-5-60’ EP, a disc-full of demos and an entire gig recorded at Camden Dingwallls in 1985, making it a thorough overview of the band both before and after the release of this excellent debut album. It also comes with a 28 page booklet featuring rare photos and extensive sleeve-notes to put everything in context, plus a promo-poster. It’s going to be of most interest to established fans, but even if you’ve never heard them before, there are plenty of really great songs that should appeal to anyone with decent in music (…just listen to ‘I Had a Dream’ and wonder why it was never a hit single…) This is a genuinely enthralling album and the bonus material really puts the icing on the cake. The Long Ryders deserve your attention.
PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES. The Complete Singles CD (Captain Oi!) Just as it says on the box, this collection features every single and EP released by the band, from the classic ‘Banned From The Pubs’ in 1982 through to the superbly-titled ‘Crap Californian Punk Band’, released in 2017. Two CD packed with 40 songs, many of which aren’t available on the bands’ regular albums. For a fan, this is a set to cherish! The Test-Tube Babies actually formed in 1978, so by the time their first single was released they already had their own recognisable style and become a highly impressive live band. ‘Banned From the Pubs’, released on No Future records, was an instantly enjoyable song with singalong lyrics and plenty of energy. Backed by ‘Moped Lads’ and ‘Peacehaven Wild Kids’, the record also displayed their irreverent sense of humour. Second single, ‘Run Like Hell’, captured the same spikey vitality of its’ predecessor, with a spoken intro and infectious guitar hooks. To this day, these two singles are essential items in any self-respecting punk rock record collection, but that’s certainly not to say that their later releases lacked quality. ‘Zombie Creeping Flesh’; released in 1983, came out on the bands’ own ‘Trapper’ label while they started work on material for their second album ‘Mating Sounds of South American Frogs’. Their style was developing in different ways, with more imaginative guitar sounds and a much more accomplished production. The following single, ‘The Jinx’ took it even further, with a great mix of fast, catchy punk rock and an accessible production that highlighted their melodic hooks. They should have started to attract a wider audience at this point but the music press seemed intent on treating them as a ‘joke-band’ and as a result they never got the coverage they deserved. Regardless, their next EP, the charmingly entitled ‘Rotting in the Fart Sack’, indulged in even more unlikely musical directions, from the Cow-punk of ‘Ten Deadly Sins’ and ‘Boozanza’ to the pomp-rock of the title track. The ‘Key to the City’ EP appeared the following year, featuring the best track from their recent ‘Soberphobia’ album plus some great live recordings. Over the following decade or so, the band became less prolific, with only one album, ‘Supermodels’, in 1995 and only three singles, but as usual there’s more than a few decent songs to be found. Overall, it’s probably fair to say that it’s still the older material that fans want to hear, but there’s plenty of later material that’s well-worth checking-out and this is the perfect way to check out what you may have missed. It’s an entertaining collection of melodic punk in the Test Tube’s inimitable style and if you’ve never heard them before or are only familiar with their early records, this is an album that you really should investigate.
PURPLE HEARTS. Extraordinary Sensations CD box-set (Cherry Red) Of all the ‘Mod Revival’ bands that emerged in the late Seventies, the Purple Hearts were undoubtedly one of the best. The thing was, like The Chords, they stood-out because they weren’t just a revival band and developed their own style rather than merely imitating the original style. They obviously had a wider spectrum of influences, from Sixties Garage and psychedelic pop though to Seventies Punk (indeed, their origins were in a short-lived punk band called The Sockets) and it was this mix which gave them their character. Their first LP, ‘Beat That!’ is one of the best records from the era, full of energy and insistence. Including the singles ‘Frustration’ and ‘Millions Like Us’, it presented the band at their best, with a solid style and plenty of creative ideas to help the songs stick in your memory. However, unsurprisingly for a band with so many different ideas at play, they soon became frustrated by merely being associated with the Mod scene and when they found themselves dropped by their label (Fiction) they released their next single, ‘My Life’s a Jigsaw’, on the independent Safari label, experimenting with different production styles and a catchier, more pop orientated sound. One more single, ‘Plane Crash’, was released in 1982 with a lively style which that showed they still had plenty of talent but, even though their loyal live following was keeping them busy in the UK, when they took a chance on playing in America, things didn’t go as planned and they decided to split. Fortunately, they remained friends, so when they were asked to reform for a special event in Ilford, they agreed. Enjoying themselves and discovering that there was still plenty of interest in the band, they continued to play occasional gigs and, in 1986, returned to the studio to record their second album, ‘Popish Frenzy’. Some fans were surprised by the records’ overall sound, as it embraced a style that leaned even further towards Sixties pyschedelia and pop and, in retrospect can be seen to pre-dated many of the big-name indie bands that appeared in the ensuing years. It certainly wasn’t a mere retread of the bands’ first album and, as such, stayed true to their original intent. Their first album had been an instant classic, but ‘Popish Frenzy’ demanded more attention and is still an album that sounds better and better every time you hear it. Away from the expectations of bigger record labels, Purple Hearts created their second classic LP and it’s a real shame that it didn’t achieve the success and credit it truly deserves. This box-set puts everything in a clear perspective. The first disc presents ‘Beat This!’ together with a wealth of single-tracks and rare demo’s, whilst ‘Popish Frenzy’ accounts for disc two, together with a similar abundance of non-LP tracks and yet more demos. The final disc showcases the bands’ live prowess, with a full set recorded in 1986, additional recordings from 1985 and 1999, plus yet more demo / rehearsal tapes. It’s pretty much everything a fan would want to hear, but also serves as a perfect introduction (albeit rather extensive) if you’re not already familiar with the band. This is a really great collection and presents a band that really should be more widely appreciated. Go and get it now!
SUBURBAN STUDS. Slam CD (Captain Oi!) The Suburban Studs were one of the first Punk bands in Birmingham, forming in 1976. The advantage of this was that, with so few Punk bands up and running at that point, they were invited to play alongside bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash, as well as less-likely gigs with the likes of AC/DC and Judas Priest! Musically, their songs were usually pretty fast, had catchy hooks and suitably snotty vocals, even if there was a noticeable Pub Rock and Glam influence to many of them (they had originally formed as a rock covers band before becoming Suburban Studs.) They played live a lot and signed to the independent ‘Pogo’ label who released two singles and this album, which led to them being invited to record a session for John Peel in late ’77 and appearing on the ‘Live at the Hope & Anchor’ album. However, due to poor advertising and possibly the fact that they didn’t live in London, the album didn’t sell well at the time and they didn’t release any further records. They shortened their name to ‘The Studs’ for a while and continued to play live, but with no further label interest, they eventually split. However, they did leave behind a set of demo’s featuring songs intended for a second album which were a lot more varied and accomplished, heading in a more powerpop direction. Alongside the John Peel session, the demo’s are all included in this double CD set, making it a very thorough collection. Suburban Studs may not have been destined for the big time (even in Punk terms) but the ensuing years have treated them well and, despite the lack of enthusiasm from the music press back at the time, ‘Slam’ and its’ accompanying singles have become much more respected over the decades and interest in the band has continued to grow. This latest reissue gathers together the bands’ complete recordings and, particularly when you hear the demos, gives you a chance to hear how the band developed in a relatively short period of time. They really do sound better than ever!
V/A. JUST WANT TO BE MYSELF LP (Cherry Red) Double-album collection of tracks taken from singles released in the 1977-79 period. Although none of these records ever reached the Top 40 (and some of them certainly deserved to) there are plenty of songs here that you should be familiar with, such as the Spizzenergi classic ‘Where’s Captain Kirk?’, ATV’s ‘Action Time Vision’, UK Subs ‘CID’ and The Rezillos ‘I Can’t Stand My Baby’. All of these records sold enough copies to reach the mainstream charts, but just not in the rice, respectable ‘chart-return’ shops, so they didn’t get counted! It’s these unsung heroes that this album celebrates, bands who embraced the Punk ethos, learned three chords and got up to do something for themselves. Many lasted just long enough to release one or two records, whilst others, like The Fall, 999, and The Adicts, would go on to establish themselves as long-lasting stalwarts of the independent scene. Many of the original releases are now highly collectable, such as The Outsiders ‘One to Infinity’, self-released in 1977 and featuring Adrian Borland on guitar and vocals before he went on to form The Sound. Puncture’s ‘Mucky Pup’ has the distinction of being the first release on the wonderful Small Wonder label. It was also their only record, leaving the band steeped in mystery! ‘O Level’ was another short-lived band, but various members would go on to join TV Personalities, making their ‘Pseudo Punk’ single another item of deserved-interest. But collectable or not, there are so many great songs on this album, with classic tracks by Eater, The Carpettes, The Wasps, Patrik Fitzgerald, Electric Chairs (featuring Wayne County) The Ruts, Cockney Rejects and Angelic Upstarts. It’s a varied selection of styles but that’s how it was at the times. Bands formed to do something different, not to sound like everyone else, and as a result you really had to pay attention to make sure you didn’t miss something special. Perhaps the bands featured here didn’t enjoy the commercial success of the ‘big names’ of the punk era, but they left behind a legacy that’s more than respectable. Play this album loud and discover some new favourites for yourself!
V/A. NEW GUITARS IN TOWN CD boxset (Cherry Red) Subtitled ‘Power Pop 1978-82’, this three CD set is packed with songs (75 in total) from bands who emerged in the period that followed the initial UK punk rock explosion. They embraced the energy and excitement of the punk movement but at the same time forged sounds that were more commercial and radio-friendly, with influences also including Sixties pop and Seventies Glam (Cheap Trick, Sparks etc.) Some people looked-down on bands like these for those very reasons, but in reality it was a pretty natural progression after punk had happened, just in the same way that ‘New Wave’ and ‘Post-Punk’ (similarly vague genres) were inevitable. It’s best not to judge these bands as a ‘genre’, but rather listen to them individually and appreciate them on their own merits. Many of the tracks featured here were successful and even reached the national charts, with some bands establishing pretty healthy careers (Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello, Buzzcocks, The Jam, Squeeze, the Undertones, 999 etc.) Others really should have been massive hits but somehow missed out (The Boys, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Carpettes, Rich Kids,…) and there are also plenty of great songs, from the likes of Neon Hearts, The Quads, The Donkeys, The Stiffs, that still sound amazing but were just a bit too quirky or edgy to gain the sort of radio-play that could have propelled then further. Also of interest to fans of this era, there are a few intriguing oddities: The Rollers’ single ‘Turn on the Radio’ was actually the Bay City Rollers taking a new approach following the departure of their original singer, Les McKeown. Jo Callis released the ‘Woah Yeah’ 7” inbetween his stints with The Rezillos and Human League, while The Aces were members of Menace who took a more melodic direction after losing their original singer. Unashamedly catchy and upbeat, these are songs that celebrated the good times, even if the outside world was pretty grim. Perfect Pop? Well, not every track, but there are plenty that meet the criteria. Play loud and get the party moving!