R.I.P. 2016 Part 2

As the year ends, magazines and blogs are getting their "year in music" specials ready. And you can bet that on the top of everyone's list will be the death of David Bowie last January. As hard it is to argue with that, it would be unfair to let it overshadow the passing of many other important musicians in this wretched year. I published a partial list in the spring and it is with regret that I must compile a second one, with artists who have made such beautiful and timeless music and whom we lost between April and December 2016.

Thank You For The Music

Leonard Cohen (singer, poet)
George Michael (singer, Wham!)
Scotty Moore (Elvis' legendary guitarist)
Alan Vega (Suicide, the NYC band)
Rick Parfitt (singer, Status Quo)
Leon Russell (singer, songwriter, pianist)
Greg Lake (bass/vocals, King Crimson/ELP)
Dave Swarbrick (folk rock fiddler, Fairport Convention)
Phil Chess (producer, co-founder of Chess Records)
Prince Buster (Jamaican ska legend)
Mose Allison (jazz/blues pianist and singer)
Pete Burns (singer, Dead or Alive)
Sharon Jones (soul singer)
Candye Kane (jazz/blues singer)
Bobby Vee (early 60's pop idol)
Billy Paul (soul singer)
Kay Starr  (40's jazz singer )
Toots Thielemans (jazz harmonica)
Bernie Worrell (Keyboards, Parliament/Funkadelic)
Bap Kennedy (singer, Energy Orchard)
Eddie Harsch (drummer, The Black Crowes)
Craig Gill (drummer, Inspiral Carpets)
Nick Menza (drummer, Megadeth)
Alphonse Mouzon (jazz drummer, Weather Report)
Alexandrov Ensemble (Red Army Choir, plane crash Tu-154)
Preston Hubbard (bassist, Fabulous Thunderbirds/Roomful of Blues)
Henry McCullough (Spooky Tooth/Animals/Wings)
Bobby Hutcherson (jazz vibraphonist)
Wayne Jackson (Trumpet, The Mar-Keys)
Teddy Rooney (60's psych band The Yellow Payges)
Matt Roberts (guitarist, 3 Doors Down)
Danny Smythe (drummer, The Box Tops)
Lewis Steinberg (Booker T. & the M.G.'s)
Keith Gemmell (70's art rockers Audience)
Roye Albrighton (guitar & vocals prog rockers Nektar)
Sandy Pearlman (Blue Öyster Cult)
Padraig Duggan (Celtic band Clannad)
Glenn Yarbrough (folk singer, The Limeliters)
Mick Zane (guitarist, metal band Malice)
James Woolley (keys, Nine Inch Nails)
Ab Tamober (drummer, Dutch psych band Earth and Fire)
Jerry Corbetta (keyboardist and frontman for 70's band Sugarloaf)
Micky Fitz (singer, English punk rockers The Business)
John D. Loudermilk (songwriter, musician)
Gilli Smyth (vocals/lyrics for prog rockers Gong)
John Berry (early Beastie Boys member)
Don Ciccone (Four Seasons)
Leonard Haze (drummer, Y&T)

Nina Simone "Verve Jazz Masters 17" rec.1964-66 (comp.1993)*****

This is one of a few overlapping Nina Simone compilations in my collection. The perennial problem of buying compilations: you find yourself having almost all of the artists' best songs, then you have to buy another one for this or that song, then you have to buy the original albums -even if you already have 80% of the songs- because your record collection isn't complete without them etc. After awhile you end up owning the same songs three or four times and still always missing something. My advice: Buy only one compilation per artist, just the hits. If you like what you hear, slowly start collecting the original albums. Verve Jazz Masters covers a short 3-year period (with one exception) of a decades-long career, but it's full of classic songs. Jazz is, of course, a somewhat restrictive label for Simone, whose music also encompassed folk, blues, gospel, soul and classical music. Classical was actually her first love, as she was a child prodigy pianist. The pride of her community in a Southern U.S. town which raised money to send her to the most illustrious U.S. music school, New York's Juilliard academy of music. Money shortage and racial discrimination shattered her dream of being the first major African-American concert pianist and, despite later successes, this seems to have left her with a permanent bitterness. I remember seeing her perform when I was young, at the Katrakio theatre in my birthplace Nikea and thinking she was too dry and aloof - that, and being impressed by her playing, as I only knew her as a singer. She was then living in Europe, and enjoying a second career boom, sparked by the use of her song "My Baby Just Cares for Me" on a mid-80's TV ad. This is also the only song here not from the 60's - originally recorded in the 50's, it's included here as a live 1987 recording. Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" is also a live version of an early hit, and Rodgers & Hart's "Little Girl Blue" another try at the classic jazz songbook. "Love Me Of Leave Me" starts as playful jazz pop, but it's mostly notable for the amazing classical piano solos. "See-Line Woman" and "Work Song" veer closer to gospel and soul, while there are also slow mournful ballads, from the orchestral "Wild Is The Wind" to the almost renaissance folk "Black Is The Color..." and Billy Holiday's heartbreaking "Strange Fruit", one of many anti-racist songs in Simone's repertoire. She was very active in the Civil Rights movement and her own compositions ("Four Women", "Mississippi Goddamn" are included here) are angrier and more aggressive than most protest songs of the era, while she also inhabits with relish the persona of the vengeful Pirate Jenny, the servant girl who orders the death of her bosses in Brecht's same-named song. Most numbers feature a small jazz band, while in others her voice is complemented by big orchestral arrangements. The latter include "I Hold No Grudge", Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas", and the definitive versions of often-covered classics "I Put a Spell on You" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". Almost every song here is a masterpiece, so it's easy for me to recommend it. The only problem with this CD lies in what isn't here (i.e. "Sinner man", "Feeling Good", " Young Gifted And Black" etc.) but isn't that what always happens with compilations?

***** for Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair,  I Put A Spell On You, Love Me Or Leave Me, My Baby Just Cares For Me, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

**** for Little Girl Blue, I Loves You Porgy, Ne Me Quitte Pas, Wild Is The Wind, See-Line Woman, Strange Fruit, Pirate Jenny, Four Women, Mississippi Goddamn, I Hold No Grudge

The Brian Setzer Orchestra "Wolfgang's Big Night Out" 2007🎄🎄🎄

If there's one rocker whose name is forever linked to Christmas, that would be Brian Setzer. The former singer/guitarist of the greatest rockabilly revival group The Straycats branched out into swing during the mid-90's with his big band The Brian Setzer Orchestra. They released a number of Christmas CD's, but I won't be presenting one of those today: this one has a different, yet quite Christmas-y in its own way concept: playful swing versions of some of the most famous classics, starting with Beethoven's 5th Symphony, retitled "Take the 5th" - as in "I refuse to incriminate myself, so I'll take the 5th". Talk about starting off with a bang, doesn't get any better than this! The horns and drums sound the loudest but, as always with the B.S.O., there's some quite flashy guitar playing as well - just to showus that Ritchie Blackmore isn't the only rock guitarist to play Beethoven! It's followed by "One More Night With You" (actually Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King"), one of only two tunes with vocals, which he sings with the help of a female chorus - Classical music done in Rat Pack Vegas-style, and very successful to boot! The girls return on "Honey Man" (a.k.a. Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), urging him to play "Faster!Faster!" - and he does, you can mentally see his guitar throwing sparks! Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" is another fast tune that allows him to display his speed, while the other Beethoven track "Fur Elise" is given a more romantic Django-like gypsy swing flavour. The worst piece of classical music ever (Mendelssohn's wedding march) is spruced up and mingled with Wagner's "Lohengrin" to make it a bit less cliché. The title is, once more, a comical play of words: "Here Comes The Broad" (as in "here comes the bride"). Setzer continues his irreverent stance, giving Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" a mambo introduction and renaming "The Blue Danube" into "Some River in Europe". He intersects small musical phrases stolen from all over (from the French national hymn to "Smoke On The Water") and enjoys playing with the songs' titles. And, since Christmas is never far away with Setzer, he closes the album with the old English carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" done up in 60's spy-movie fashion and employing a heavier Hendrix-like style on guitar. A fun album that got Setzer one more Grammy nomination, this time in a most unexpected category as Best Classical Crossover Album - and rightly so, as he managed to transform ages-old overtly familiar melodies with playful and imaginative orchestrations, danceable rhythm, swinging drumming and his nimble guitar work. The album cover illustrates that idea by having the band posing as serious pouting composers on the one photo and partying rockers on the other - except for the guy (2nd on the left) looking like J.S. Bach, he just pouts twice! I'm pretty sure it's because Setzer forgot him. Get over it, Johan Sebastian! It's Christmas, live a little! Dance, drink, have some fun🍸 for Chrissakes!

**** for Take The 5th (Beethoven's 5th symphony), One More Night With You (Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King), Honey Man (Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), For Lisa (Beethoven's "Für Elise")

*** for Wolfgang's Big Night Out (Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), Yes We Can Can (Offenbach's can-can "Orpheus in the Underworld"), Swingin' Willie (Rossini's "William Tell Overture"), Sabre Dance (Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance"), 1812 Overdrive (Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"), Take A Break Guys ("God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen")

** for Here Comes The Broad (Wagner's "Lohengrin"/Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), Some River In Europe (Strauss's "The Blue Danube")

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all!

Red Star Belgrade "Telescope" 2000***

Red Star Belgrade was formed on 4 March 1945 by the "United alliance of anti-fascist Youth", a satellite organisation of the Yugoslavian Communist Party which had been the backbone of Tito's partisan army and which had just emerged victorious from WWII. It was soon taken under the wing of the country's Ministry of Interior and established as one of the most successful Balkan clubs ever, even winning the European football Cup in 1991. They branched out in many different sports, but until recently I didn't know they also had a music department. What confuses me is that they chose to base their band in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Could it be part of a communist plot to corrode the “land of the free and the home of the brave” from the inside? Are singer/songwriter Bill Curry and his wife Graham Harris a couple of sleeper agents like The Americans' Philip and Elizabeth Jennings? They could hardly have found a better cover than that of an all-American alt-country musicians couple. But let's afford them the benefit of a doubt and suppose they're legit. One might then say that by the time they released their third album "Telescope", they had reached songwriting maturity but hadn't quite settled on their sound yet. Opener "Telescope" reminds me of 80's paisley underground band Green On Red. Other rockers in the same vein (think of a hybrid between Big Sleep, Velvet Underground and Gram Parsons) include "No Pound", "Count Me Out", "Uncle Tupelo" - the latter namechecking the alt.country pioneers who seem to have influenced RSB. "Dreaming 'Bout You" and "The Bottle" are Byrds-y folk rock, and "Long Cold Day" a sad piano ballad. "Nixon Stamp" has the trademark country pedal steel sound, while "Strum 'N Rhyme" and "Highway To Hell" (yes, the AC/DC hard rock anthem, unrecognizable in this form) offer more upbeat country. Two of the best songs touch on, uncharacteristically for American bands, international politics: The disillusionment in the state of post-revolutionary Iran in the beautiful ballad "After The Revolution", and the drama of Kossovar refugees in the bluesy "The Border" - another unexpected Balkan reference, after the band name. On a whole "Telescope" is quite varied and eclectic,which is both its strength and weakness, as it can feel a bit disjointed at times. Fans of Wilco, Giant Sand and Ryan Adams should definitely check this album out...**** for After The Revolution, The Border *** for Telescope, Dreaming 'Bout You, Strum 'N Rhyme, Highway To Hell, Nixon Stamp, No Pound ** for The Bottle, Count Me Out, Long Cold Day

Stillwater "Stillwater" 1977***

I got this LP from the €1 basket, mostly on the strength of the record label Capricorn Records, home to the Allman Brothers and other Southern rock bands. The band name also sounded very familiar, but that was misleading: Stillwater were the fictional 70's rockers in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous. No relation to these guys, who seem to have used Lynyrd Skynyrd as their role model, down to the 7-member, 3-guitar line-up. Now, I know there are 8 people posing on the back cover, but one of them apparently isn't a band member: he's Hank Hasler, "owner of Hank Hasler's Tavern and close personal friend". Which one? Well, my money's on the bearded guy with the black T-shirt with Hank Hasler's Tavern printed on it. The sign on the wall advertises "Topless" and I sincerely hope it's not Hank serving you topless. I'd much rather imagine Daisy Duke, thank you very much. That's what shaped my idea of the South from a young age, anyway: Daisy Duke in tiny shorts, General Lee (the car, not the historical person), and uncle Jesse's moonshine. And Lynyrd Skynyrd, since I discovered them. Not that Stillwater are Skynyrd's twins, mind you.

The guitars rock hard enough, but the sound is less bluesy and there's no equivalent of Van Zant's gritty baritone vocal. Theirs is a more polished AOR sound, closer to Skynyrd offshoot Rossington Collins Band. My personal favourite here is "Out on a Limb", an excellent AOR number featuring blazing guitars, jazzy piano, funky bass and intricate vocal harmonies reminiscent of Jefferson Starship. The album also contained a Top 50 hit in "Mindbender", which has a crazy lyric about a talking guitar. A voice box is used to successfully simulate the talking guitar effect, while the music sounds like a combination of Frank Zappa and the Allman Brothers. "Sam's Jam" is a long Southern rock jam that gives the players some room to stretch."Sunshine Blues" sports some nice boogie woogie piano and country guitar, while "Universal Fool" with its proggy keyboards flirts with Asia/Journey-like AOR, and "April Love" is an acoustic folk ballad with CS&N-like harmonies. "Fantasy Park" and "Roll-n-Roll Loser" are typical, unexceptional, southern rockers. The band would release one more album before breaking up (though there have been sporadic reunions) partly because their label ran into financial trouble and couldn't support them properly. The 2 albums they made in the 70's will fit well in any Southern/Classic Rock collection. Contrary to the general belief that "Stillwater" has never been re-released, discogs mentions a 2013 CD version - though the original vinyl is more readily available, cheaper, and sonically preferable when it comes to this kind of music. Not to mention the album cover with the raindrops and double ouroboros snakes, which looks great on the 12' format.

**** for Out on a Limb, Mindbender 

*** for Sam's Jam, April Love, Fantasy Park

** for Roll-n-Roll Loser, Sunshine Blues, Universal Fool

George Martin "In My Life" 1998**

Often referred to (by, among others, Paul McCartney) as the fifth Beatle, Sir George Martin has scored music for the theatre and cinema, and has produced and arranged many records. Despite that, he'll always be remembered mostly for producing (almost) all our beloved Beatles albums - the exception being "Let It Be". His contributions (the string quartet on "Eleanor Rigby", piano solo in "In My Life") were on the spot and helped raise some already great songs to the level of masterpiece. So it's no surprise that he returns to the Beatles songbook here. What is puzzling is his oddball choice of collaborators, ranging from talented musicians (Jeff Beck), less talented musicians (Celine Dion), talented non-musicians (Robin Williams) and non-talented non-musicians (sorry Goldie Hawn!). He tries to give new twists to the familiar tunes and is only intermittently successful. Opener "Come Together" by actor Robin Williams & jazz singer Bobby McFerrin is pleasant enough, if redundant. On the contrary, re-imagining "A Hard Day's Night" as sensual late-night jazz with Hawn imitating Marilyn Monroe is a bold and interesting move. Jeff Beck on electric guitar delivers a masterful instrumental jazz-rock version of "A Day In The Life", ditto for acoustic guitarist John Williams on a beautifully orchestrated version of "Here Comes The Sun". Virtuoso violinist Vanessa Mae gives her own classical interpretation of "Because", aided by a choir. Celine Dion turns everything into pop mush and "Here There & Everywhere" is no exception. The orchestration is reminiscent of James Bond movies, of which Martin has scored a couple. Phil Collins delivers a medley from "Abbey Road". The comedians try to inhabit the characters in the songs as if they were movie roles: Billy Connolly impersonates a circus ringmaster on "...Mr. Kite", while Jim Carey tries different voices as he obviously doesn't have an idea who "The Walrus" is supposed to be. It's said he was inspired by a character from "Alice Through the Looking-Glass" but I guess only John Lennon knows for sure, and he isn't around to explain. Martin also reprises here his instrumental music from the "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack, which has to be the less-played side of any Beatles record. For those who don't own the LP, side A contained the songs and Side B the orchestral movie score. Nobody ever turned it around to listen to Martin's composition, so he must have thought it was worth another chance and included it here. Another Martin instrumental is "Friends And Lovers" a beautiful orchestral piece that segues into the centrepiece of the album "In My Life". It features Sean Connery reciting the words of the song, backed by a sad piano and strings. I'm sure it was supposed to be a sensitive and affecting epilogue, but I found it fairly ridiculous. The album was designed to be Martin's final statement, at the age of 72. As it turns out, he lived enough to celebrate his 90th birthday and only passed away earlier this year. It was one of the shocking deaths of 2016, only instead of "I can't believe that Bowie (or Prince) is dead" it was "I can't believe George Martin was still alive". No disrespect meant - the man left a tremendous legacy behind. Any time you want to celebrate it, play The Beatles' Rubber Soul or Revolver. Not this CD.

*** for Come Together (Robin Williams & Bobby McFerrin), A Hard Day's Night (Goldie Hawn), A Day In The Life (Jeff Beck), Because (Vanessa Mae), Here Comes The Sun (John Williams), Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End (Phil Collins), Friends And Lovers (George Martin)

** for Here There & Everywhere (Celine Dion), I Am The Walrus (Jim Carey), Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite (Billy Connolly), The Pepperland Suite/March Of The Meanies/Sea Of Monsters (George Martin), In My Life (Sean Connery)

Fleshtones "Hitsburg Revisited" 1999***

I remember first seeing The Fleshtones at the AN Club in '98. I had heard a few of their records and went in expecting to have a rockin' good time. You see The Fleshtones may have burst out of the New York punk scene of the 70's, but they were never angry or aggressive. Their music was rooted in Rock'n'roll and Soul tradition, played in a nervy and animated manner, as if they were determined to get everybody to dance - or, in any case, bounce around like a rubber ball thrust to the wall with maximum velocity. And, let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed. They played a highly energised set, connecting with the audience and acting like a real party band. During the encore they left the stage (not that AN really has much of a stage to separate bands from the audience) and started walking around the club, playing. Even the drummer took a piece of his set with him, banging on it while he was making the rounds. Round and round they went, until they were up the stairs (AN is a deeply underground club, in more senses than one) and out on the street. They had to unplug the guitars, of course, but they took the party to the street and, before I could follow them out of the club, they disappeared. I left thinking: now these guys know how to throw a rock'n'roll party better than any other band in the business! "Hitsburg Revisited" (the sequel to 1996's "Hitsburg") is one of their more party-oriented albums, as it contains revved-up covers of vintage R'n'Roll and R&B artists that influenced their sound.
Most of the songs, even those by famous artists, are relatively unknown (the mark of a good covers album) and originate from the 50's or early 60's. Often they improve on the originals: The Stylistics' "Rock and Roll Baby" was a tepid soul number which they turned into a rock scorcher reminiscent of Wooly Bully, and Eddie Cochran's "Little Lou" was one of his weakest songs. Mel Torme's "Comin' Home Baby" is the only famous tune here, and The Fleshtones' rendition is more groovy and less manic than most of the songs here. Other highlights include their versions of Andre Williams' "Going Down To Tia Juana", Frankie Avalon's "Don't Stop Now", and The Young Rascals' "Find Somebody". "Keelee's Twist" is a groovy instrumental, "Voodoo Voodoo" a punky attempt on LaVerne Baker swampy R&B, and "Take My Love" sports a manic blues harmonica. "Soul City" is a song written by Lou Reed in his songwriter-for-hire days before Velvet Underground. "Tearing Me Apart" fits well with the the rest, despite being written by a contemporary band to the Fleshtones (Canadian punks Teenage Head, in 1979). "I'm Over Twenty-Five (But You Can Trust Me)" is a barrel of laughs. Written by Sammy Davis Jr in a pathetic attempt to reach to the "flower power" generation (can you imagine Sinatra doing that?), the original was so inadvertently funny it didn't even need Zaremba to adopt such a camp singing style. The album ends with one of the strongest numbers, The Fleshtones'own garage soul raver "Hitsburg USA". It is a testament to the band's songwriting ability that they could match -and even surpass- the artists that influenced them, and it was to become a staple of their live repertory. Judging from recent youtube clips, 17 years after I first saw them, the band still rocks, so if they come your way this is one party you don't want to miss!

**** for Comin' Home Baby(Mel Torme), Don't Stop Now(Frankie Avalon), Take My Love I Want to Give It All to You (Little Willie John), Going Down to Tia Juana(Andre Williams), Find Somebody(Young Rascals), Tribute to Hank Ballard/Switch-A-Roo(Hank Ballard), Tearing Me Apart(Teenage Head), Soul City(Hi-Lifes), Hitsburg USA

*** for Rock and Roll Baby(Stylistics), Little Lou(Eddie Cochran), Voodoo Voodoo(LaVerne Baker), Keelee's Twist(Joey Dee & The Starlighters)

** for I'm Over Twenty-Five But You Can Trust Me(Sammy Davis Jr)

ABC "The Lexicon Of Love" 1982***

Last time I was at Zoetermeer's Boerderij for a concert, I was surprised by a (very stylish indeed) poster advertising a concert by ABC on the 9th of December. "Whoever knew those guys still existed?" I thought. Well, not only they do, but they have a new album out, the very well-received "Lexicon Of Love II", sequel to their 1982 classic (guessed the title?) "the Lexicon Of Love".

Which reminded me I already own this on CD, and made me take it out for a re-appraisal. I had only bought it because it is an artifact of the 80's that invariably shows up on all-time best albums lists. I guess people just want to be thorough by including some synth pop - it was a very popular genre at the time. Well, they could have done much worse than this. "The Lexicon Of Love" certainly is a sleek affair: it even opens with some lush strings ("Show Me") and the singer often sounds like Brian Ferry - it doesn't get any classier than him! Mix that cool with some drama a la Marc Almond, rich orchestrations and funky Chic basslines, and you've got a winner! I'd add the theatrical album cover and smart lyrics to the album's virtues. My only objection is this: based on the beats, this is basically a disco album, no? Shouldn't it sound jovial and celebratory? Who would want to dance to a tune called "Tears Are Not Enough", no matter how danceable the beat is?  The two disco singles "Poison Arrow," and "The Look of Love" were the album's hits, but my favourites from this album are the ones reminding me of Brian Ferry ("Show Me", "Many Happy Returns" and the ballad "All Of My Heart") or Marc Almond ("Valentine's Day"). The album closes with a short orchestral number called "The Look of Love (Part 4)", while the rest is a peculiarly English take on dance music (a precursor to Pet Shop Boys?), which isn't really my thing. If it sounds good to you, or if you're a retro-80's fan, you should check out ABC live, while you still can...

*** for Show Me, Poison Arrow, Many Happy Returns, Valentine's Day, The Look Of Love (Part One), All Of My Heart, The Look Of Love (Part Four)

** for Tears Are Not Enough, Date Stamp,  4 Ever 2 Gether

Echo And The Bunnymen "Crocodiles" 1980 (LP) 2003 (CD rem.)*****

I first saw Echo & The Bunnymen on my 30th birthday. I won't say how long ago it was, but the ticket stump contains enough clues: Athens' Rodon Club was still open and it was paid in drachmas, not euros. It was a great concert, the band had given a strong, confident performance and played a good selection of their classic songs. Seeing them again lately at The Hague's Paard Van Troje wasn't any different. Ian McCullogh didn't seem a day older, maybe because he wore dark shades on a dark stage behind a cloud of fog - essentially a silhouette underneath an eerie blue light. He was as cocky as always, introducing "The Killing Moon" as "the second best song ever written" (because "The Cutter" was the best). In the recent concert he played a lot of the early, gloomy material - I counted 8 songs from this CD, 5 from the original LP plus 3 of the bonus tracks. And who can blame him? Despite the fact it wasn't as successful as the albums that followed it, it still stands as one of the best debuts of the new wave era (better, for example, than those of Siouxsie or The Cure), a timeless well of misery for pessimistic romantic youths. I own it twice: on LP, and on CD for the great bonus tracks.

Ask anyone about the greatest band from Liverpool, and there's no arguing: The Beatles, right? Except maybe for two people who would dare to put themselves up as candidates: Ian McCullogh and Julian Cope. Not surprisingly, these two gigantic egos couldn't fit in one band: A few weeks after forming Liverpool's first punk group (The Crucial 3) together with Pete Wylie, they all went in separate directions: Cope went on with Teardrop Explodes, Pete Wylie created Wah! and McCullogh teamed with guitarist Will Sergeant, bassist Les Pattinson and a drum machine called Echo to form Echo and The Bunnymen. The band was later completed with Pete De Freitas on drums - so poor Echo was kicked out of its own band by a bunch of humans, but they kept the name nonetheless! Early singles were re-recorded for their debut album, with the help of real drummer Pete and co-producer (and member of Teardrop Explodes) David Balfe on keyboards - which probably means that the rivalry between the two Scouse bands wasn't quite as deep as they would have us believe. For those (like me) whose first contact with the band was through the lush sounds of their "Killing Moon" period, the sound here may seem stark and depressing. The darkness fits well with the late 70's zeitgeist, though. Bands like Joy Division and Cure were kindred spirits, though The Bunnymen were also in thrall with the psychedelic 60s, particularly The Doors who seem to have influenced McCullogh's singing, which is melodramatic and croon-like.

vinyl front

vinyl back

Sergeant's guitar is expressive, creating atmosphere and shades while eschewing the usual displays of volume or dexterity associated with classic rock. The bass and drums are edgy in typical post punk fashion. In the opener "Going Up" the song surfaces slowly from silence to noise to melody. It sets the tone for the whole record with its sturdy bass line, economic guitar playing and dramatic singing. "Stars Are Stars" has a sorrowful melody and a vocal that seems to duet with itself.

"Pride" is a rocker full of angst and stressful urgency, "Monkeys" is notable for Will's fluid and melodic guitarwork and for Ian's vocal Morrison-isms. "Crocodiles" is as close as the album comes to punk rock, with aggressive vocals and razor sharp riffs. "Rescue" is The Bunnymen's first perfect pop single, from the intro's chiming guitar to the big melodic chorus invoking David Bowie. Lyrically it is a cry for help from someone who's lost his way. "Villiers Terrace" isn't any happier with its images of "people rolling round on the carpet/mixing up the medicine". A comparison to an early demo recorded with Echo (included here as bonus track) shows the band's tremendous progression in a few months: It's still dark and edgy, but the sound is richer, augmented with chiming keyboards and complex drum rhythms. "Pictures on My Wall" is a dark psychedelic piece with haunted organ, reminiscent of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. "All That Jazz" is a defiant rocker with propulsive drumming and "Happy Death Man" is a dark experimental piece full of unexpected details like the jovial horns rising above the maniacal drumming and general cacophony. This is the end of the original album, but the compilers loaded the reissue with a bunch of great extras. Two of them were included in some cassette versions of the album but not in the LP: "Do It Clean" shows the band's love for garage rock with its 60's sounding organ and Yardbirds-style guitar, while "Read It in Books" (co-written with Julian Cope during their days in the Crucial 3) is early Floyd-like psychedelia. Single B-side "Simple Stuff" is another garage rocker, updating the 13th Floor Elevators sound for the goth generation. An early demo of the song included here as bonus is good, but the other two recordings with Echo ("Villiers Terrace", "Pride") are quite raw. The CD is also augmented with the rare live E.P. "Shine So Hard" containing "Crocodiles", "All That Jazz" as well as two tracks that would appear on their next album: rocker "Over the Wall" (funky bass and wild drumming) & "Zimbo" (atmospheric, it would later be renamed "All My Colours"). The performance is tight, passionate and energetic and the recording is clear enough to allow us a glimpse into what a concert of the angry young Bunnymen sounded like - did I just write angry bunny men? Jeez, what an ill-fitting name!

***** for Stars Are Stars, Pride, Rescue, Villiers Terrace, Do It Clean

**** for Going Up, Monkeys, Crocodiles, Pictures on My Wall, All That Jazz, Read It in Books, Simple Stuff, Over the Wall(live)

*** for Happy Death Men, Pride(early version), Simple Stuff(early version), Crocodiles(live), Zimbo(live), All That Jazz(live)

** for Villiers Terrace(early version) 

Barricada "Barricada" a.k.a "Doble Directo" 1990***

I got this CD last year in Barcelona. I had never heard of this band before, but after hearing some excerpts on FNAC's listening station I was convinced to buy it. Apparently they're one of the longest-running Spanish rock bands, and still going strong. They now have more than 30 years and 20 albums under their belt, while Barricada a.k.a. Doble Directo ("Live Double") seems to nicely sum up their first years (1983-1990). The band is very confident on stage, and all the songs are played tight and kept short. Their music seems equally influenced by the likes of Judas Priest and The Clash, full of punky energy, metallic riffs and fiery guitar solos. The lead vocals are rough but the choruses are big and melodic, often reminiscent of football chants. So it seems natural that the audience often joins in, singing with the band. It enhances the album's live atmosphere, though a few songs (i.e. "Animal Caliente", "No Sé Qué Hacer Contigo") are almost ruined from excessive audience participation. Highlights include the opener "Contra La Pared", "No Hay Tregua", "Rojo", the speedy single "Tu Condición", and  the frantic guitar solos of "Objetivo A Rendir". "Tentando A La Suerte", "Barrio Conflictivo" and "Campo Amargo" all sport great catchy choruses that remind me of New Model Army and Greek punk rockers Panx Romana. They probably also share the same political sympathies - the band's name sounds like a reference to the Spanish Anarchists' civil war anthem "A las Barricadas". At least that's my perception - the lyrics are printed on the booklet but I don't understand Spanish, so I could be mistaken. In one sentence, this is an energertic live recording of simple, straightforward hard rock sung in Spanish.

**** for Contra La Pared, No Hay Tregua, Tentando A La Suerte, Barrio Conflictivo, Campo Amargo, Rojo

*** for Abrir Y Cerrar, A Toda Velocidad, Por Salir Corriendo, Dentro Del Espejo, Objetivo A Rendir, No Sé Qué Hacer Contigo, Juegos Ocultos, Invitación A La Pesadilla, Tu Condición, Tan Fácil, Esta Noche, Cuidado Con El Perro

** for La Hora Del Carnaval, Situación Límite, Picadura De Escorpión, Animal Caliente, Okupación

Leonard Cohen "I'm Your Man" 1988*****

I've remarked before on the extraordinary amount of important artists we lost in 2016, a year that seems to grow into an Armageddon for popular music. One further huge blow came with the passing of one of our greatest poets/songwriters, Leonard Cohen. At 82, we should have been prepared for it but he was still too vital, making beautiful records and giving amazing performances. I was lucky enough to see him in Rotterdam 3 years ago, a 3-hour show during which he was tireless, and constantly emanated warm gentlemanly charm, humour and love for his art, band and audience. In the few days since his death an awful lot has been written, Greek media focusing on his residence in the Greek island of Hydra where he wrote so many of his songs and books, including the novel sitting now on my bedside table, "Beautiful Losers". Others focused on the story of his retreat to a Zen monastery, and his stepping out of retirement after realizing his manager had embezzled all of his money. Amazing to think we owe this extremely creative last decade to a simple swindle. Still others focused on the women in his life, including Marianne and Suzanne whom he immortalized in song. There's really nothing left to add, and none of it is important anyway except for the music and poetry. I've been listening to him a lot lately, and I decided to present one of my favourite albums of his here.

In 1988 Cohen was sidelined by the music industry - not surprisingly, since he hadn't made a really good album since 1974's "New Skin for the Old Ceremony". Nobody must have expected him to deliver such a thoroughly modern-sounding album and such a batch of soon-to-be-classic songs. "First We Take Manhattan" is a bold opener, with its aggressive lyric, quasi-disco intro and new wave synths. "They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom/For trying to change the system from within/I'm coming now, I'm coming to reward them/First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin". Powerful words and, like always, open to interpretations. When asked about the meaning, Cohen replied drily that it's a terrorist song and that he always admired terrorists, not for their acts, but for their unstoppable urge to change the world. He has described the narrator as "an outsider, demented and menacing", but he obviously inhabits this character with exultation. "Ain't No Cure for Love", on the other hand, is as straight a love song as it comes. Almost banal with its AOR production, soulful backing vocals and sax, it was the safe choice for a single. It's true that the album's "modern" 80's production now sounds hopelessly dated, but this collection of songs is so strong that such nuisances barely register. "Everybody Knows" is introduced with some dramatic (true or synthesized) strings and more poignant ruminations on the state of the world "Everybody knows that the dice are loaded/

The Greek edition of "Beautiful Losers"

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed/Everybody knows that the war is over/Everybody knows the good guys lost/Everybody knows the fight was fixed/The poor stay poor, the rich get rich". In typical Cohen manner, the focus abruptly shifts from the political to the personal while he utters some of the sharpest put-downs ever to a former lover "Everybody knows that you love me baby...Everybody knows you've been discreet/But there were so many people you just had to meet/Without your clothes". The unexpected use of an oud contributes to what I can only describe as a perfect song. Exceptionally, the same can be said for the next two tracks here: "I'm Your Man" is one of the most beautiful, passionate, sick love songs. Over a slow rhythmic track, the singer begs for his loved one's attention in the most horny, desperate, undignified way. It's funny, yet touching. It takes some very strong poetry to stoop so low and get lauded for your passion instead of being ridiculed, and only two men have ever pulled it off: Cohen, and Jacques Brel on "Ne Me Quitte Pas". Talking about strong poetry, "Take This Waltz" is adapted from a poem by one of the all-time greats: Federico Garcia Lorca. It is another perfect pairing of words and music, with its romantic violin and wonderful female backing vocals, while even Cohen abandons his talking/singing style for a more melodic approach. 
It's followed by the record's relatively poorest song, the humorous experimental new-wave of "Jazz Police". "I Can't Forget" (...but I don't remember what) features another humorous lyric, and a strange combination of country (listen to that steel guitar) and electronic sounds. It's been covered by The Pixies, whose Frank Black has always professed the influence Cohen's singing always had on him - obviously his influence has spread over many decades and musical genres. The album closes with an ode to songwriting, probably the best ever: the singer pays his dues living (100 floors under Hank Williams, apparently) in the "Tower Of Song", tranforming the story of his love and life into songs. Best line of the song: the wry, sarcastic "I was born like this, I had no choice/I was born with the gift of a golden voice". Supposedly self-mocking, it never fails to get a big reaction when played live, Cohen having long since turned the handicap of his limited vocal range to an asset, by way of his warm and soothing yet precise delivery. The man had infinate charm and a god given talent for words. If he had lived 100 years it still wouldn''t have been enough, but thankfully he's left plenty behind for us to explore and to treasure. This album may be the perfect starting point.

  ***** for First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, I'm Your Man, Take This Waltz, Tower of Song

**** for Ain't No Cure for Love, I Can't Forget

*** for Jazz Police

Eric Burdon "Til Your River Runs Dry" 2013****

I got this book in, from all places, Bratislava, Slovakia. I was in town for one day only and went into this bookshop, mostly with the intention of looking for Czechoslovakian rock CD's (which I found - to be presented here sometime). Of course I also spent some time in the English book section, browsing the classics. I had never read (Nobel prizewinner) Sinclair Lewis and thought I'd amend for it. Reading the synopsis on the back covers, this one's plot seemed strangely familiar. Written in 1935, soon after Hitler's rise to power, this book was intended as a warning to U.S. citizens about the danger of fascism. It is the story of "a demagogue who becomes president of the United States by promising to return the country to greatness and by demanding law and order. Lewis describes (President) Windrip as vulgar, almost illiterate, a public liar easily detected, and in his “ideas” almost idiotic". Because of its topical interest (1930's America, fascism) it is considered a lesser work by the author, critics arguing that "Windrip is less a Nazi than a con-man-plus-Rotarian, a manipulator who knows how to appeal to people's desperation". Indeed, that fellow doesn't sound much like Hitler, he sounds more like... Donald Trump. When I bought this book the race for the Republican party nomination was still at its early stages, but a huge what if was already in the air. Well, we're about to find out pretty soon. Europeans associate Trump's victory to an exotic cartoon-figure American singularity "affectionately" known as a redneck. But the rise of populist, often openly racist, parties in Europe proves otherwise. The people are tired of being ignored, of feeling trapped and insecure. They're angry at the system which is obviously not working for them. So who is it working for? Some say the bankers, capitalists and politicians. Some blame the lazy "welfare rats", people whose religion, nationality or skin colour marks them out as "different" and thus prone to who-knows-what depravity, or immigrants and foreigners in general. It seems that the simpler the answer is, and the weaker the target, the more people it convinces. We have gotten so used to corrupt lying politicians advocating beautiful ideas they obviously do not believe in, anyone different seems new and refreshing. Under these circumstances rudeness can be mistaken for sincerity, vulgarity for authenticity, violence for dynamism. I'm afraid we haven't seen the worst of it yet. As frequent readers know, the red text in this blog contains personal thoughts irrelevant to the main subject, in this case Eric Burdon who, as an America-loving Englishman, must feel very frustrated with the election results. One thing's for sure, when he was fantasizing about an "Invitation to the White House", he didn't have Trump on his mind.

I've always liked Burdon and the Animals, but I became a big fan ever since I first saw him perform live - at Athens' Rodon Club in 1988, one of my first rock concerts. He sang with rare passion when you'd expect him to have grown tired of these songs he had been performing daily for 30 years. His voice was also in great form, powerful and emotive even though he never had much of a vocal range. At the time he seemed to be forgotten by everyone, playing small clubs and making albums that went unnoticed by the media and barely got released outside continental Europe where he still had some following. I, of course, tried to collect them all - I'll grant you not every single one stands up well next to his LPs with the Animals and War, but the voice was there and the songs weren't half bad either. Others, less deserving, of his generation made their big comebacks with the help of hip producers, star duets and lots of promotion. It seemed that the music establishment would ignore him forever, until Bruce Springsteen used a highly publicized appearance to talk in length about what a great singer Burdon is, and how he's influenced every last song he (Bruce) had ever written. With the spotlight turned on him for the first time since '71, Burdon seized the opportunity to release his first album in almost a decade... and, all of the sudden, rock critics discovered what was under their nose for 30-odd years. They started obsessing over meaningless details like the record label being the same one that released The Animals' albums (half a century ago) and tapped into the usual writing angles: The Rock Survivor, The Wizened Bluesman, The Unrepentant Hippie etc. He is, no doubt, all that and more. But when I last saw him perform, in The Hague a few years ago, it seemed to me that recognition had come too late: He looked tired and far from the vocal powerhouse I remembered from his concerts of the 80's and 90's. Listening to this album, though, and watching recent clips, I have to suppose I just probably just caught him on a bad day because he sure still has it. His stellar R&B band manages to achieve the warm Southern Soul sound we loved by the giants of black music (those horns and B3 Hammond organ will do the trick every time!) And don't you dare tell me Eric Burdon doesn't play black music. More importantly, don't tell him: he's the man who, 45 years ago, made an album he named The Black-Man's Burdon. Opener "Water" being a bit of an exception, closer to 80's AOR than Soul. Electric guitar and backing vocals may sound a bit dated but he carries it off as he sings with conviction and intend. Apparently inspired by a conversation he had with Mikhail Gorbachev, it's as much a plea for ecological water use as much as it is a personal statement of defiance: "This world is not for me/ I'll make a new one, wait and see/ Hopelessness has seized the land/ I will not beg, I will demand!" Doesn't sound like the words of a septuagenarian, does it? Take some lessons, boys!

"Memorial Day" is a blues rock lament for the casualties of war with an anti-establishment message: "We’ve all been dehumanized/A generation of the same old lies/Security is the alibi...It's a rich man's war but the poor will pay". It's followed by "Devil And Jesus", a smooth Latin funk number about Man's dual essence. Tasty guitar licks and organ reminiscent of his days with War. "Wait" is unexpectedly sensitive: a love song to his Greek wife Mariana, sporting a sensual tango rhythm and sweet acoustic guitar. "Old Habits Die Hard" is another personal number, the unrepentant hard rock sound of an old rebel refusing to act his age and mellow down. "Bo Diddley Special" is a tribute to the rock'n'roll hero of his youth. Of course it utilizes the trademark Bo Diddley beat. Towards the end Burdon is almost rapping instead of singing - old white guys sound embarrassing when they rap, but he's been doing it very naturally since "Spill The Wine" back in 1970. "In The Ground" sees him testifying over a gospel groove and backing vocals, while "27 Forever" is a ballad ruminating over fame and mortality, a heartfelt letter to the rock stars who died young and joined the 27 club. No names are named, but Burdon was friends with both Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. "River Is Rising" is inspired by the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and the (false) rumor that his musical idol Fats Domino was among its victims. Recorded with members of Domino's band, it has an authentic New Orleans funereal feel, also reminding me of  Dr. John and (more unexpectedly) Nick Cave in "Tupelo" - something about the apocalyptic imagery I guess. Marc Cohn's ballad "Medicine Man" echoes The Animals' big hit "House Of The Rising Sun" without shamelessly copying it. On the bluesy "Invitation to the White House" (half-spoken over a Muddy Waters beat and nocturnal jazz piano) he dreams that the president of U.S. asked him for advice. Obviously not Donald Trump, as he's apparently declared he doesn't need anyone's advice on how to run the country. Let's say it's Obama. Eric answers him he should open the country's borders, pull out of all wars and call off the American soldiers he's scattered around the world. Thankfully it was just a dream, because any real U.S. president (Obama included) would have the Secret Service kick Burdon's ass out of the White House. The album ends with a Bo Diddley cover "Before You Accuse Me". It's a sturdy and workmanlike performance, but I've heard that song so many times it's hard to be impressed by any new rendition of it. If I had to use a headline for my review, it'd be better late than never. Now that the world has woken up to how lucky we are to still have rock and soul giants like Eric Burdon among us, let's hope he still has a few touring years and a couple more albums in him. He's not the kind to ever give up, that much is certain. 

**** for Water, Devil And Jesus, Wait, Old Habits Die Hard, Bo Diddley Special, In The Ground,

*** for Memorial Day, 27 Forever, River Is Rising, Medicine Man, Invitation to the White House, Before You Accuse Me

UFO "No Heavy Petting" 1976****/"Lights Out" 1977****(comp.1994)

A few hours ago, I saw UFO in my neighboring city, Zoetermeer. I'm talking of course about the hard rock band, not an actual Unidentified Flying Object. I have seen one of those but I don't talk about it lest The Men In Black show up in my doorstep. I'm joking, of course! Really, just forget I ever wrote that, and focus on the UFO concert. The current line-up includes classic members Phil Mogg (vocals), Andy Parker (drums), Paul Raymond (guitar, keyboards), as well as new guys Rob De Luca (bass, since 2008) and Vinnie Moore (lead guitar, 2003). Vinnie is a perfect fit for the band, an acclaimed virtuoso and one of the few people who can live up to the inevitable comparisons with original guitarist Michael Schenker - in speed and technique, if not flamboyance. Mogg's voice isn't what it used to be, but whose is? The band performed well and the audience had lots of fun, especially with all the 70's classics, while new songs didn't sound out of place. Regarding the record review itself, this is one CD I'm not sure I'm keeping. The two albums compiled here are great but the songs are all included on The Chrysalis Years box set which I've just bought. No reason to own it on CD twice. If it was vinyl, now... "No Heavy Petting" was the band's third LP with Michael Schenker on guitar. The band was firing on all cylinders, with "Force It" breaking into the Top100 and the German wunderkind (still only 21) closing in on Ritchie Blackmore in the race for Metal's best lead guitarist. They had the momentum, and this should have been the album to push them over the top. They kept producer Leo Lyons (from Ten Years After) and added new member Danny Peyronel (ex-Heavy Metal Kids) on keyboards to achieve a fuller sound. The result was commercially unsuccessful with the album peaking 100 places lower than their previous one, at No 169. Listening to it now, it's hard to understand why. Opener "Natural Thing" certainly pulls out all the stops: powerful riff, catchy chorus, and some bustling Jerry Lee-like piano by Peyronel. "I'm a Loser" has a morose title and country-ish acoustic intro, but soon picks up, culminating in a fiery electric guitar solo. "Can You Roll Her" is one of their more metallic songs. Reminiscent of Deep Purple, because of its speed but also because of the way the guitar and keyboards complement each other. It's followed by the emotive ballad "Belladonna" displaying UFO's ability for writing great ballads - probably the only hard rockers that can out-ballad them are Schenker's alma mater aka The Scorpions. "Reasons Love" is another fast metal song with a riff similar to Purple's "Stormbringer". Schenker's playing here is phenomenal. "Highway Lady" is a Peyronel composition and he steals the show with some nice boogie woogie piano. "On with the Action" is a slow-burning mid tempo rocker, while the bluesy "A Fool in Love" (a Frankie Miller cover) sounds more like Rod Stewart than UFO. Closer "Martian Landscape" starts off with some proggy keyboards before evolving into a typical power ballad. I think this album is better than it's usually given credit for.

***** for Natural Thing, Can You Roll Her

**** for I'm a Loser, Belladonna, Reasons Love, On with the Action

*** for Highway Lady, A Fool in Love, Martian Landscape

The commercial failure of "No Heavy Petting" meant some changes were in order. First up, they brought in producer Ron Nevison who tried to enrich their sound with more complex orchestrations including strings and horns. Then, Danny Peyronel was replaced by Paul Raymond who doubled on keyboards and rhythm guitar, complementing Schenker without vying for equal footing. The album opens with powerful rocker "Too Hot to Handle" combining the electric blues of Free with a glam/pop chorus. "Just Another Suicide" is a glam rocker embellished with strings and keyboards. "Try Me" is UFO's softest ballad. The piano and strings dominate, and for once Schenker's guitar is emotional rather than bombastic. As if to show us he hasn't mellowed out he returns with some stupefyingly fast solos on the galloping "Lights Out", one of the band's best (and heaviest) songs. A couple of typical hard rockers ("Electric Phase" and Thin Lizzy-soundalike "Gettin' Ready") surround a surprisingly faithful cover of Love's "Alone Again Or". Not an obvious choice, certainly. Either the idea was to showcase Alan McMillan's orchestral arrangements or to shut Schenker up for once. He does emulate the sound of the original's mariachi trumpets with his electric guitar, but otherwise takes a back seat here. Any way, kudos to the band for not fucking the song up and for reminding people of the genius of Love. One has to remember that, although today "Forever Changes" is a universally acknowledged classic, back in '77 it was all but forgotten. The closing "Love to Love" blends together emotive vocals, stirring pianos, soaring strings and heavy guitars to create the ultimate power ballad. That said, I have to admit I personally find it rather too long (at 7'40'') and overloaded. It certainly has its fans: Iron Maiden's leader Steve Harris has cited it as his all-time favourite song. The album in general turned out to be UFO's biggest success ever, peaking at No.23 (U.S.) and even now featuring in many Best-Albums-Ever lists. Unfortunately, Schenker's alcoholism and erratic behaviour would hinder them from reaching the potential showed here. Finally, after one album in similar vein (1978's "Obsession"), they would part ways. A pity, really: neither band nor guitarist would ever better the albums they made together as a team.

***** for Too Hot to Handle, Try Me, Lights Out

**** for Just Another Suicide, Alone Again Or, Love to Love

*** for Gettin' Ready, Electric Phase

Disclaimer: I just want to make clear that I have never seen an actual UFO. I wrote it as a joke. UFO's do not exist, neither do The Men In Black. Aliens have never come in contact with us, and the U.S. Government is not experimenting on people. Additionally, Osama Bin Laden did plan the 9/11 attacks and really is dead.

Thee Headcoats "The Kids Are All Square - This Is Hip!" 1990**** / Thee Headcoatees ‎"Girlsville" 1991****

Billy Childish is a true original - he emerged from the lo-fi punk/garage/blues Medway scene of the late 70's as an impossibly prolific singer/guitarist (about a 100 albums, released by a dozen different groups) as well as painter, poet and overall cult artistic personality. He's played punk, psychobilly and blues among other styles, but Thee Headcoats, probably the best-known of all his groups, were more or less straight garage rock. Obviously there isn't anything new and revolutionary about the music; it's all just rock'n'roll, played right. At times you get the nagging sensation the tunes are a bit too familiar: The opening "Gatekeeper" sounds like The Downliner Sect's "One Ugly Child", "Davey Crockett" like The Premiers' "Farmer John" etc. But what does matter when you're having so much fun? Childish's lyrics are true to the rock'n'roll tradition - with the addition of the best dry English humour. "Davey Crocket" (one of the many Western-themed songs here) features The Headcoatees on vocals, lots of handclaps and the Ramones Gabba-Gabba-Hey war cry. The party atmosphere and male/female vocals also reminds of the B52's. "Monkeys Paw"'s jungle sounds and guitar riffs are closer to The Cramps, while "All My Feelings Denied" is a mix of Sonics and early Kinks. "Ballad Of The Fogbound Pinhead" adds a cheesy keyboard part to the mix. "Cowboys Are Square" is another Louie Louie/Farmer John garage ditty remarkable for its funny anti-cowboy lyric and ululating Indians in the background. "Poccahontas Was Her Name" continues the Wild West saga, with its tribal rhythms and recounting of the popular myth. "Nanook of The North" is inspired by a 1922 pseudodocumentary about Eskimos - who else than Billy Childish could have made an R&B song out of this story? "Squaresville" is the slow psychedelic one, and "Krasal" mixes the classic Bo Diddley beat with some carnival music. Generally a great record with no weak songs. One sees why Jack White and Kurt Cobain were such big Billy Childish fans...

***** for Davey Crockett

**** for Monkey's Paw, Ballad Of The Fogbound Pinhead, All My Feelings Denied, Cowboys Are Square,  I Can Destroy All Your Love, Poccahontas Was Her Name, Nanook Of The North, A Town Named Squaresville

*** for I'm A Gamekeeper, Karasal

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Generally coupling two albums by different groups in one CD doesn't sound like such a great practice. In this case, though, there can be some debate on whether Thee Headcoats and Headcoatees are indeed different bands. Ostensibly the latter were an all-female band and their pose on the record cover is meant to give that impression. But in truth I doubt they played the instruments heard on this record: Tradition with Childish bands was to feature a few numbers with female guest vocalists, usually their girlfriends. These were often presented as the work of a girl band. As The Milkshakes gave way to Thee Mighty Ceasars and then to Thee Headcoats, so their female analogues Milkboilers were succeeded by The Delmonas and they in turn by Thee Headcoatees. The latter band contained Holly Golightly (then dating Headcoats drummer Bruce Brand), who was destined to have a long and successful solo career. She sings lead on a cover of the Kinks' "First Plane Home", "Boysville" and Childish-penned "When The Night Comes" - all reminiscent of 60's British Invasion R&B. Contrary to Thee Headcoats who just incorporated (or stole if you prefer) classic rock'n'roll tunes in their own compositions, the 'Coatees usually just cover the oldies. The humour here comes from the gender reversal: While the original "Wild Man" was sung from the perspective of a boy whom the parents of his beloved try to keep away from their daughter, in this version it's about a young girl lusting for the boy-next-door's father. Likewise, instead of the sexy Gloria of Van Morrison's garage classic, the singer gets nightly visits (and orgasms) by the tall and mysterious "Melvin". On the Beatles' "Run For Your Life" and "Money" Ludella Black sounds much more dangerous and greedy than the clean-cut Fab Four ever did. She also takes the lead on the Bo Diddley-ish "Meet Jacqueline" -a paean to a famous UK 60's go-go-girl- as well as the punky "Give It To Me" and vindictive garage rocker "Stolen Love". Kyra La Rubia handles the saucier numbers "Wild Man" and (The Sonics') "Dirty Old Man", while Bongo Debbie offers a tough R&B cover of Petula Clarke's "Round Every Corner" and lead vocals and lustful moans on "Melvin". "Girlsville" turned out to be so successful that what started as a side project ended up more popular than the main band, The Headcoatees went on to release many more records, as well as solo albums for each girl. As for this particular compilation, pairing two great albums in one CD makes for an unresistable combination - unless, of course, you're strictly a vinyl person. Billy Childish makes his feelings clear on the stamp on the album cover where the CD is described as a silver digital beermat!

***** for Melvin

**** for Wild Man, When The Night Comes, Stolen Love, Run For Your Life, Dirty Old Man, The First Plane Home, Meet Jacqueline

*** for Round Every Corner, Give It To Me, Boysville, Money