UFO "The Chrysalis Years: 1973–1979" 2011(comp)****

I must admit I really am a sucker for reissues and repackages of classic (and beloved) records. When I saw "UFO The Chrysalis Years: 1973–1979" on sale for €9,99 I bought it although I knew I had some of the records included in this compilation on CD. How many? I didn't count them at the time, but it turns out I had 5 out of 6, all except "Obsession" which is the weakest of the bunch, although by no means bad. On the bright side the box set also contains some unreleased material, including a whole live show from 1974. I will present individual albums apart later, and only focus on the box set package and bonus tracks here. First of all, the package is a simple 5-disc plastic box with the tracks presented in chronological order. This results in two albums (Force It and Lights Out) being split over two discs, which kind of disrupts the flow. Another minus is that the booklet is rather poor. Based on previous experience I would have expected some reproduction of the original artwork, inner sleeves and all, plus a history of the band and of the recording process of the individual albums. Instead you just get an interview with singer Phil Mogg, a few photos and recording credits. Furthermore it's not as exhaustive as it could have been since some bonus tracks that appeared in the remastered editions of these 6 albums are missing.  I call that a wasted opportunity. At least the sound is remastered and crystal clear, plus even at its regular price (£11.64 on amazon.co.uk, around €15) it is still a great bargain if you don't already own the albums like I did. Before we start getting through the bonus tracks, let us get some perspective: The story begins in 1973. UFO had been around for a few years and had released a couple of studio and one live album in heavy prog style with limited success in the UK and US, although they were well received in Germany and Japan. They were in the process of seeking a more straight rock/commercial sound, replacing guitarist Mick Bolton initially with Larry Wallis (future Pink Fairies/Motorhead) and later with Bernie Marsden (future Whitesnake) but nothing worked out until, by accident, Marsden lost the plane to Germany. To keep their trip from being a complete disaster UFO borrowed the guitarist from the support group, a local band called Scorpions. The 18-year old Michael Schenker turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle so UFO promptly offered him the position of lead guitarist, despite the fact that he didn't speak a single word of English. His fast and flamboyant style must have been a strong influence on later guitar heroes like Randy Roads and Eddie Van Halen. Together with Phil Mogg's earthy vocals and big catchy choruses, they defined the sound of the new UFO and ushered a very successful era for them - though whether they really did him a favour by taking him on is debatable, as his old band went on to become one of the biggest rock acts in the planet. In any case this compilation chronicles the first seven years of Schenker's involvement with the band, starting with their first single "Give Her the Gun/Sweet Little Thing". The A-side is a chugging boogie and B-side a nice rocker. The new guy's arrival is already evident, both in the masterful guitar work and co-write credit on "...Gun". He'd go on to co-write 10 of Phenomenon's 12 tracks, quite an achievement for a new member still in his teens. The single edit of that album's "Doctor Doctor" included here is just that: the LP track is shortened by simply fading out. You're left wanting for more, and thankfully the following track delivers: A full 7-minute rendition of dynamite hard rocker "Rock Bottom" recorded at the BBC studios, followed by emotive ballad "Time on My Hands" and another version of "Give Her the Gun" from the same sessions. A third version of that tune appears on disc 2, recorded at the Electric Ballroom in Atlanta during the band's first American tour.

(Presumably) the whole show is included, with the band firing on all cylinders. The setlist is based on their then current album "Phenomenon" and it's a very tight performance, songs generally sticking close to the studio arrangements with explosive guitar solos regularly upping the energy level. The hard rockers are interspersed with heavy blues ("Built for Comfort"), a ballad ("Space Child") and a cover of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey". Mogg's vocals are a bit too macho for this particular song, but anyway it's mostly used a showcase for Schenker's guitar virtuosity. The concert closes with the spacey "Prince Kujuku", a song of the previous line-up that they positively improved on. The recording quality is very good considering it wasn't meant to be released. The audience is barely heard, which kind of detracts from the live feeling, but otherwise it'd make for a great live album by itself. Disc 3 contains the single edits of  the excellent string-laden ballad "Try Me" and catchy Status Quo-like rocker "Only You Can Rock Me", as well as a '78 radio session recorded for John Peel: "Too Hot to Handle", "Lights Out" and "Try Me" from the Lights Out album are played very well but they are a bit too faithful to the studio renditions to be of real interest. Disc 5 contains their seminal live album "Strangers in the Night". One of hard rock's most iconic live albums (alongside Deep Purple's "Made In Japan" and Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous"), it's augmented here by an edited live "Doctor Doctor" and its B-side, the metallic "On With The Action". Strangers... was UFO's biggest success, but by the time it hit the stores the often unreliable Schenker was gone and the band fell into a steady decline. He'd form his own band, rejoin The Scorpions for an album and take part in a couple of UFO reunions, but neither he nor UFO would ever match the commercial and artistic success of the 6 albums included here. We'll present them one by one sometime in this blog, though I find myself in a dilemma about keeping the individual CD's or selling them/giving them away. I know I'm keeping "Force It" because of its historic "naughty" album cover - actually all the original albums' covers are of interest as they were designed by Hipgnosis, better known from their work with Pink Floyd and one of the best designers in the business.

***** for Doctor Doctor (single edit), Rock Bottom (Bob Harris session), Doctor Doctor (Live single)

**** for Give Her the Gun, Time on My Hands (Bob Harris session), Doctor Doctor (Live), Built for Comfort (Live), Space Child (Live), Rock Bottom (Live), On with the Action (Live single)

*** for Sweet Little Thing, Give Her the Gun (Bob Harris session), Oh My (Live), Give Her the Gun (Live), Cold Turkey (Live), Prince Kujuku (Live)

Various "Mojo Presents... Return to the Star Club" 1930-1961(orig) 2016(comp)***

I don't often present premium CD's given away with magazines, though I feel I can make an exception for Mojo. Their CD's are carefully compiled and, rather than functioning as samplers for the new circulations reviewed inside, work as stand-alone compilations with a central theme. The latest issue was dedicated to The Beatles' early live days as a touring group, and the accompanying CD contains original versions of the songs they played during their historic residence at the Star Club in Hamburg, West Germany. Not so original an idea for a giveaway CD, as magazines often resort to golden oldies that just happen to have lapsed into public domain and are therefore copyright-free. Thankfully the compilers were still able to dig out some interesting rarities, like The Top Notes' "Twist And Shout" - The Isley Brothers' version is the one everyone (including The Beatles) knows and loves, but it's nice to hear this rare original.

The compilation features some great rockabilly, R&B and doo-wop, ranging from the routine famous ones (Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Platters etc) to the should-have-been-more-famous (The Olympics, Eddie Fontaine, Dr. Feelgood And The Interns). The oldest song is Marlene Dietrich's "Falling In Love Again" (the English version of her song from the classic 1930 Blue Angel movie). But the one that surprised and delighted me enough to make me present this CD was the original version of ballad "A Taste Of Honey" from the same-named Broadway play. I've heard the Beatles' version hundreds of times and never in a million years would I have guessed they learned it from Billy Dee Williams - Yes, that's right! The Beatles have covered a song by Star Wars' Lando Calrissian! I'm so excited I'm now going to walk to my DVD player and watch The Empire Strikes Back for the 25th time!

***** for Roll Over Beethoven (Chuck Berry), Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent), Nothin' Shakin' (Eddie Fontaine), Hallelujah I Love Her So (Ray Charles), 

**** for Twist And Shout (The Top Notes), Shimmy Like Kate (The Olympics), Reminiscing (Buddy Holly), Red Sails In The Sunset (The Platters), Mister Moonlight (Dr. Feelgood And The Interns), Your Feet's Too Big (The Ink Spots), A Taste Of Honey (Billy Dee Williams), Falling In Love Again (Marlene Dietrich)

*** for Red Hot (Billy "The Kid" Emerson), Lend Me Your Comb (Carl Perkins), I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Roy Hamilton)

P.S. Didn't I tell you it's not such an original idea for a cover CD? After writing my review I went to file the CD with the other promos and guess what I found? Uncut magazine, a few years ago: same theme, same cover, many of the same tracks. No Lando Carlissian, though. You've got to hand it to Mojo: Even with a banal main theme, they dig deep enough to emerge with something original and surprising... 

Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship "Blows Against The Empire" 1970****

Paul Kantner's passing last January went relatively unnoticed as music fans were still striving to come to terms with another loss, that of David Bowie a few days earlier. I guess that was to be expected as Kantner's heyday lasted mere years instead of decades - but for a time in the late 60's no U.S. band was more important or influential than Jefferson Airplane, the group he formed with Marty Balin and co-fronted with then-girlfriend Grace Slick. Together they became countercultural icons and came to personify the whole flower power movement. Kantner, the most political group member, was instrumental in turning their 1969 masterpiece "Volunteers" into a revolutionary hippie manifesto, something that alienated some of the other band members. "Blows Against The Empire", credited to Jefferson Starship before the group of that name even formed, is him taking his revolutionary ideas even further in the form of  a science fiction concept album, the first musical work to be nominated for SF's Hugo Award. It's basically an escapist fantasy based on the work of SF writer Robert A. Heinlein with Kantner projecting the fight between hippies and the Establishment in the future. The story culminates with the new generation hijacking a starship and leaving to start their own utopia in the stars. Opener "Mau Mau (Amerikon)" is a driving hard rocker with dual vocals by Kantner and Slick, followed by "The Baby Tree", a folky fantasy with Woody Guthrie-ish banjo. "Let's Go Together" is similar to Volunteers' "Wooden Ships", with great backing vocals by Slick and banjo by The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia. "A Child Is Coming" is a country-ish tune with great vocal harmonies by Kantner, Slick, and David Crosby. "Sunrise", composed and sung by Grace Slick, is a short but impressive showcase of her vocal prowess. "Hijack" tells of the hippies' plan to steal the Starship "...And our babes'll wander naked thru the cities of the universe/Free minds, free bodies, free dope, free music". It sounds a bit cluttered with a lot of words, acoustic guitars, pianos and intricate harmonies, but somehow it all works out. "Home" is an effects-ridden prelude to the centrepiece of the album "Have You Seen The Stars Tonite" a folk-rock ballad reminiscent of CSN & Y, guesting David Crosby from that group, as well as The Dead's Mickey Hart and Jerry Garcia. It's followed by another effects piece ("X-M") and closer "Starship", another psychedelic rocker with great vocal harmonies. Once more, members of the San Francisco hippie community  (Crosby, Nash and Quicksilver's David Freiderg) join in the chorus. Purely on musical terms, "Blows..." sounds like a softer companion to "Volunteers" and it's probably stronger than the Jefferson Airplane albums that followed it. At times it strains to accommodate enough words to propel the story, but its ambition is more than commendable. As a distillation of the hippie ideal into a musico-literary work of art, it is priceless. Remarkably, its SF storyline speaks more about the past than about the future: If anyone goes off to explore the stars it will be a conglomeration of big corporations and military, dragging the new generation with them as debt-ridden salaried slaves. Somewhere along the line Kantner's generation fucked up, though he remained the free-thinking idealist until the end.

***** for A Child Is Coming, Have You Seen The Stars Tonite

**** for Let's Go Together, Sunrise, Hijack, Starship

*** for Mau Mau (Amerikon), The Baby Tree

** for Home, XM

The Fool "The Fool...plus" 1969**

Even though The Fool's -let's face it- neglectable music output hasn't earned them a place in history, they'll be remembered as a footnote in pop music's most well-read chapter, that of The Beatles. Simon Posthuma and Marijke Kooger were a couple of Amsterdam hippie artists who dabbled in a bit of everything: clothes design, painting, photography... you name it. They felt the allure of Swinging London calling and relocated there, forming art collective The Fool (named after a tarot card) together with friends Josje Leeger and Barry Finch. Their psychedelic designs with their imaginative use of colour and fairy tale references became instant hits, and they soon began designing record covers and dressing the city's hippest artists and models. The Beatles were fans, and immediately hired them to decorate, paint and run their official boutique on Baker Street. Having so many musician friends, and after trying their hand on a number of arts, they turned to music as their next project. They flew to New York and produced this album with the help of two Grahams (producer Nash and organist Bond). It's actually during reading a recent piece on the latter that I decided to re-listen this CD. It described The Fool's record as "the worst album ever associated with Graham Bond", which made me return to this album to check if it really is that bad. It certainly is a weird slice of acid folk that stands better as a period piece than as a listening experience. The music is quirky and childish but in tandem with the psychedelic cover and colorful costumes, it gives off a certain feelgood charm. You're often reminded of Incredible String Band, another kooky psychedelic folk band whose album cover was designed by The Fool. The LP opens with "Fly", a playful minstrel tune with choral lead vocals, flutes and tambourines augmented by the sound of chirping birds and other special effects. "Voice on the Wind" introduces itself as a piano sonata, turns into a ballad, then into a recitation followed by some chanting and a bagpipe solo. Every bit stands well enough on its own, but the finished song... what a mess! The bagpipes continue into lead single "Rainbow Man", the most rocking song with its Bo Diddley beat and mean harmonica - but doesn't it sound suspiciously similar to The Creation's "Painter Man"?

"Cry for Me" is an old-timey ballad/lullaby and "No One Will Ever Know" an upbeat number with the odd charm of children's' songs where Josje and Marijke sound like 13-year olds. "Reincarnation" is a horrid combination of nursery rhyme and hare krishna music and "Hello Little Sister" is where the kindergarten schtick really starts to get on your nerves. Thankfully it's followed by a "Keep On Pushin", a psych-jazz instrumental where Bond's swinging organ and sax blend well with (probably Nash's) harmonica, bagpipes, and percussive instruments. "Inside Your Mind" is another whimsical singalong folk ditty and "Lay It Down" the only bona fide psychedelic folk ballad, reminiscent of Country Joe & The Fish. The CD is augmented by two bonus tracks (the "plus" of the title). Of those, "We Are One" is a nice mod psychedelic track that reminds me of John's Children and Nirvana (the UK group of the 60's of course, not the same-named grunge giants) while "Shining Light" is another cute childish jug band tune. At times entertaining and infuriating in its weirdness, in the end I guess your reaction to it will depend on what mood listening to this album finds you in. Only delve into it if you're feeling nostalgia for 60's flower children or your (slightly less naive) kindergarten days.

*** for Fly, No One Will Ever Know, Keep On Pushin', Inside Your Mind, Lay It Down,We Are One, Shining Light

** for Voice on the Wind, Rainbow Man, Cry for Me, Reincarnation, Hello Little Sister

Reigning Sound "Love and Curses" 2009****

There was a time when garage punk was all about raw energy: being loud, fast and irreverent towards rock's sacred cows. Certainly that's all Greg Cartwright did when he played in the Oblivians. Songwriting? Who needs that? Just scream and yell as hard as you can! How ironic is it that 15 years later everyone would praise him for his classicist approach to rock songwriting? Reigning Sound is still nominally a garage rock album, but you'll find more similarities to Motown soul, The Stones and Springsteen ("The Bells" could have been an outtake from The River) than with The Sonics. Actually its reverence for classic rock and soul may be this album's sole "fault" - almost all songs are originals but you'd swear they are golden oldies. The only cover is Glass Sun's "Stick Up For Me", a fiery garage rocker with driving organ and a defiant anti-establishment message. A few more unrepentant garage rockers ("Call Me","If I Can't Come Back", "Dangerous Game") keep the energy level high, but on the whole it's less like a wild car chase and more a smooth ride in the country. "Brake It" sounds like mid-60's Stones and the mid-tempo "Trash Talk" like The White Stripes chilling out. There are a few excellent ballads (the folky "Love Won't Leave You A Song" and soulful "Something To Hold Onto"). Cartwright generally injects a healthy dose of soul into most of these songs, understandably as he had spent some of the previous years working with 60's soul veterans and as an on-and-off member of garage-soul combo The Detroit Cobras. The groovy organ-drenched "Broken Things" and garage-y "Debris" have a whiff of Dylan circa '65 about them (always a good thing), while ballad "Polly Anne" and rocker "Is It True" take me back to the days of The Paisley Underground - whether it is the revival of a revival or just timeless good music is a moot point. The album ends with something completely out of place: "Banker And A Liar" is an acoustic protest song complete with mandolin and accordeon. In this Memphis soul LP, it sounds as lost as a refugee from Beirut (the band, not the city). It must have worried Cartwright's fans as to his next move, but they shouldn't have: not only did Reigning Sound stay on the garage-soul path, he even resurrected The Oblivians for some good ole punk rock thrashing!

**** for Trash Talk, Call Me, The Bells, Something To Hold Onto, Broken Things, Debris, Stick Up For Me, Polly Anne, Is It True, Banker And A Liar

*** for Brake It, If I Can't Come Back, Dangerous Game, Love Won't Leave You A Song

The Hague Record Shops

I've been living in Delft for 4 years now and have found that it has many benefits. One of them is that it's a beautiful and easily manageable small town but very close to two bigger cities: Rotterdam and The Hague (the 2nd and 3rd biggest in the country) are only a 15-20 minute train ride away - which gives me access to so many more record shops. Not as many as I would have liked though, as the last few years haven't been kind to record stores. Some of the best ones have recently gone out of business. In The Hague these include De Plaatboef, La La Land and Rocky Road. Not to mention the countless Free Record Store shops, formerly the biggest record chain in the BENELUX countries. Thankfully some of the smaller shops, especially those specialized in vinyl, have survived the industry crisis, so if you're visisting The Hague and like music I'd suggest you save this page on your mobile and check some of these places out.

I'd start with Empire Records. It stands opposite the old Platboef (now a board games shop) in the small Korte Houtstraat, just off Plein Square. With its neighbour/competitor gone, it's now the no.1 place in the city for 2nd hand CD's, LP's and DVD's. Lots of Classic Rock, folk, soul etc. Most CD's cost €7 (€5-9), LPs mostly €5 or 7 (€5-25). The owner isn't the friendliest guy in the business but you're there to get records, not to make friends. VinylVinyl on Elandstraat (near the Palace) only sells (new) vinyl. You'll find quality reissues of all kinds of music (especially jazz) for €25-30. The other half of the store is dedicated to hi-fi stereo equipment - literally everything for those who seek the perfect sound.

On your way back to the city center you'll pass near Anyrecord. It's on Geest 32, next to a huge guitar shop. It's well named, not because you can find anything you seek but because anything might make an appearence. I got an original '69 U.S. copy of Val Stoecklein's "Grey life" and Ougenweide's '77 double live LP "Ungezwungen" - and only paid €15 in total. I'll be presenting them here shortly.  The shop is small and only sells vinyl: all kinds of albums from the 70's and 80's, mostly €5-10 but there are also some random LP's for €1.In Spui, probably the city's most central spot, you'll find Spui Records. Many budget CD's (€1-10), you'll find classical/jazz/ethnic but very little if you're looking for pop/rock music. Still in the city center (Lange Poten 41) the Paagman bookstore also sports a modest CD/DVD/vinyl selection in good prices courtesy of the Velvet record chain. Same applies to the second Paagman bookstore (Frederik Hendriklaan 217).Next up is Vinyl Grove. You'll find it on Boekhorststraat 10, near the Grote Markt square and the city's best live club Paard van Troje. It has the biggest selection of new vinyl in the city: Altenative, soul, jazz and rock reissues, mostly priced €20-25. Also a few used records (around €10). Walking towards Den Haag HS train station you'll find yourself in Chinatown. There, on Wagenstraat 125, you can find Jazz Center. A specialty shop that will delight jazz fans with its variety in both CD and LP titles (€10-25). Further down the road on Stationsweg 7, you can visit Bert's Records. It has a large selection of 2nd hand vinyl (€7-15) and CD (typically €7) in all styles, with an emphasis in classic rock, country and soul. The owner is quite friendly and if you want to check out an album there's a CD player you can use. Last but not least, The Hague hosts regular open market events, include record fairs and antique markets. If you happen upon one, take some time to browse - it's a good place for bargains. They usually take place at the square in front of the Binnenhof, the Gothic building complex that's been serving as Holland's administrative center since the Middle Ages, currently housing the parliament and prime minister's office. I can't quite promise you'll spot PM Rutte himself searching for bargains, but I wouldn't put it past him: He's quite the miser when it comes to spending on either culture or welfare... UPDATE: Spui Records has regrettably closed but on the bright side l recently noticed a new shop called Rhythm Import (Torenstraat 96, near the Grote Kerk). Should be of interest for DJ's as it stocks mostly dance vinyl (Soul, Techno, Hip Hop etc, mostly 12'' singles). Everything costs less than €10, mostly €3 per piece. UPDATE AUG.2019: Anyrecords moved a few meters further down the street, to a slightly larger premise. Also, I recently passed by a new record store in Wagenstraat called Vinyl Destination. It was closed then, and curiously Google yields no results. If I catch it open, I'll let you know more.

Brainiac 5 "When Silence Was Sound 1977-1980" 2014 (comp)****

Still in Greece and posting previously written entries from my drafts folder. Love the sea and sun, but I'm starting to miss my record collection. Sure, I have internet in my hotel and when I feel like listening to a particular album I can usually find it on youtube, but I'm not at all fond of listening to music on the laptop. I've left the island of Ios behind, by the way, and continue my vacation in Antiparos, an old favourite of mine. Antiparos lived in the shadow of its famous neighbour Paros for so long that it retained its traditional fishing village character well into the 90's. Around that time it was established as an alternative holiday destination, popular with freaks but also families prepared to overlook the lack of amenities in order to have a cheap vacation in a relaxed and quiet surrounding. The Antiparos camping and nearby nudist beach, rock bars like Doors and Lucky Luke and after-midnight disco La Luna have become the stuff of legend. These still exist, although the island lost a lot of its hippie character when Hollywood star Tom Hanks bought a villa here. Pretty soon all kinds of celebrities came and went, and along with them a wave of socialites who normally wouldn't venture away from Mykonos or Santorini. Rock bars gave way to lounges, tequila shots and beer to fancy cocktails and traditional taverns to gourmet restaurants. Prices, of course, skyrocketed. The old Antiparos crowd mourned and swore off the island forever. Yet, vacationing in the island again a few years after its so-called destruction, I find myself just as relaxed and at ease as before.

The fishing boats on the harbour and low whitewashed houses in the village are the same as ever, and armyrikia (tamarix) trees  provide enough shade for those who don't want to pay exuberant prices for a sunbed and umbrella. Among the "arty" boutiques and trendy bars and restaurants, there are still simple traditional taverns and normal pubs and cafes for those who want it - so don't write Antiparos off yet, unless you're a reverse snob who refuses to buy his cheese-pie from the neighbourhood bakery just because Madonna is also a customer. Here's some suggestions for visitors: Swim at Psaraliki beach or the one near the camping (calm & beautiful beach attracting lots of nudists, so no photos). These are really close to the village, so you won't need to rent a car or motorbike. When you visit the other beaches (Ag.Georgios, Soros etc) take food and water with you. There are some taverns with good food nearby but they're quite expensive. For traditional, reasonably-priced Greek food, I'd suggest Statheros at the harbour or Damis near the village centre. Go to Sifneikos Gyalos beach (short walk from town center) to enjoy the island's most beautyful sunset. The bars around the small village square will provide ample entertainment for all tastes at least till 3 A.M., but after that you'll want to take the dark road leading out of the village to the discos Remember and La Luna. Another must-do is the open air cinema, playing classic movies every night - best of all, paying is optional. Last but not least, don't forget to visit the Cave. The stalactites form amazing shapes, not to mention that it's the coolest place you can be in during the scorching-hot Greek summer. Now, if you were patiently waiting to see how all this connects to Brainiac 5, that means you're not a frequent reader of my blog. Next time you'll know better to just skip the red letters and get straight to the review itself.

How many can say they've been Brainiac 5 fans since their teens? Not many outside of their home country of Cornwall, I'll bet... They were a brief sensation in the Cornish pub circuit from '77 to '79, played a few well-received gigs in London and promptly broke up without releasing an LP. Then in '88 a collection of their recordings named World Inside appeared on the indie Restless label and I bought it on a whim. I liked the album cover, I had recently hit gold with Restless buying a couple of Bevis Frond LP's, and they had a song about...Trotsky? Interesting!  I listened to their album a lot that year, firstly because it's freaking great and secondly because I couldn't figure them out. I hadn't heard anyone else combining two of my favourite musical styles: West Coast psychedelia and post-punk. I thought it just wasn't possible. During the next 25 years of reading music books and magazines and browsing record shops, I don't think I ever came across the band name again - until a recent trip to London and visit to the Restless record store (home, I believe, to the same-named label). The whole shop was overrun by Braniac 5 material: apparently not only was there a "career retrospective" CD out (this one), they had actually reformed and released a new album! The compilation at hand opens with "Waiting For The Woman", a chugging boogie with punky vocals that reminds me of Hawkwind - not surprising, as Hawkwind drummer Martin Griffin produced most of Brainiac 5 recordings. "Endless River" is more complicated: a soft psychedelic intro is followed by an aggressive post-punk middle section and burning Q.M.S.-style solos. "Move Up Trotsky" is, as it turns out, unrelated to the Russian revolutionary. A tale of unrequited love in a slow dub tempo with 60's psych backing vocals and guitars, it's the longest track here (almost 7 minutes). "Monkeys and Degenerates" reggae/new wave hybrid and punky lead single "Working" are much more of their time. "Power" sports a ska beat, indie rock guitars and strong chorus. "Vegetable" and "Addicted" kick off like a Sex Pistols song, while "Woman Inside" incorporates early Pink Floyd influences and Yardbirds-like Gregorian chants. "Pictures Of You" contains some bluesy harmonica while "Time" and the live "Night Games" are slow psychedelic pieces. The CD closes with a nervy live version of "Working". Re-listening to these tracks reaffirmed my initial opinion on Brainiac 5: Not only they were one of the most original bands of their time, but their songs had great hooks and sound as good today as they ever did. Hope this time the world is ready for them..

***** for Move Up Trotsky, Working, Power 

**** for Waiting For The Woman, Endless River, Monkeys and Degenerates, Vegetable, Woman Inside, Pictures Of You, Addicted

*** for Feel, Primal Screaming, I Tried, New Dark Ages, Time, Night Games (Live), Working(Live)

The Fuzztones "Psychorama" 1984-1991(rec) 2015(comp)*****

I've already admitted to being a huge Fuzztones fan, so from the moment this appeared it was a matter of time until it gained a place of pride in my bookcase (as it has the size of a 7' single, it doesn't fit in the CD racks). So what if I already own all of these albums on vinyl, CD or both? Rudi Protrudi needs my money, am I going to deny him? Just kidding - it's actually great value for money, as the original albums and CD's are out of print and collecting them 2nd hand will cost you a small fortune. For old fans like me, of course, it's a bit of an unnecessary luxury. "Psychorama" is a beautiful box set containing a 7' single, 5 CD's with crisp remastered sound and a DVD, as well as a glossy 20-page booklet with a history of the band and photos. As is common these days, the CD's are housed in simple cardboard sleeves with miniatures of the original artwork (painted, as always, by the man himself: Rudi "Action" Protrudi"). Since I aim to present the original albums on separate posts I will only focus here on the bonus tracks - not rarities per se, but they certainly add to the value of the package. So let's see what we have here:

1. "Screamin' Jay Hawkins and The Fuzztones Live" 1985*** 
This is a 7' vinyl single, originally released on Midnight Records as a 12' EP. My 2nd hand copy is a bit worse for wear and I was really glad to be able to replace it. When I first saw it back in the day, I was pretty excited: My favourite blues screamer and garage band together? It's a match made in heaven! But actually, it's just decent - good fun, but neither artist's finest hour. Side A contains two of Hawkins' classics "Alligator Wine" and "I Put A Spell On You". Jay puts on a great show as always while the Fuzztones play some basic blues. They're much better on "It's That Time Again", a rocking Christmas tune combining Jerry Lee-style piano by Jay and psychedelic organ by Deb. "Constipation Blues" is -you guessed it- a comedy routine. Rudi plays some mean harmonica while Jay imitates a pain much more physical than what the blues have gotten us used to.

A1 Alligator Wine ***
A2 I Put A Spell On You**** 
B1 It's That Time Again**** 
B2 Constipation Blues***

2."Leave Your Mind At Home" 1984**** Their live LP debut (also originally for Midnight Records) is augmented here by 9 tracks previously issued as part of the "Creatures That Time Forgot" compilation. I'm very happy to have them, as my copy of "Creatures..." fell victim to the Great Vinyl Purge, a fact I've always regretted. Thankfully most of its tracks are included here - I think it's only missing their version of The Litter's "Action Woman" and a couple of instrumentals. We get The Fuzztones' first demo from 1982 (all covers: "99th Floor"[Moving Sidewalks], "Riot On Sunset Strip"[Standells], "The Witch"[Sonics] and "Don't Do It Some More"[The Cindermen]) and a demo of "Fabian Lips" from 1983. A new wave version of the latter had been previously recorded by Rudi and Deb's former group Tina Peel. "Green Slime" is horror psychedelia with Rudi sounding like a cross between Jim Morrison and Boris Karloff. Until now we've only heard energetic garage punk covers of old Nuggets/Pebbles 60's material. But the real highlights come with The Fuzztones' first original compositions. First among these is their debut single from 1984 ("Bad News Travels Fast" b/w "Brand New Man"), two sides of pounding garage rock with cocky vocals and swirling organ. Compilation track "Ward 81" is a psycho punk tale of mental illness with a classic, often copied, video clip.

ORIGINAL ALBUM: 1.Voices Green And Purple 2.Blackout Of Gretely 3.No Friend Of Mine 4.We're Pretty Quick 5.My Flash On You 6.The Bag I'm In 7.You Burn Me Up And Down. 

BONUS TRACKS:

8 Brand New Man [1984 Bad News, Single B-Side]****

9 Bad News Travels Fast [1984 Single A-Side]*****

10 Green Slime [Battle Of The Garages LP, 1984]****

11 99th Floor [1982 Demo] ****

12 Riot On Sunset Strip [1982 Demo] ***

13 Don't Do It Some More [1982 Demo]***

14 Fabian Lips [1983 Demo]***

15 Ward 81 [Rebel Kind LP, 1983]*****

16 The Witch [1982 Demo]****

3. "Lysergic Emanations" 1985***** Not just the Fuzztones' finest hour, but 80's garage rock's as well. Their signature track (a take on the Sonics' "Strychnine" that even surpasses the original) was not included on the original version of the LP, but was included on all subsequent reissues. The cover used here is the one of first pressing on ABC Records. The bonus tracks are live "Peel Sessions" which were already appended to the CD reissue of the album on Music Maniac. "Cinderella", "She's Wicked" and "Bad News Travels Fast" are strong live performances sticking close to the original versions. Their version of J.D.Blackfoot's "Epitaph For A Head" borders on hard rock, and effects-ridden album outtake "Green Slime" even surpasses their previous stab at it for the "Battle Of The Garages" compilation.

ORIGINAL ALBUM: 1.1-2-5 2.Gotta Get Some 3.Journey To Tyme 4.Ward 81 5.Strychnine 6.Radar Eyes 7.Cinderella 8.Highway 69 9.Just Once 10.She's Wicked 11.As Time's Gone 12.Living Sickness

BONUS TRACKS:

13 Bad News Travels Fast [Radio Sessions]*****

14 She's Wicked [Radio Sessions]****

15 Epitaph For A Head [Radio Sessions]***

16 Cinderella [Radio Sessions]****

17 Green Slime [Album Outtake]****

4. "In Heat" 1989***** This was the Fuzztones' major label debut and the product of a wholly different line-up -except, of course, leader Rudi Protrudi. It saw the band trying out a more mainstream hard rock sound that didn't appeal to their old fans, but nevertheless contained many good songs that became staples of their live shows. What elevates the CD to 5* status is the inclusion of the "Action" EP, a better showcase of this line-up's capabilities with rawer, snappier sound. Hard rock is abandoned for the pure '66 style garage stylings of the Music Machine-like "Action Speak Louder Than Words" and "I Never Knew", Count V-meet-Sonics "My Nothing" and the Vox organ-dominated "Yeah Baby" with its frat-rock ? And The Mysterians sound.

ORIGINAL ALBUM: 1.In Heat 2.Nine Months Later 3.Cheyenne Rider 4.Everything You Got 5.Black Box 6.Shame On You 7.It Came In The Mail 8.Me Tarzan, You Jane 9.Heathen Set 10.Hurt On Hold 11.What You Don't Know 12.Charlotte's Remains

BONUS TRACKS:

13 Action Speak Louder Than Words [1990 Action EP]*****

14 I Never Knew [1990 Action EP]*****

15 My Nothing [1990 Action EP]****

16 Yeah Babe [1990 Action EP]****

5. "Brain Drops" 1990***** Yet another lineup and the 'Tones most "psychedelic" outing. It's augmented here by 5 tracks from the live Psychedelic Ejaculations album - IMO the best of their live releases. Well chosen, as these are garage classics never before attempted by the Fuzztones and thus there's no duplication with other songs in this box set. Rudi gets to indulge his oversexed macho persona on The Standells' "Try It" and The Avengers' "Be A Caveman" and goes psychedelic for Max Frost And The Troopers' "Shape Of Things To Come". There's also some saucy between-song banter, while a punky cover of Love's "Little Red Book" and a garage-soul take on The Standells' "Rari" complete the CD's tracklist. Too bad they didn't include the definitive version of "Strychnine" from the vinyl-only edition of ...Ejaculations. It's got some cool musicianship, but what really makes it is Rudi replacing "strychnine" with "69" in the chorus - singing about how much he likes "the taste of 69" gives the song a whole other meaning.

ORIGINAL ALBUM: 1 Third Times The Charm, 2.Skeleton Farm 3.Romilar D 4.Fear 5.Rise 6.Ghost Clinic 7.7 And 7 Is 8.Look For The Question Mark 9.I Looked At You 10.The People In Me 11.All The King's Horses 12.Blackout

BONUS TRACKS:

13 Try It [Live]*****

14 My Little Red Book [Live]****

15 Be A Caveman [Live]*****

16 Rari [Live]****

17 Shape Of Things To Come [Live]****

6. "Monster A Go-Go" 1991**** A delightful tribute to Halloween (full presentation here) but the poorest regarding bonus tracks: "A Halloween Message" is a spoken word piece and "Horror Asparagus Stories" was already available as a CD-only bonus track since the first album issue. It's a fun cover of an absurd Driving Stupid song with crazy surrealistic lyrics.
ORIGINAL ALBUM: 1.Jack The Ripper 2.All Black And Hairy 3.Charlotte's Remains 4.Dinner With Drac 5.Night Of The Phantom 6.The Witch 7.Happy Halloween 8.D.O.A  9.Cellar Dweller 10.I'm The Wolfman 11.She's My Witch 12.Goin' To A Graveyard 13.Night Of The Vampire BONUS TRACKS: 14 Horror Asparagus Stories*** 15 A Halloween Message*

7. "Live At the Elixir Festival, France 1985" DVD***. The "unreleased" portion of this box set, though you may already have seen the clip on youtube. It's a straight transfer from a French TV program from the 80's taped on VHS, so visually it's nothing special, but it's great nevertheless to see the young and ambitious Fuzztones in action. The DVD has no chapters, meaning it's impossible to go straight to the song you want to hear and, as the beginning of the concert is missing, you get unceremoniously dropped straight in the middle of the set. At least the French TV version in youtube avoided that by changing the order of the songs. Shoddy job, then, for an expensive box set - especially as the DVD is the biggest selling point for fans who already own the records. The video is what you'd expect from a straight-from-VHS transfer but, on the bright side, the audio is pretty good and on a par with the live albums released by the band in the 80's. In any case, it's great to have a Fuzztones DVD but I expect there's better live footage out there. Hope it'll surface soon, and get a more careful restoration.

1. Voices Green And Purple 2. Blackout Of Gretely 3. Writing On The Wall 4. Highway 69 5. Action Woman 6. She's Wicked 7. Cellar Dweller 8. Journey To Tyme 9. You're Gonna Miss Me