Tag Archives: 1980’s music

The Cult – Gig Review

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The Cult + Jonathan Hultén

Friday 25th October 2024

02 Apollo Manchester

November 25 1991, Manchester G-MEX. That was the last (and first) time I saw The Cult perform live. They were my favourite band and being there to witness them in person was a hell of a thrill, I was barely 19 years old and I’d never been to a gig of that scale before. Years go by, and I’m finally going to see The Cult again, this time at the far more atmospheric Apollo, rather than the cavernous aircraft hanger of the old G-MEX.

Yes indeed, it had been a long time since I saw my old mates Billy and Ian up on a stage. A lot had happened during that time – for all of us – but the music was always there.

Our support act this evening, in a seemingly incongruous move, was Jonathan Hultén. Standing solo on stage, swathed in veils and enigmatic face paint, Hultén was not what many were expecting to open the show. His music was dark, ethereal folk, with acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. At first I was intrigued, as the music continued I became thoroughly engaged. Just a few days before Halloween, this Scandinavian folk horror and gothic bombast was entirely appropriate to open this event.

More surprises, even more pleasant, revealed themselves when The Cult took to the Apollo stage – accompanied by a sample of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from Apocalypse Now (a genius move in itself). Launching into an earth-shaking ‘In The Clouds’, followed by ‘Rise’, from the insanely underrated “Beyond Good and Evil” album, this was not what I was expecting at all. Both songs are later entries in the band’s cannon, and sit gloriously at the heavier end of their repertoire. I adore both tracks – this was going to be interesting.

“Electric” album cut ‘Wildflower’ was next. One of my favourite Cult songs, I could’ve left at that point and been satisfied. More hard hitting classics followed with the swagger of ‘Star’ and Charlie Jones’s thudding bass introducing ‘The Witch’. New track ‘Mirror’ slots in seamlessly, then we get another mighty song from “Beyond Good and Evil”, ‘War (The Process’). All well known songs to Cult freaks like me, but not obvious choices by any means.

Billed as “The Cult 8424” – a 40 year anniversary tour – I’d expected a Greatest Hits set, culled mainly from the bands mid 80’s days. Early non-album single ‘Resurrection Joe’ was therefore no surprise, otherwise, this set spanned eras and albums confidently. Next was an acoustic ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’ – I’ve always preferred this song in stripped down form to the “Sonic Temple” production.

‘Sweet Soul Sister’ was my chance for a quick “comfort break” – I’ve never been a huge fan. Great riff, overblown chorus! Another surprise followed, with ‘Lucifer’ from the “Choice of Weapon” record. The huge, epic riff of this song has made it one of my favourites, so a real bonus to hear live. John Tempesta on drums really powered all these songs home flawlessly, with both groove and power.

The latter part of the set delivered all the big crowd pleasers; an anthemic ‘Firewoman’, a truly captivating ‘Rain’ (surely one of the greatest rock riffs of the era), the tribal beauty of ‘Spiritwalker’. Billy Duffy, playing to a home town crowd, performed guitar magic throughout: from gutsy, gritty riffs to mesmerising yet direct, never fancy melodies. Lightning bolt energy from Ian Astbury galvanised the audience, as he revelled in the role of shamanic leader. And with a final roar through ‘Love Removal Machine’, it’s over.

Except it isn’t! Of course not, we all know The Cult will be back for an encore. But what will it be? Any more surprises?

‘Brother Wolf, Sister Moon’ is a classic track from the wonderful “Love” album, but wasn’t a single and so a very welcome reward. Finally, of course, the legendary ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ rings out and unites the crowd in a euphoric shared moment – Astbury’s air raid siren vocals leading the throng. I swear that man doesn’t need a microphone.

My return visit to The Cult’s sonic temple took a few years longer than anticipated. It was great to see them on such fine form, revelling in the classics and confident in their position as genuine, treasured heroes. What really made the gig for me though, was the sheer joy of hearing a very generous helping of less obvious, but very beloved tracks that I wasn’t expecting. No ‘Lil’ Devil’, but the rest of the set made up for it. I’ll return sooner next time.

PS: we need “Beyond Good and Evil” re-releasing on vinyl, please lads!

Don’t Be Cruel – Album Review

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Jamie Spilsbury – Don’t Be Cruel

Self released

Every now and again, some thing lands on my desk that I’m compelled to write about. Something out of the ordinary and different. Unexpected, even. And it doesn’t need to be something from a well known artist, or from a genre I’m familiar with. Sometimes, something arrives completely out of the blue and demands attention.

“Don’t Be Cruel” by Jamie Spilsbury is in that category. Jamie is a man of many interests, though I had no idea that he’d made an album. This album, wrenched from Jamie’s creative impulses and filtered through numerous pop culture references and electronica, can only be a document of his journeys through multiple realities and dimensions…

Some of what you will hear is music, some of it spoken word, dramatisations and skits – but all of it is experimental and different. It’s a journey into the abstract that takes in dozens of reference points. Starting with ‘The Letter M Song’ the listener is taken by surprise with a pleasant little tune that sounds like a long lost Sesame Street excerpt, but backwards. ‘Ballroom Memories’ is a delightful, relaxed big band/swing number that’s like a missing Glenn Miller track.

‘Stayin’ Together’ is a clever tribute to 80’s synth pop movie tunes, it’s Debbie Gibson at the Mall playing arcade games. The best song here is no doubt ‘Voidness’, a quite lovely piece of ambient electronica that’s perfect to chill out to.

Surrounding these musical adventures are the comedic skits, which range from spoof news bulletins to a genuinely creepy spoken word Lovecraft piece. There’s weird science fiction, Pulp Fiction style armed robbery, and Indiana Jones – literally nothing can be predicted here, it’s a startlingly varied mix of influences and ideas.

Jamie spent only a small amount of time putting this album together, in what must have been a fever of activity. And it’s the ingenious assortment of thoughts and concepts that really makes an impact here. I’m not sure I understand everything that’s going on (yet), but the sheer exuberance and commitment to create is very impressive. Strap on your ear goggles and get ready for a crazy adventure. You might be inspired to make your own musical journey…

Follow Jamie on X for more info, and a link to “Don’t Be Cruel”.

Ron Coolen – Here to Stay Album Review

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Ron Coolen – Here to Stay

Self released

Release date: 01/12/2023

Running time: 60 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

7.5/10

Ron Coolen is a Dutch multi-instrumentalist with a passion for rock and metal. Working with vocalist Keith St John and with contributions from some amazing guitar wizards (George Lynch, Gus G and Christopher Amott to name just a few), we have here a new release that sounds contemporary, but also harks back to the glory days of 80’s metal.

With an opening track entitled ‘Heavy Metal Till I’m Dead’, it’s pretty obvious what we’re going to get. This song bursts out of the speakers, embellished with some furious shredding from Joey Concepcion, and I defy anyone not to raise the devil horns and sing along. It’s great fun, with ‘You’re Just a Bad Dream’ offering more of the same full-on energy. If you dig Van Halen, or any of the big stadium rock of the 80s, you’ll find plenty on here to enjoy (especially the VH style glory of ‘Shake Me to the Floor’).

My personal favourite song on “Here to Stay” is the start/stop ACDC-style riff of ‘Mr Jones’, though I don’t think this was written about me. Other tracks such as ‘Jaded Eyes’ offer a welcome change of pace, with an atmospheric feel that’s reminiscent of Sonic Temple era Cult.

I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy this particular release from Ron Coolen, but you’d have to be a cold-hearted ice demon not to be infected by the musicians’ reverence for metal. Some of the keyboards can grate a little, but the overall production is crisp and warm. Not all of the ideas work, but as a love letter to 80’s hard rock, it’s easy to enjoy. If you want to rock, then listening to “Here to Stay” is all you need to do, Ron Ron Ron. To do, Ron Ron.

Check out Ron Coolen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bandcamp and YouTube.

This review is a joint presentation from Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #33

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Yeah, it’s that time again! Time for another Singles Night at my Virtual Hot Tub. These nights are always huge amounts of fun, with some rockin’, some ripe cheese and some surprises. Plus the occasional dud, just to keep me on my toes.

Recap time, for the newbies: Singles Night is all about digging into my collection of 7 inch singles, which have come into my possession from various sources. I play through the pile, one after the other, A side then B side. There’s all sorts of genres and styles in that pile and sometimes the unexpected CAN happen.

So grab the’sen a drink (I recommend the booze) and let’s see what we get in this pile of 45rpm glory…

  1. Royal Blood – “Limbo” / “All We Have is Now”
  2. The Cult – “Spiritwalker” / “A Flower in the Desert”
  3. Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction – “Planet Girl” / “Dog Face Driver”
  4. Slade – “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” / “Man Who Speaks Evil”
  5. Kevin The Gerbil – “Summer Holiday” / “Hawaiian Holiday”
  6. Boney M – “Belfast” / “Plantation Boy”
  7. Elton John – “Part Time Love” / “Cry at Night”
  8. Chas & Dave w/ Rockney – “Strummin'” / “I’m in Trouble”
  9. Showaddywaddy – “Rock’n’Roll Lady” / “I’m a Traveller”
  10. Suzi Quatro – “She’s in Love with You” / “Space Cadets”
  11. Chuck Berry – “My Ding-A-Ling” / “Let’s Boogie”
  12. Queen – “Hammer to Fall” / “Tear It Up”
  13. Def Leppard – “Animal” / “Tear it Down”
  14. Queen – “I’m Going Slightly Mad” / “The Hitman”
  15. Gary Moore – “Parisienne Walkways” / “Fanatical Fascists”
  16. Music from ‘The Sting’ ft. Marvin Hamlisch on piano – “The Entertainer” / “Solace”
  17. Showaddywaddy – “Heartbeat” / “Lucy Jane”
  18. David Soul – “Silver Lady” / “Rider”
  19. Frank Sinatra – “I Believe I’m Gonna Love You” / “The Only Couple on the Floor”
  20. Hot Chocolate – “You Sexy Thing” / “A Warm Smile”

Who wants to guess the lamest track of the bunch? If you guessed Kevin the Gerbil’s song, you’d be dead wrong! I’m a lifelong Roland Rat Fan and anything from his world is golden to me. In actual fact, there’s noting awfully cheesy on that last – certainly not Chas & Dave or Showaddywaddy, either.

Starting off bang up to date with a great single from Royal Blood, the rock genre delivered the goods with bangers from The Cult, Zodiac Mindwarp, Queen and Def Leppard. I’ve only just noticed that Queen wanted us to “Tear It Up” whilst the Lepps wanted us to “Tear it Down” – crazy!

Talking of crazy, I love Slade and that single was a gift from my pal Greeny at his wedding (it was number 1 when I was born). A happy addition to the collection.

Another fun night, it got a bit hazy with the beverages piling up. I’ll keep you posted with more of these soon.

Oh, and one more thing: RIP David Soul.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #32

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Here we go again, my little Hot Tub amigos! Yes it’s time for another Singles Night at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub – grab a cocktail and jump right in, we’ve got some listening to do!

Do I really need to explain what we’re up to, here? OK, well very quickly then: I have a pile of 7 inch singles that I’ve acquired from various places, all of different artists and genres. On Singles Night, I play through a stack of ’em in order, A side then B side, and we go on a musical odyssey.

Sound like fun? Well it is. Drink up and let’s rock with this latest selection:

  1. The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary” / “No. 13”
  2. Iron Maiden – “Infinite Dreams (Live)” / “Killers (Live)”
  3. Rod Stewart – “Lost in You” / “Almost Illegal”
  4. Steve Miller Band – “Rock’n’Me” / “The Window”
  5. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Mr Chatterbox” / “Mr Chatterbox (Version)”
  6. Wizzard – “Rock’n’Roll Winter (Loony’s Tune)” / “Dream of Unwin”
  7. Hot Chocolate – “A Child’s Prayer” / “Everything Should Be Funky”
  8. Mud – “Show Me You’re a Woman” / “Don’t You know”
  9. Bay City Rollers – “I Only Wanna Be With You” / “Rock’n’Roller”
  10. The Kartoon Krew – “Inspector Gadget” / “Inspector Gadget Dub”
  11. Snap! – “The Power” / “The Power (Dub)”
  12. Nicole – ” A Little Peace” / “Thank You, Mercy”
  13. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Stir It Up (Alt. Jamaican Version)” / “Stir It Up (Alt. Jamaican Instrumental)”
  14. Katrina & The Waves – “Walking on Sunshine” / “Going Down to Liverpool”
  15. Hot Chocolate – “Disco Queen” / “You’re a Natural High”
  16. UK Subs – “She’s Not There” / “Kicks” / “Victim” / “The Same Thing”
  17. Run DMC – “Walk This Way” / “Walk This Way (Instrumental)”
  18. Iron Maiden – “Run to the Hills” / “Total Eclipse”
  19. The Nolans – “Attention to Me” / “Old Feelings Again”
  20. Chas & Dave – “Gertcha” / “The Banging in Your Head”

Another twenty 45 rpm slabs of varying quality there, but I’m not including Katrina (great song!) or Chas & Dave (who can do no wrong) in the dodgy list.

We started with possibly my favourite song of all time, the wonderful “She Sells Sanctuary”. Love that tune. I never had the 7″ as a kid, I bought the 12″ as it had an extra track on it, as I was always obsessed with collecting B sides. That was in 1989, however, well after the single was originally released in ’85.

Other highlights included a double dose of Iron Maiden, a UK Subs EP and the classic Run DMC single “Walk This Way”. Not to mention a couple of very cool Bob Marley singles, both of which were Record Store Day purchases.

As I said, Singles Night is always a journey, from well known paths to the very different excursions. I can recommend it as a fun evening.

I really should do this more often.

Living Colour – Gig Review

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Living Colour + Red Zephyr

Saturday 2nd December 2023

Buckley Tivoli

Yet another massive coup for the good ol’ Tiv! The Tivoli Venue in Buckley, North Wales is a legendary spot and has attracted some amazing, big names over the years. The latest to pay a visit and astonish us with their prowess were alt-rock icons Living Colour. This was, indeed, a big deal. I bought my ticket as soon as it was announced.

No surprise, the Tiv was packed to the rafters on this Saturday evening. It was a good atmosphere from the start, a feeling of warm anticipation in the air. I caught up with several friends old and new, but that meant I didn’t get much experience of support band Red Zephyr. What I did hear, they seemed to be a supremely capable and enjoyable hard rock band – one to investigate further in the future.

Now me and Living Colour go back some way. I still have an old 7 inch vinyl Sounds EP featuring the band that a friend gave me in 1988, which is where my fandom began. I’ve never seen them live though (ah, if only I’d been able to go to Lollapalooza 1991!), so this gig was really something to look forward to.

Opening with their infectious track “Middle Man” before launching into playing their “Stain” album in full, it was immediately obvious that Living Colour were still at the top of their game and playing exceptionally well. It was also nice to be reminded just how many great songs – and of varying styles and grooves – this band have in their repertoire. Crunchy metal provided by guitar maestro Vernon Reid on “Go Away” nestles up comfortably with the sublime pop of “Nothingness”. On all tracks, the Haribo fuelled voice of Corey Glover roared majestically and crooned sweetly.

Post “Stain” run-through saw a jigsaw of originals and covers, the highlight being a 50 years of Hip-Hop medley featuring “White Lines” and “The Message”. Doug Wimbish, the king of bass, shone here, although his skills dazzled all night. And drum master Will Calhoun gets a well deserved solo spot: he ably showed both relentless power and effortless grace throughout.

Of course, two of the big crowd pleasers are “Love Rears It’s Ugly Head” – which is uncannily well played – and the crushing, monster riff of “Cult of Personality”. All the songs sound great, with Corey’s vocals in particular sounding like they came direct off the vinyl.

Well done to all at the Tiv for making this happen, and huge thanks to Living Colour for turning up and playing their hearts out. They had the musical skills, they were vibrant and entertaining on stage – Living Colour absolutely ruled one of the best Tiv nights in a long, long time.

Living Colour are online here.

Check what’s on at Buckley Tivoli here.

Scrap Metal Vol. 2 – Album Review

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Various Artists – Scrap Metal Vol 2

RidingEasy Records

Release date: 10/02/2023

Running time: 41 mins

Review by: Alun Jones

8.5/10

All hail the return of the forgotten kings!  Yes, it’s another instalment of long lost and forgotten classics with the second “Scrap Metal” collection from RidingEasy Records!  Much like their Brown Acid series, which compiles obscure late 60’s/early 70’s psych hard rock, here we’re delving into the murky depths of early 80’s metal.  This is the realm of studded belts, band patch covered denim jackets and of course, mullets: prepare to ROCK!

We begin with ‘Running for the Line’ by JJ’s Powerhouse – a lightning-fast ripper that reminded me of Judas Priest playing a cover of Budgie’s ‘Breadfan’.  It’s a great, energetic start to the proceedings.  Next is Storm Queen, with another fast-paced attack in ‘Raising the Roof’.  Furious fun from this Welsh power house.

‘It’s a Crime’ declare Jameson Raid, and it is indeed a crime that these Brummie bruisers didn’t achieve more in rock’n’roll.  A.R.C. have a punk’n’roll edge that makes their song ‘Homemade Wine’ something to savour, it’s the rawest track here so far.  Metropolis hail from San Jose, and their track ‘The Raven’ has a dark, mid eighties thrash sound and killer intro riff.

Staying with the USA, Prowler from San Diego offer up ‘Temporary Insanity’ – more mid-eighties thrash infused metal that recalls early Anthrax.  Following that, Christian Steel deliver ‘Need Your Love’ – a fairly cliched, but still fun, banger.  If these guys are Christians, I’ll bet their church group won’t be impressed with what they’d like to do to a lady (outside of matrimony too, I suspect).  ‘Sidewinder’ is one of the best tracks gathered here, a punchy rocker from Black Rose.      

‘Star Trippin’’ is by Dark Age.  Dark Age are apparently a band of youngsters: the guitarist was jut 12, and his brother on vocals two years younger when this song was written.  It’s fun, but very strange listening to the helium high-pitched voices.  It’s like Alvin & The Chipmunks playing Crue covers.  Finally, we have Sorcery with their mystical Zep-a-thon ‘Whales’.  Crazy title for a crazy tune.  There’s a mellow hippyish intro, which is obliterated by the crushing mega riff which powers the song along.  Over the top magnificence.

From NWOBHM inspired tracks, to proto thrash and full-on goof ball metal ragers, Scrap Metal Vol 2 has plenty of variety.  Maybe not so much depth, but it’s not for want of trying with some of these bands.  At the end of the day, all of these songs are fun and it’s great to know they’ve been rescued from oblivion.  Now, raise those horns and roar!

Check out RidingEasy Records online, on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This review is presented by Platinum Al in partnership with Ever Metal.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #31

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Gather ye round, Hot Tubbers! Tis time once again to dip our toes into the warm waters and enjoy another Singles Night.

What am I babbling about? Regular readers will know that Platinum Al likes to spend an evening playing through my collection of 7″ singles, both sides, one after the other. I have a large unplayed pile of 45 rpm records that need spinning, so sometimes I like to blitz through ’em, accompanied with a few drinks (or several).

Why? Because it makes a fun evening! You never know what’s crept in to the “play me” pile: old or new, good or bad. And when the night is over, these discs can be safely added to my collection.

Let’s check out what I played this time:

  1. Boney M. – “I’m Born Again” / “Bahama Mama”
  2. Sounds EP: The Perfect Disaster – “55 Miles” / “Mega City Four – “What We’ve Got” / Cerebral Fix – “Eternal Winter” / Killdozer – “New Pants & Shirt” / Pussy Galore – “SM57”
  3. Men Without Hats – “The Safety Dance” / “Security”
  4. Third World – “Now That We’ve Found Love” / “Night Heat”
  5. Bomb the Bass – “Beat Dis” / “Beat Dis (Dub)”
  6. Phil Collins – “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” / Mike Rutherford – “Making a Big Mistake”
  7. Hale & Pace and the Stonkers – “The Stonk” / Victoria Wood – “The Smile Song”
  8. Bob Geldof – “Love or Something” / “Out of Order”
  9. The Whispers – “And the Beat Goes On” / “Can You Do The Boogie”
  10. Queen – “It’s a Hard Life” / “Is This the World We Created…?”
  11. Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Jamming” / “Punky Reggae Party”
  12. Sweet – “The Six Teens” / “Burn On The Flame”
  13. Belinda Carlisle – “La Luna” / “Whatever It Takes”
  14. Baccara – “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” / “Cara Mia”
  15. The Stranglers – “Bear Cage” / “Sha Sha a Go Go”
  16. Bucks Fizz – “One of Those Nights” / “Always Thinking of You”
  17. Rod Stewart – “How Long” / “Jealous”
  18. Ghost – “Kiss the Go-Goat” / “Mary On a Cross”
  19. The Beach Boys – “Darlin'” / “Here Today”
  20. ZZ Top – “Gimme All Your Lovin'” / “If I could Only Flag Her Down”

A mixed bag, as always – with a few left overs from my “100 singles for a fiver” car boot sale purchase. But this is what Singles Night is all about – you take the rough with the smooth, learn to appreciate stuff that you might’ve previously written off.

There are a couple of stinkers in that list, but surprisingly the Comic Relief single ” The Stonk” isn’t one of them. Daft it may be, but it features Brian May, Tony Iommi, Dave Gilmour, Cozy Powell and Roger Taylor in a Quo-esque rock boogie that I quite enjoyed.

I love the Boney M. single, as the B-side reminds me of being on holiday in Greece. “Safety Dance” is brilliant, Bomb The Bass is class, and I even enjoyed the Phil Collins song!

Obvious highlights in this set came from Queen, Bob Marley, Sweet, The Stranglers, Beach Boys and ZZ Top. Always wanted to hear that Bob Marley B-side, as he name checks several punk bands such as The Damned, The Jam and The Clash.

I was a surprisingly cool dad, thanks to the Ghost single (coloured vinyl, nice). Apparently the B-side is a social media craze, so my daughter was impressed!

Great tunes, fun times exploring music – that’s Singles Night. More soon!

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #30

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Boo-ya! It’s the thirtieth instalment of the ever popular Singles Night, where yours truly plays through a big ol’ stack of 45 rpm singles. It’s all vinyl, all the time folks, as I dig into the never ending pile of 7 inch wax.

Let’s take a look at he latest batch:

  1. The Four Horsemen – “Nobody Said It Was Easy” / “Homesick Blues”
  2. Van Halen – “When It’s Love” / “A Apolitical Blues”
  3. Ramones – “Baby, I Love You” / “High Risk Insurance”
  4. Chesney Hawkes – “The One and Only” / “It’s Gonna Be Tough”
  5. Brenda Lee – “Break It To Me Gently” / “So Deep” / “Tragedy” / “Will you Love Me Tomorrow”
  6. Lulu – “Boom Bang-a-Lang” / “March!”
  7. Rubettes – “Kid Runaway” / “Southbound Train”
  8. Neal Hefti – “Batman Theme” / “Holy Diploma, Batman – Straight A’s!”
  9. Charles Aznavour – “She” / “La Barraka”
  10. Bobby Goldsboro – “A Butterfly for Bucky” / “Another Night Alone”
  11. Phil Collins – “If Leaving Me is Easy” / “Drawingboard”
  12. Phil Collins – “Another Day in Paradise” / “Heat on the Street”
  13. Hawkwind – “Angels of Death” / “Trans-Dimensional Man”
  14. Van Halen – “Runnin’ with the Devil” / “D.O.A.”
  15. Perry Como – “My Days of Loving You” / “Happiness Comes, Happiness Goes”
  16. Alice Cooper – “Elected” / “Luney Tune”
  17. Judge Dread – “Big Seven” / “Dread”
  18. Golden Earring – “Radar Love” / “The Song is Over”
  19. Herb Alpert – “This Guy’s in Love With You” / “A Quiet Tear (Lagrima Quieta)”
  20. Shakin’ Stevens – “A Love Worth Waiting For” / “As Long As”

Well that box of singles I got for £5 is still stinking up the list a bit, hence the double Phil Collinson offer this time. At least double Van Halen more than compensates for that. Incidentally, I owned the “When It’s Love” single when I was a kid, bought it from Woolwroths in Shotton when it was released. This copy is a replacement, as my original was swopped a long time ago.

The Batman theme is quite possibly the best TV theme of all time, so glad I have that in the collection. Also, some genuine classics from Ramones, Hawkwind, Alice Cooper and Golden Earring made this one of the best sessions yet. And The Four Horsemen are great, though long forgotten band.

As I mentioned, the pile of 7 inch records never seems to dwindle, so there’ll be another Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub soon. Make sure you don’t miss it!

Eddie & The Hot Rods – Album Review

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Eddie And The Hot Rods – The Singles 1976 – 1985

Cherry Red Records

Release date: 14/10/2022

Running time: 2 hrs 13 mins approx.

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Yes it’s me again, sneaking in some more punk rock alongside your regular dose of Ever Metal.  Because variety is the spice of life, right?  Although tbh, some trainspotter’s gonna testify that Eddie and the Hot Rods aren’t punk, they’re “pub rock” or “new wave”.  Like I care. 

This compilation from Cherry Red includes 40 tracks over two CDs, full to the top of the pint glass with pub/punk/new wave from Eddie and the Hot Rods.  All the single A and B sides from 1976 to 1985 are squeezed in – in chronological order – leaving no stone unturned, to create a definitive journey through the bands career. 

Starting with the first 45, ‘Writing on the Wall’, and including numerous energetic cover versions like ‘Woolly Bully’, ’96 Tears’ and ‘Satisfaction’, it’s easy to imagine being in a packed pub rocking out to the Hot Rods.  These early tracks illustrate nicely how the band were really a revved up R’n’B band in the style of the Stones and early Who – just faster and even more gung-ho.  There’s a direct line here from the rebellious rock’n’roll of the MC5 – as evidenced by two collaborations with Rob Tyner at the end of disc one.

The punk association really blossoms with the superb ‘Teenage Depression’; it’s like Mick, Keith and the other three time travelling ten years into their future and being inspired by the Ramones.

The obsessive nature of this collection means we get three versions of all-time classic (and new wave comp standard) ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ (including the US single edit and live version from a B side).  It’s a good job it’s such a great song.

There’s a clue with that repetition where this compilation will find its audience.  For the die-hard fan or seasoned collector, it’s a handy collection covering all bases.  The booklet is perfect: details about every single and repro art of each record.  It’s far more than a “greatest hits” set, though, so may be too much for the casual listener. 

The last couple of tracks on the second disc suffer from heavy handed mid 80s production, but it’s quality stuff all the same.  Some will prefer to write the band off as coat tail riders, based on the boozy covers, but the sheer exuberance of the performances is addictive.  “The Singles 1976 – 1985” shows Eddie and the Hot Rods at their very best; the final product is so chock full of detail it’s a treasure.

Check out Eddie and the Hot Rods online, on Facebook and on Spotify.

This review originally appeared on Ever Metal and is now presented here too.