Tag Archives: 70s rock

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub #35

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For the first time of 2025, let’s indulge in another Singles Night. A night of spinning records, having a few drinks and enjoying the vibes.

The “singles” in the event title refers to vinyl singles: the 7 inch, 45 rpm discs that were once the pocket money swallowing masters of the weekly music chart. Now I have a massive stack of said singles, and on some nights I dig a load of ’em out, and play ’em. Both sides – A then B – and onto the next.

There are many wonders to be found amongst the hefty pile of 7″ records. And a few oddities. But the randomness and variety always an entertaining night.

Grab a drink and settle in with my latest playlist:

  1. Generation X – “King Rocker” / “Gimme Some Truth”
  2. David Bowie – “Modern Love” / “Modern Love (Live Version)”
  3. Motorhead/Girlschool – “Please Don’t Touch” / “Bomber” / “Emergency”
  4. The Alarm – “Presence of Love (Laugharne)” / “Knife Edge”
  5. Depeche Mode – “See You” / “Now, This Is Fun”
  6. Dana – “All Kinds of Everything” / “Channel Breeze”
  7. The Steve Gibbons Band – “Eddy Vortex” / “Little Suzie”
  8. Shirley Bassey – “So In Love” / “As Long As He Needs Me”
  9. Darts – “Don’t Let It Fade Away” / “Early In The Morning”
  10. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Oliver’s Army” / “My Funny Valentine”
  11. David Bowie – “Blue Jean” / “Dancing With The Big Boys”
  12. AC/DC – “Guns For Hire” / “Landslide”
  13. ABC – “The Look of Love” / “The Look of Love (Part 2)”
  14. The Jam – “Start” / “Liza Radley”
  15. Jimmy Cliff – “Reggae Night” / “Love Heights”
  16. The Sweet – “Little Willy” / “Man From Mecca”
  17. Propaganda – “Duel” / “Jewel”
  18. Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman – “Kinky Boots” / “Let’s Keep It Friendly”
  19. A-Ha – “Hunting High and Low (Remix)” / “The Blue Sky (Demo Version)”
  20. The Creatures – “Miss The Girl” / “Hot Springs in The Snow”
  21. Queen – “Somebody To Love” / “White Man”
  22. Ike & Tina Turner – “Nutbush City Limits” / “Help Him”

Twenty two records this week, and a few strange ones are still creeping in – some are the remains of a bundle of singles I bought at a car boot sale for a fiver. I kept Dana in the collection due to the Eurovision connection, but Shirley is a superstar.

Punk and New Wave genres are nicely represented in this selection, with great songs from Generation X, The Jam and Elvis Costello. A-Ha, Depeche Mode and ABC bring in some pop classics, while good old rock’n’roll is delivered by AC/DC, Motorhead and Girlschool.

Two great 1980s Bowie discs made the playlist and there’s a favourite from Queen (though it’s one of my least favourite songs of theirs). Adding to the 70s vintage is a cheeky number from Sweet, which never fails to raise a smile!

Another successful night spinning vinyl. More to come soon.

Singles Night at the Virtual Hot tub #34

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Here we go with another Singles Night! Just like Kool and the Gang said – no wait, that was “Ladies Night”. Totally different event altogether. Well, don’t let that be any concern for you, good reader – let’s spend an evening of musical fun and adventure anyway!

What, you may well ask, is “Singles Night at the Virtual Hot Tub”? If you know, feel free to skip this bit. Otherwise, I’ll explain.

Singles

In essence, I have a huge stack of 7 inch vinyl singles that I haven’t played yet. And they need to be played before I can add them to my super sophisticated filing system. So on Singles Night, I grab a bunch of these records and play ’em, A side then B side, one after the other, whilst having a wee drinkie or three.

It’s great fun. It rocks. Here’s the latest playlist:

  1. The Rezillos – “I Can’t Stand My baby” / “I Wanna Be Your Man”
  2. The Rezillos – “Top of the Pops” / “20,000 Rezillos Under the Sea”
  3. The Ruts – “Something That I Said” / “Give Youth A Chance”
  4. Sweet Dreams – “Honey Honey” / “I Surrender”
  5. The Steve Gibbons Band – “Tupelo Mississippi Flash” / “Till the Fire Burns Out”
  6. Showaddywaddy – “You Got What It Takes” / “Showboat”
  7. Goombay Dance Band – “Sol de Jamaica” / “Isla de Suenos”
  8. KC & The Sunshine Band – “That’s the Way (I Like It)” / “Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong”
  9. Dollar – “Mirror Mirror” / “Radio”
  10. Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Hong Kong Garden” / “Voices”
  11. Suzi Quatro – “I Go Wild” / “I’m a Rocker”
  12. Rose Tattoo – “Rock’n’Roll is King” / “I Had You First”
  13. Deep Purple – “Black Night” / “Speed King”
  14. Elton John – “Blue Eyes” / “Hey Papa Legba”
  15. Berlin – “Take My Breath Away” / Giorgio Moroder – “Radar Radio”
  16. Motley Crue – “Primal Scream” / “Dancing on Glass”
  17. The Damned – “White Rabbit” / “Rabid (Over You)” / “Seagulls”
  18. Booker T & The MGs – “Green Onions” / “Boot Leg”
  19. Bobby Brown – “On Our Own” / “On Our Own (with Rap)”
  20. De La Soul – “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)” / “Pile and Piles of Demo Tapes Bi-Da Miles”

And there we go, mes amis. A right old concoction and no mistake. But you know what? The odd dud in the playlist only makes the good stuff sweeter. And when you’re having fun, those duds ain’t so bad anyway.

The odd horror from the fabled car boot box of doom still lingering here, but they’re slowly dying off. Instead, a veritable feast of punk rock wonders, from the Rezillos, Ruts, Siouxsie and The Damned. That Damned track is, of course, a cover of the Jefferson Airplane song, and not one of my favourites – though the two songs on the B side are absolutely wonderful.

Plenty of other delights with Rose Tattoo and a double sided banger from Deep Purple, not to mention a Crue song I actually really like.

I hate the film Top Gun – never managed to see it all the way through – and not a huge fan of the Berlin track, but hey, it was a freebie. Likewise, that Bobby Brown song from Ghostbusters II is a huge drop in quality from the Ray Parker Jr classic. Some pop genius from KC & the Sunshine Band and Booker T keeps us on track nicely, though.

All in all, another successful night’s entertainment. Stay tuned for more soon, folks – I’ve got loads of these discs for ya and they’re itching for a spin!

Green Lung – “This Heathen Land” Album Review

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Green Lung – This Heathen Land 

Nuclear Blast Records 

Release date: 03/11/2023 

Running time: 43 minutes 

Review by: Alun Jones 

9.75/10 

Halloween ain’t over yet, kids – at least not while the arch druids of Occult Rock, Green Lung, are back in town!  Yes, London’s finest purveyors of witchy, stoner incantations have a new album, “This Heathen Land” – released by Nuclear Blast Records, no less.  So gather ye round, my acolytes, whilst we indulge in the ritual listening of this opus.  Light some candles, burn some incense, imbibe potions of mind-expanding merriment.  And take all your clothes off!  

Album number three from Green Lung kicks off with a suitably 1970s intro, setting the magickal vibe right away.  ‘The Forest Church’ is the first track proper, which takes its inspiration from Danzig-approved cult folk horror classic “The Blood on Satan’s Claw”.  It’s a riffalicious chunk of doomy wonder, built around an organ drenched, moody base. 

‘Mountain Throne’ blasts out as a Sabbath style rocker, awash with those lush, skronky keyboards.  Then GL add some sauce to their sorcery with their ode to ‘Maxine (Witch Queen)’, an ecstatically catchy slice of psychedelic, garage rock-infused debauchery.  ‘The Ancient Ways’ and ‘Hunters in the Sky’ are both powerful yet groovy rock that’s reminiscent of the greats and gleefully conjures up its own aura.   

Green Lung really stretch themselves on ‘One for Sorrow’, which features huge, doom riffs and atmospheric synths with an epic chorus.  The mellow, folky sound of ‘Song of the Stones’ adds yet more colour to the palette, and still sounds essential – just like those more refined tracks on early Black Sabbath records.  The melodic, drama infused ‘Oceans of Time’ – inspired by Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” – adds a suitably bombastic and ambitious climax to the album.   

A word of wisdom for the initiate: the vinyl version of “This Heathen Land” shows exactly why physical media is still so important and potent.  My copy is green vinyl, in a gatefold sleeve with lyric booklet and a map of the UK, showing various otherworldly sites that have inspired the album.  This obsessive attention to detail is fascinating and illustrates just how much care and attention has been poured into the whole work!   

Green Lung is completely fearless, their ability to rise to the challenge and create art this meticulous is highly impressive.  And I should know, I’ve seen The Wicker Man and I own a black cat.  Seriously, my children: “This Heathen Land” is essential. 

You can put your clothes back on now.    

Find out more about Green Lung on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and their website.

This review is joint presentation by 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.

The Lords of Altamont – Album Review

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The Lords of Altamont – To Hell With Tomorrow, The Lords Are Now!

Heavy Psyche Sounds Records

Release date: 17/03/2023

Running time: 35 minutes

Review by Alun Jones

9.5/10

Ladies and gentlemen, I am excited!  Why am I excited, you ask?  Because I freakin’ love this album by the Lords of Altamont, that’s why!  Here we have ten unrelenting tracks (plus a bonus) of fast and furious rock’n’roll, created by a gang of motorbikin’ miscreants on their own highway to hell.  It’s leather, denim, roaring hogs and cheap booze fuelled rock the way that it should be.

Now you may know I’m a tad dubious about live albums.  Often times, live records are fumbled contract fillers or a shoddy cash in.  Well, you can relax here, pilgrim – “To Hell With Tomorrow, The Lords Are Now!” is a live in the studio release with pristine sound.  It doesn’t lack the crowd atmos, but it does more than over achieve by being a rowdy collection of tunes performed as if the band are in the room, right there with you.

If you’re new to the Lords of Altamont, you can expect an explosion of gritty rock’n’roll instilled with the sound of garage rock, Detroit punk and 60’s R&B.  So hang on tight as The Lords tear through filthy, feel good tracks like “Going Nowhere Fast”, “Velvet” and “Going Downtown”.  Sing along with the wind in your face to “I Said Hey” and shake your booty to “7th Day” – all of these infectious tracks will hit their mark. 

This album works as a great introduction to the band and their two decades plus history, in a no nonsense, no holds barred presentation.  Like a forgotten B-movie soundtrack from 1969, “To Hell With Tomorrow…” is one for all the rebels and wild ones out there.  Park up, step inside the truck stop and let yourself go. 

The Lords are now!      

Find The Lords of Altamont on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp.

This review has been brought to you by Platinum Al and 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!

Brant Bjork – Album Review

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Brant Bjork – Bougainvillea Suite

Heavy Psych Sounds

Release date: 28/10/2022

Running time: 42 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8.5/10

Brant Bjork must be a very busy boy at the moment.  We’ve already had an album out earlier this year from his desert rock supergroup, Stoner, and now here’s a solo effort too.  He’s a multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist singer song writer and no mistake, offering up sonic expeditions of varying styles and pace.  Most of all, though, Brant seems to be a decent bloke who’d be ideal company for a beer or three.

For “Bougainvillea Suite”, we’re in a more laid back, but still rockin’ mode.  The album is like a combination of Santana and Steppenwolf, full of relaxed but vital summer vibes.  ‘Trip on the Wine’, our first song, has a similar stomp to The Door’s ‘Five to One’, but less angsty.  The late 60s-early 70’s groove is maintained throughout, ‘So They Say’ embellished with a sweet, melodic construction and ‘Broke That Spell’ having an early Purple raunch.

Stoner band mate Ryan Gut adds percussion and keys, whilst the final member of that trio, Nick Oliveri, pops up on ‘Bread for Butter’.  This track and ‘Ya Dig’ are two of the more direct, heads-down rockers, whilst the extended blues jam of ‘Who Do You Love’ is trippy territory augmented with some almost Stooges-like lead guitar.  This last track is a real highlight, it’s like a long-forgotten experiment involving all of the bands I’ve mentioned!

And that’s it: eight songs that whilst not easy listening, can be mellow, psychedelic and still rock your bones.  “Bougainvillea Suite” would make perfect summer evening listening, a beer and a BBQ as the clear sky fades to black, good times with good friends after a long day shredding a pool.  But it’s been released in late Autumn, so what do I know?  Just buy it and enjoy.

Find Brant Bjork on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify and on a website here.

More info on Heavy Psych Sounds here, plus Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.

This review has been proudly presented by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

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.