"I'm friends with the President, I'm friends with the Pope. We're all making fortunes selling Daddy's dope."
H&G will be a regular feature, starting this month. It will consist of obscure albums or artists in the genres Garage/Psychedelia, 70's Rock, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Sludge/ Doom, Punk/Hardcore or any other genre I deem worthwhile. I've picked these, first because I like them, but also because there is so much material to be found; good, bad and just plain weird. Along the way are some genuine forgotten gems make it worth all the crap I had to sift through to find them.
H&G will be a regular feature, starting this month. It will consist of obscure albums or artists in the genres Garage/Psychedelia, 70's Rock, New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Sludge/ Doom, Punk/Hardcore or any other genre I deem worthwhile. I've picked these, first because I like them, but also because there is so much material to be found; good, bad and just plain weird. Along the way are some genuine forgotten gems make it worth all the crap I had to sift through to find them.
Also; as part of each month's H&G feature, I'll include a profile of an artist important or prolific enough to warrant such extra attention but generally not one that has not been discussed at length elsewhere.
Cheers!
Ethel The Frog - Ethel The Frog (1980)
I’m going to call these guys out as being not actually a metal band at all. The first hint is the utterly retarded choice to cover Elenor Rigby as the first track on the album. It’s beside the point that they pull it off pretty well. These guys are good musicians but their slick harmonies and honky-tonk piano remind me of Brownsville Station or some soul-less Californian easy listening bullshit like the Eagles. The song “Don’t Do It” sounds like an actual “new wave" song. A bit like the Buzzcocks, actually.
The odd good riff takes a back seat to material that reminds me “Your Mama Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock ‘n’ Roll". This isn’t necessarily what I'd call a bad album but detours into the realm of “dorky white guy music” are much too frequent.
The odd good riff takes a back seat to material that reminds me “Your Mama Don’t Dance and Your Daddy Don’t Rock ‘n’ Roll". This isn’t necessarily what I'd call a bad album but detours into the realm of “dorky white guy music” are much too frequent.
Holocaust - The Nightcomers (1981)
Here's one of those forgotten gems I was speaking of. The very raw, demo-ish quality of this first offering from a relatively unknown band from Edinburgh does nothing to obscure that this record is so fucking heavy, so skull crushing, so good.
This album is chock full of nasty, crunchy, razor sharp riffs and anthemic tunes that,show an innate understanding of what inspires spontaneous headbanging and fist shaking. Metallica once again prove they are the smartest band on earth for ripping these guys off.
"Death or Glory" is simply one of the most bad-ass tunes I've heard in my life, both lyrically and musically.
You will never hear a metal anthem better than "Heavy Metal Mania"; period. They do eerie and moody wonderfully on the title track and "Mavrock".
Singer Gary Lettice's rough vocal style reminds me of a pubescent James Hetfield (circa Kill 'Em All) and his somewhat amateurish delivery of occasionally cliched lyrics may turn some off. There may even be a throwaway tune lurking here or there. Those willing to look past these minor quibbles and continue listening with an open mind will get to experience a seminal recording by a groundbreaking, yet vastly under-appreciated band.
This album is chock full of nasty, crunchy, razor sharp riffs and anthemic tunes that,show an innate understanding of what inspires spontaneous headbanging and fist shaking. Metallica once again prove they are the smartest band on earth for ripping these guys off.
"Death or Glory" is simply one of the most bad-ass tunes I've heard in my life, both lyrically and musically.
You will never hear a metal anthem better than "Heavy Metal Mania"; period. They do eerie and moody wonderfully on the title track and "Mavrock".
Singer Gary Lettice's rough vocal style reminds me of a pubescent James Hetfield (circa Kill 'Em All) and his somewhat amateurish delivery of occasionally cliched lyrics may turn some off. There may even be a throwaway tune lurking here or there. Those willing to look past these minor quibbles and continue listening with an open mind will get to experience a seminal recording by a groundbreaking, yet vastly under-appreciated band.
Split Beaver - When Hell Won't Have You (1982)
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Budgie (1971)
Squawk (1972)
Squawk features less bassy, crisper and more polished production. The songwriting is more focused and concise with less jamming and over-all there's more of a boogie/blues rock feel. While it stands alongside the rest of the first four albums, there not as many standout tracks for me. My favorite is "Hot As A Docker's Armpit" which is absolutely killer and belongs right at the top of any list of their best. It's also one of the most creative and baffling ways to compliment someone I can imagine("She's as hot as a docker's armpit"). Nice!
The mellow tunes "Rolling Home" and "Make Me Happy" sound more like the Beatles on this album and, as before are well done but re generally skip-able.
Bandolier (1975)
Unfortunately the band hit their high water mark with their previous record and "Bandolier" marks the beginning of what would be a very sharp decline.
"Breaking All the House Rules" is a cool straight-forward rock tune. The band sounds noticeably slicker and there's a more of a jazz funk influence that starts to creep in. If you listen to the more built up chorus and slightly poppier hooks of "Zoom Club" and then just suck out the energy and replace it with a boring tune. This album has the fewest tracks (6). "I Can't See My Feelings," is another highlight. There's a sort of sleazy loungey vibe sneaking in "Who Do You Want For Your Lover,"and some of the tunes and at times I can dig it, but it starts moving in a direction that I don't dig so much.
If you can get past the title, "Napolean Bona - Parts 1 & 2" is one of their true, true masterpieces. Recommended.
The first track, "Anne Neggen," (think for a minute) shows that even their puns have declined. The unspectacular opener turns out to be one of the better tracks on the album. Not a good sign. "Sky High Percentage" shows some signs of life but all in all it's an uninspired "Budgie-light," that predominates. Mellow jazz noodling and lounge funk influences take over completely and marks the first Budgie album that could be avoided entirely without any qualms.
Where they sounded dull and uninspired on the previous album, they sound positively comatose here - or worse, like they've been listening to the Eagles. Their funk obsession continues and at times it sounds like they're aspiring to soundtrack porn.Tony Bourge's farewell starts with a whimper ends with a whimper and with a whimper in between.
I encourage everyone to listen to every album up to "Bandolier". The braver may wish to check out "Britannia". If you are determined to soldier forth to the end of the Bourge area and hear "Impeckable," and I recommend against it, I encourage you to stop listening before reaching their 80's albums. They are painful not, because of how how bad the band was at this point but because of how great they used to be. They released 3 albums in the 80's with John Thomas on guitar before making the wise decision to call it a day in 1983.
The CD includes the EP "If Swallowed Do Not Induced Vomiting," which featured a song called "Highschool Girls," about ... uh ... girls in highschool. The best tune "Panzer Division Destroyed" is unfortunately almost identical to Led Zeps "Immigrant Song". The worst insult I can pay to the band at this point is that they now sound like an average rock band.
Wow. What can I say about the cover of this album? What type of music could this sleeve possibly contain? Not since "Smell The Glove" has any record, real or imaginary approached this level of glorious awfulness. Yet I cannot turn away.
The album title and general vibe of the artwork conjure up something heavy and demonic. Unfortunately, much of it sounds more like mediocre party rock.
A band so blunt in it's stupidity that they actually named a song "Gimme Head" owes it's listeners some sort of irony, surprise, hidden meaning or other redeeming quality instead of just, I guess, a tune about wanting someone to put your penis in their mouth. It would help if the chorus wasn't virtually identical"Shake A Leg" by AC/DC.
From there, there's the Motorhead rip-off, a few recycled Chuck Berry riffs,
"Cruisin" Is just a boring blues riff that sounds like "The Jack" (AC/DC again). "I'm cruising down the highway got my baby beside me and ... I stopped listening". Let me say this again. Your band is called Split Beaver. Your album features a dead-eyed, bare-assed, devil bat/rat/woman hybrid in stilettos squatting under a spotlight with a guitar that's made of ... skin or bacon or something ... (maybe I need glasses) and you're recycling shuffle blues patterns Chuck Berry has milked for all their worth on everything from "Roll Over Beethoven" back to "Run Run Rudolph"? Your fans deserve more!
Goddamn! I think the biggest disappointment of all is that I expeced to have strong feelings about this record, either positive or negative. If you don't know you're listening to "Gimme Head" by Split Beaver there's nothing especially insidious in the difficult to understand lyrics or the bland but inoffensive music.
At times the singer reminds me of a poor man's Stiv Bators and the band as a whole reminds me a bit of Tankhog, which may not mean anything to you unless you're from Vancouver. At it's worst boring and unoriginal, at it's best it's unremarkable. It makes a decent, yet non-essential addition to any collection of NWOBHM oddities (for the non-musical reasons again) and if a few of the better tunes come up on shuffle, you'll be able to tolerate, if not enjoy them. Meh.
Jaguar - Power Games (1983)
The music sounds strikingly similar to Split Beaver, only after a few lines of speed. The riffs aren't necessarily more memorable but the supercharged tempo and tight drumming make all the difference.
That's a good lesson to the kids. If you can't do it better, do it faster. So the singing goes back and forth from a pretty good Lee Ving style rumble to a more overwrought 80's power ballad style of singing. The guys has chops, that's for sure, but at times I have to ignore the vocals (and cliched lyrics) to appreciate the riffs. * Hmmm what can I rhyme with "dirty tricks?" how about "get my kicks!"*
I feel this way about alot of NWOBHM bands and bands of other genres I'll list in Hunt & Gather in the future. Cool, riffs and good musicianship (which these guys have) gets wrecked by really dated sounding vocals. I also find that, while this album is decent in small doses, a lot of the songs sound similar and it gets a bit tedious at 13 tracks at a total of 51 minutes long. There's very few things that I want to be doing for 51 minutes and listening to Jaguar is not one them.
Having said that, I want to make a point about marketing and presentation. We've established that these guys can play circles around our old buddies in Split Beaver. Imagine, if you will, it's 1983 and you're a 13 year old boy, with a bad mullet and worse teeth, in some dreadful part of England (Slough, for example) and you're in the record shop with a few pents left over from your pint of lager and eel pie or whatever. You have a choice between two new albums, based on the name of the band, the title of the record and the album cover alone.
Do you purchase "Power Games" by Jaguar with it's shitty, homemade checkers-on-a-chess-board photo or "When Hell Won't Have You," featuring a nude, writhing, demon bat woman dry humping her Flying V by the band "Split Beaver"?
The album title and general vibe of the artwork conjure up something heavy and demonic. Unfortunately, much of it sounds more like mediocre party rock.
A band so blunt in it's stupidity that they actually named a song "Gimme Head" owes it's listeners some sort of irony, surprise, hidden meaning or other redeeming quality instead of just, I guess, a tune about wanting someone to put your penis in their mouth. It would help if the chorus wasn't virtually identical"Shake A Leg" by AC/DC.
From there, there's the Motorhead rip-off, a few recycled Chuck Berry riffs,
"Cruisin" Is just a boring blues riff that sounds like "The Jack" (AC/DC again). "I'm cruising down the highway got my baby beside me and ... I stopped listening". Let me say this again. Your band is called Split Beaver. Your album features a dead-eyed, bare-assed, devil bat/rat/woman hybrid in stilettos squatting under a spotlight with a guitar that's made of ... skin or bacon or something ... (maybe I need glasses) and you're recycling shuffle blues patterns Chuck Berry has milked for all their worth on everything from "Roll Over Beethoven" back to "Run Run Rudolph"? Your fans deserve more!
Goddamn! I think the biggest disappointment of all is that I expeced to have strong feelings about this record, either positive or negative. If you don't know you're listening to "Gimme Head" by Split Beaver there's nothing especially insidious in the difficult to understand lyrics or the bland but inoffensive music.
At times the singer reminds me of a poor man's Stiv Bators and the band as a whole reminds me a bit of Tankhog, which may not mean anything to you unless you're from Vancouver. At it's worst boring and unoriginal, at it's best it's unremarkable. It makes a decent, yet non-essential addition to any collection of NWOBHM oddities (for the non-musical reasons again) and if a few of the better tunes come up on shuffle, you'll be able to tolerate, if not enjoy them. Meh.
Jaguar - Power Games (1983)
The music sounds strikingly similar to Split Beaver, only after a few lines of speed. The riffs aren't necessarily more memorable but the supercharged tempo and tight drumming make all the difference.
That's a good lesson to the kids. If you can't do it better, do it faster. So the singing goes back and forth from a pretty good Lee Ving style rumble to a more overwrought 80's power ballad style of singing. The guys has chops, that's for sure, but at times I have to ignore the vocals (and cliched lyrics) to appreciate the riffs. * Hmmm what can I rhyme with "dirty tricks?" how about "get my kicks!"*
I feel this way about alot of NWOBHM bands and bands of other genres I'll list in Hunt & Gather in the future. Cool, riffs and good musicianship (which these guys have) gets wrecked by really dated sounding vocals. I also find that, while this album is decent in small doses, a lot of the songs sound similar and it gets a bit tedious at 13 tracks at a total of 51 minutes long. There's very few things that I want to be doing for 51 minutes and listening to Jaguar is not one them.
Having said that, I want to make a point about marketing and presentation. We've established that these guys can play circles around our old buddies in Split Beaver. Imagine, if you will, it's 1983 and you're a 13 year old boy, with a bad mullet and worse teeth, in some dreadful part of England (Slough, for example) and you're in the record shop with a few pents left over from your pint of lager and eel pie or whatever. You have a choice between two new albums, based on the name of the band, the title of the record and the album cover alone.
Do you purchase "Power Games" by Jaguar with it's shitty, homemade checkers-on-a-chess-board photo or "When Hell Won't Have You," featuring a nude, writhing, demon bat woman dry humping her Flying V by the band "Split Beaver"?
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Blitzkrieg - A Time of Changes (1985)
This is a bit of a weird record, in the sense that it's an album of songs that was supposed to be recorded in 1981 by the band, after their debut single Buried Alive b/w Blitzkreig. That single is great, definitely one of the top singles to come from an otherwise unheralded band from this time period.
So, anyway they broke up later the same year, singer Brian Ross played in a few other bands, then decided to reform Blitzkreig in 1985 with all new members and record all the songs they would have recorded - in 1981 - with the song "Pull the Trigger" as a bonus as it was written by his subsequent band, "Satan,"but not recorded. In contrast with the grubby, sparse sound of the single, this album includes all the traits of the day in both production and musicianship. Sweep picking, pinch harmonics and whammy bar dive-bombs ala KK Downing, double kick drum, lots of snare reverb and overdubs. Ross' Rob-Halford-like shriek, which, much like Tom Araya, he would pull out every so often for the hell of it, is more and more present.
The lone new tune, "Pull The Trigger" is clearly a later 80's composition. Musically it's a bit of a somber rock power ballad, lyrically it's a song about wanting to kill yourself with a gun, playing Russian roulette, death the only solution etc. It harkens back to the Priest/Ozzy trials and even contains dubbed in voices whispering "shoot, shoot," as the PMRC and their ilk had (falsely) accused Ozzy of doing in the song "Suicide Solution." (Which was not about shooting yourself in the head at all). Edgy, I'll give them that.
One the best things about the new bands coming out of England in the early 80's was that they couldn't afford expensive studios and lots of overdubs, so their albums sounded fuckin' raw. This "bad" production inspired a whole new era of musicians who liked the raw, heavy sound, voila thrash, speed metal etc.,etc. It was ironic that after these bands had the opportunity to record under better conditions, they re-recorded their classic songs over again with all bells and whistles to make them sound more like major rock acts of day (Diamond Head I'm looking at you). Metallica based their sound around Brian Tatler's abrasive guitar tone on the first Diamond Head record. It's ironic that when Tatler and co. went back into the studio they were seemingly trying to emulate the more polished arena-rock sounds of Bon Jovi or whoever were the popular acts of the time. Now, in retrospect, the more "modern" sounding tunes have not aged as well as the original stripped down versions, which have become timeless classics.
I would much prefer the original version of the this album from 1981 if it sounded like the Buried Alive single. Since that record was never made, I'm glad to have been able to hear these songs and glad that Blitzkreig was able to continue in some form. Unfortunately while the playing and production are technically "better" than the bands first recordings, it sounds to my ears like trying to fix something that wasn't broken.
Budgie are a rock band from Cardiff Wales, whose history dates back as far as 1967. Their classic line-up is; Burke Shelley - Bass and Vocals, Tony Bourge - Guitar and Ray Phillips on Drums.
Budgie are usually cited as an influence or precursor to the NWOBHM. It's true they started before most of the bands, even preceding Judas Priest by about 2 years.
Their heavy brand of blues-rock was not unlike their contemporaries in Black Sabbath.
Burke Shelley reminds me of Geddy Lee for some reason. Perhaps because both are singing bass players of 3-piece heavy progressive British bands who have long wavy brown hair, an impossibly high vocal range and a large schnoz. ,Unlike Geddy, I don't find Burke's vocals grating or un-listenable. He has one of the finest siren wails in rock to be exact.
So, anyway they broke up later the same year, singer Brian Ross played in a few other bands, then decided to reform Blitzkreig in 1985 with all new members and record all the songs they would have recorded - in 1981 - with the song "Pull the Trigger" as a bonus as it was written by his subsequent band, "Satan,"but not recorded. In contrast with the grubby, sparse sound of the single, this album includes all the traits of the day in both production and musicianship. Sweep picking, pinch harmonics and whammy bar dive-bombs ala KK Downing, double kick drum, lots of snare reverb and overdubs. Ross' Rob-Halford-like shriek, which, much like Tom Araya, he would pull out every so often for the hell of it, is more and more present.
The lone new tune, "Pull The Trigger" is clearly a later 80's composition. Musically it's a bit of a somber rock power ballad, lyrically it's a song about wanting to kill yourself with a gun, playing Russian roulette, death the only solution etc. It harkens back to the Priest/Ozzy trials and even contains dubbed in voices whispering "shoot, shoot," as the PMRC and their ilk had (falsely) accused Ozzy of doing in the song "Suicide Solution." (Which was not about shooting yourself in the head at all). Edgy, I'll give them that.
One the best things about the new bands coming out of England in the early 80's was that they couldn't afford expensive studios and lots of overdubs, so their albums sounded fuckin' raw. This "bad" production inspired a whole new era of musicians who liked the raw, heavy sound, voila thrash, speed metal etc.,etc. It was ironic that after these bands had the opportunity to record under better conditions, they re-recorded their classic songs over again with all bells and whistles to make them sound more like major rock acts of day (Diamond Head I'm looking at you). Metallica based their sound around Brian Tatler's abrasive guitar tone on the first Diamond Head record. It's ironic that when Tatler and co. went back into the studio they were seemingly trying to emulate the more polished arena-rock sounds of Bon Jovi or whoever were the popular acts of the time. Now, in retrospect, the more "modern" sounding tunes have not aged as well as the original stripped down versions, which have become timeless classics.
I would much prefer the original version of the this album from 1981 if it sounded like the Buried Alive single. Since that record was never made, I'm glad to have been able to hear these songs and glad that Blitzkreig was able to continue in some form. Unfortunately while the playing and production are technically "better" than the bands first recordings, it sounds to my ears like trying to fix something that wasn't broken.
(l to r) Phillips, Shelly, Bourge
Budgie are a rock band from Cardiff Wales, whose history dates back as far as 1967. Their classic line-up is; Burke Shelley - Bass and Vocals, Tony Bourge - Guitar and Ray Phillips on Drums.
Budgie are usually cited as an influence or precursor to the NWOBHM. It's true they started before most of the bands, even preceding Judas Priest by about 2 years.
Their heavy brand of blues-rock was not unlike their contemporaries in Black Sabbath.
Burke Shelley reminds me of Geddy Lee for some reason. Perhaps because both are singing bass players of 3-piece heavy progressive British bands who have long wavy brown hair, an impossibly high vocal range and a large schnoz. ,Unlike Geddy, I don't find Burke's vocals grating or un-listenable. He has one of the finest siren wails in rock to be exact.
Tony Bourge? Comparisions can't be avoided with that "other" Tony. Master of riffs, lead wizard. Tony is one of those players that piss me off sometimes. I think I'm getting pretty decent at guitar, then I listen to Tony absolutely slay on live Budgie album and I start to get depressed because there is no way I will ever be that good.
While cited as a major influence by many huge bands, Budgie remain comparatively unknown. The reason for this relative obscurity? No idea.
They were talented and versatile musicians, their songwriting was innovative, their records sounded great and featured cool artwork. They didn't peak too soon were prolific and consistent, had a solid line-up for their first 3 records and didn't burn out due to internal strife or drugs.
Ray Phillips left in 1974 and was replaced by Pete Boot for one album before Steve Williams took over on drums also in 1974 and played on every subsequent album. Tony Bourge stayed with the band until 1980 when he was replaced by John Thomas who served until their last album in 1982.
Budgie went on to headline the Reading Festival in 1982, support Ozzy on the "Blizzard of Oz," tour and be the first heavy band to play behind the iron curtain (Poland, also in '82) before calling it quits in '83. They've since reunited and put out a new record in 2006.
While cited as a major influence by many huge bands, Budgie remain comparatively unknown. The reason for this relative obscurity? No idea.
They were talented and versatile musicians, their songwriting was innovative, their records sounded great and featured cool artwork. They didn't peak too soon were prolific and consistent, had a solid line-up for their first 3 records and didn't burn out due to internal strife or drugs.
Ray Phillips left in 1974 and was replaced by Pete Boot for one album before Steve Williams took over on drums also in 1974 and played on every subsequent album. Tony Bourge stayed with the band until 1980 when he was replaced by John Thomas who served until their last album in 1982.
Budgie went on to headline the Reading Festival in 1982, support Ozzy on the "Blizzard of Oz," tour and be the first heavy band to play behind the iron curtain (Poland, also in '82) before calling it quits in '83. They've since reunited and put out a new record in 2006.
Burke Shelley
Tony Bourge
Ray Phillips
Budgie (1971)
Budgie's debut is a bluesy, bludgeoningly heavy masterpiece. Producer Rodger Bain's resume also includes Priest's "Rocka Rolla" and Black Sabbath's self titled debut, and also "Paranoid" and "Master of Reality," thank you very much.
As on parts of the 1st Sabbath record I can picture him saying, "just jam it out boys and we'll roll tape". Like Sabbath, sometimes the improvised feel works and sometimes it doesn't.
Highlights include "Homicidal Suicidal," "Guts," and "Rape of The Locks"
Patterns were established for all future albums, including odd song titles "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman," and decidedly un-heavy acoustic love songs which break up the album. Here they are "Everything In My Heart" and "You and I".
As on parts of the 1st Sabbath record I can picture him saying, "just jam it out boys and we'll roll tape". Like Sabbath, sometimes the improvised feel works and sometimes it doesn't.
Highlights include "Homicidal Suicidal," "Guts," and "Rape of The Locks"
Patterns were established for all future albums, including odd song titles "Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman," and decidedly un-heavy acoustic love songs which break up the album. Here they are "Everything In My Heart" and "You and I".
Squawk (1972)
Squawk features less bassy, crisper and more polished production. The songwriting is more focused and concise with less jamming and over-all there's more of a boogie/blues rock feel. While it stands alongside the rest of the first four albums, there not as many standout tracks for me. My favorite is "Hot As A Docker's Armpit" which is absolutely killer and belongs right at the top of any list of their best. It's also one of the most creative and baffling ways to compliment someone I can imagine("She's as hot as a docker's armpit"). Nice!
The mellow tunes "Rolling Home" and "Make Me Happy" sound more like the Beatles on this album and, as before are well done but re generally skip-able.
Never Turn Your Back On a Friend (1973)
This album kicks off with the classic "Breadfan," which was covered by ... lets see if you can guess by now ... Metallica! When I was a kid I never understood what "Breadfan" was supposed to mean. I pictured someone throwing a loaf of bread at a fan. Turns out it's "bread" as in the hippie term for money," so ... money enthusiast. Killer tune.
A good cover of the blues standard "Baby Please Don't Go," follows.
Despite the 2 minute drum intro (remember kids, drum solos suck) "You're The Best Thing Since Powdered Milk," is prog rock at it's best and "In The Grip Of The Tyrefitters Hand," journeys into into funk territory.
"Parents" is the album closing epic featuring Tony's guitar stylings venturing into the realm of jazz . Over all this record showcases the band's increased songwriting prowess, with more complex arrangements and longer songs without sacrificing tight playing and their heavy blues rock style.
Another stellar record.
In For The Kill (1974)
Ray Phillips departed before this album, making it the lone record to feature Pete Boot on drums. The band were on such a roll at this point, it didn't make much of a difference. This is, in my opinion, the best record Budgie ever put out in my opinion. The one-two punch of "In For The Kill," and "Crash Course In Brain Surgery," is the heaviest and best in rock. period. You ain't heard shit 'til you've heard this. "Wondering What Everyone Knows" is one of their best quiet numbers and adds an eerie quality to the atmosphere of the album, rather than just changing the tempo. The single, "Zoom Club," absolutely rips it up with a cool galloping riff and more built up, cathy chorus. "Hammer and Tongs" has Shelley bitch-slapping the blouse off of Robert Plant and makes "Whole Lotta Love" sound like a whole lotta nothin' before a few classical flourishes and slowing down into a traditional blues number for the last few bars
Running From My Soul is more of a trad blues jam. sprawling instrumental passages of "Living On Your Own" recalls Maiden and highlights what separates them from the crowd.
You need all of this.
This album kicks off with the classic "Breadfan," which was covered by ... lets see if you can guess by now ... Metallica! When I was a kid I never understood what "Breadfan" was supposed to mean. I pictured someone throwing a loaf of bread at a fan. Turns out it's "bread" as in the hippie term for money," so ... money enthusiast. Killer tune.
A good cover of the blues standard "Baby Please Don't Go," follows.
Despite the 2 minute drum intro (remember kids, drum solos suck) "You're The Best Thing Since Powdered Milk," is prog rock at it's best and "In The Grip Of The Tyrefitters Hand," journeys into into funk territory.
"Parents" is the album closing epic featuring Tony's guitar stylings venturing into the realm of jazz . Over all this record showcases the band's increased songwriting prowess, with more complex arrangements and longer songs without sacrificing tight playing and their heavy blues rock style.
Another stellar record.
Ray Phillips departed before this album, making it the lone record to feature Pete Boot on drums. The band were on such a roll at this point, it didn't make much of a difference. This is, in my opinion, the best record Budgie ever put out in my opinion. The one-two punch of "In For The Kill," and "Crash Course In Brain Surgery," is the heaviest and best in rock. period. You ain't heard shit 'til you've heard this. "Wondering What Everyone Knows" is one of their best quiet numbers and adds an eerie quality to the atmosphere of the album, rather than just changing the tempo. The single, "Zoom Club," absolutely rips it up with a cool galloping riff and more built up, cathy chorus. "Hammer and Tongs" has Shelley bitch-slapping the blouse off of Robert Plant and makes "Whole Lotta Love" sound like a whole lotta nothin' before a few classical flourishes and slowing down into a traditional blues number for the last few bars
Running From My Soul is more of a trad blues jam. sprawling instrumental passages of "Living On Your Own" recalls Maiden and highlights what separates them from the crowd.
You need all of this.
Unfortunately the band hit their high water mark with their previous record and "Bandolier" marks the beginning of what would be a very sharp decline.
"Breaking All the House Rules" is a cool straight-forward rock tune. The band sounds noticeably slicker and there's a more of a jazz funk influence that starts to creep in. If you listen to the more built up chorus and slightly poppier hooks of "Zoom Club" and then just suck out the energy and replace it with a boring tune. This album has the fewest tracks (6). "I Can't See My Feelings," is another highlight. There's a sort of sleazy loungey vibe sneaking in "Who Do You Want For Your Lover,"and some of the tunes and at times I can dig it, but it starts moving in a direction that I don't dig so much.
If you can get past the title, "Napolean Bona - Parts 1 & 2" is one of their true, true masterpieces. Recommended.
If I Were Britannia I'd Waive The Rules (1976)
The first track, "Anne Neggen," (think for a minute) shows that even their puns have declined. The unspectacular opener turns out to be one of the better tracks on the album. Not a good sign. "Sky High Percentage" shows some signs of life but all in all it's an uninspired "Budgie-light," that predominates. Mellow jazz noodling and lounge funk influences take over completely and marks the first Budgie album that could be avoided entirely without any qualms.
Impeckable (1978)
I encourage everyone to listen to every album up to "Bandolier". The braver may wish to check out "Britannia". If you are determined to soldier forth to the end of the Bourge area and hear "Impeckable," and I recommend against it, I encourage you to stop listening before reaching their 80's albums. They are painful not, because of how how bad the band was at this point but because of how great they used to be. They released 3 albums in the 80's with John Thomas on guitar before making the wise decision to call it a day in 1983.
Power Supply (1980)
You've been warned. This is a decidedly heavier record than the last one .... NWOBHM was in full swing with it's release and it sounds like their trying to give themselves a more .... modern sound as the artwork with the cyborg budgie creature seems to convey.The CD includes the EP "If Swallowed Do Not Induced Vomiting," which featured a song called "Highschool Girls," about ... uh ... girls in highschool. The best tune "Panzer Division Destroyed" is unfortunately almost identical to Led Zeps "Immigrant Song". The worst insult I can pay to the band at this point is that they now sound like an average rock band.
Night Flight (1981)
At the risk of taking a pot shot at a band I have enormous respect and admiration for, I find it difficult not to refer to this album as
NightShite. Our heroes plunge headlong into the world of brainless rock with songs like "She Used Me Up," and "Superstar," Slick, poppy boring and cliched. Sad.
Deliver Us From Evil (1982)
The only thing left at this point was for Burke Shelly to find religion. It's just as well. Budgie's last album was a godawful, synth heavy mess. Good night.
NightShite. Our heroes plunge headlong into the world of brainless rock with songs like "She Used Me Up," and "Superstar," Slick, poppy boring and cliched. Sad.
The only thing left at this point was for Burke Shelly to find religion. It's just as well. Budgie's last album was a godawful, synth heavy mess. Good night.
