Reviews originally published as a “Buzz Kuts” column, Alt.Culture.Guide™,
March 1998
ALL Mass Nerder One of the most enduring of punk icons, the All/Descendants conundrum is
a lot like tag-team wrestling. For those of you having problems figuring out the
players without a scorecard, look at it this way: All is the Descendants with
Chad Price singing, while the Descendants are All with Milo Aukerman singing.
Still confused? Okay, take the basic team of guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist
Karl Alvarez, and drummer Bill Stevenson. These guys hold the “World Heavyweight
Punk Rock Tag Team Championship.” For hardcore death matches they tag in
vocalist Milo and appear in the ring as the Descendants. For those nasty
Colorado chainsaw cage matches they bring along singer Chad and kick ass as All.
Still can’t figure it out? No matter…just run out and buy a copy of All’s
Mass Nerder, a real shit-kickin’ collection of punk tunes guaranteed to
blister the covering on your speakers and singe the hair on your ears.
Delivering non-stop, no-frills punk rock with slightly more of an edge than the
Descendants (probably due to the presence of Chad Price, a more guttural and
less pop-inflected vocalist than Milo), All are punk legends and deservedly so.
Mass Nerder is a dynamite album, perfect for parties or just bouncing off
the walls. The Reverend sez “check it out!” (Epitaph Records)
FASTBALL All The Pain Money Can Buy Slide All The Pain Money Can Buy into your box and you’ll find a
whole lotta pop come flyin’ back at you. A thoroughly engaging debut from this
Georgia-based trio, Fastball fills All The Pain Money Can Buy with Beatlesque
harmonies, a little Elvis Costello-like wordplay, the restless soul of Alex
Chilton, and the ghosts of a dozen long-forgotten pop maestros from Buddy Holly
to Don Dixon. The first single, “The Way” is an interesting and enjoyable slice
of pop exotica, slightly-hollow vocals matched with Spanish inflected guitar.
The rest of All The Pain Money Can Buy matches up to the opening track,
every song full of wistful vocals, clever lyrics, charming melodies and
infectious energy. “Better Than It Was”, “G.O.D. (Good Old Days)”, and
“Sweetwater, Texas” stand out as radio-ready hits, but there’s really nothing
terrible or disarming to be found here…just intelligent, good-natured pop/rock
with figurative mile-wide grin and enough joyful abandon to fuel half-a-dozen
bands. In Fastball the notoriously feeble A & R Department of Hollywood
Records has found a keeper. (Hollywood Records)
THE SPECIALS Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent! As any first-year college student can tell you, history tends to repeat
itself, chasing its scaly tail in an eternal cycle. If there’s any justice in
the cosmos at all, then the Specials will get to reap some of the
multi-Platinum™ booty they so richly deserve. Sure, the band had a few moderate
hits in the early ‘80s, but it seems that their time is coming around again, and
if a washed-out, second-rate echo of a band like No Doubt can grab the brass
ring, why not the Specials? One of the more important of the British two-tone
bands, the Specials were, and are the literal and figurative godfathers of
modern ska. As shown by Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent!, the band’s latest
musical triumph, there’s a lot of life left in these guys yet. With more honesty
and sincerity than any so-called “underground band,” the Specials knock out an
invigorating set of songs, incorporating pop, rock, punk, and even country
(check out “Tears In My Beer”!) elements into their trademark ska rave-up. Hell,
these guys are having so much fun with Guilty ‘Til Proved Innocent! that
they end up running a couple of songs past the fifteen listed on the cover.
After almost twenty years, the Specials sound as fresh and vital today as they
did when I first heard them. I can think of no greater testament than that… (Way
Cool / MCA Records)
THE SUICIDE MACHINES Battle Hymns Detroit’s Suicide Machines (formerly Jack Kevorkian & the Suicide
Machines) may not be one of the better-known ska-punk outfits slam-dancing and
stage-diving across America, but they may well be the most earnest. These guys
blow-out the competition with nasty, wicked, razor-sharp guitar riffs, A-bomb
rhythms, and more than a little full-stop ranking. Battle Hymns, their
second major/minor label effort overflows with the sort of manic frenzy that the
Machines show on-stage. From the ringing opening chords of “Someone” to the
final orgasmic notes of “Jah”, the Suicide Machines deliver on their promise,
kicking out twenty-two fast n’ furious ska-punk tunes chock-full of metallic
fervor and relentless energy. Battle Hymns is hairy-knuckle hardcore rock
for guys and gals with the balls to enjoy it. (Hollywood Records)
Calidoscopio – Get Ready! (Jargon Records) Roaring out of the Flower City with sabers rattling and amps cranked up
to eleven, at first blush Calidoscopio sounds like just another talented bunch
of 1960s-styled garage-rock revivalists with six-string Sturm und Drang.
Further spins of Get Ready! reveal hidden charms, however. The album is
an international affair, members of Germany’s Golden Coats collaborating
alongside Rochester NY’s Dave Anderson, with guest performances from
Australia’s Joey Bedlam (Dollsquad) and garage-rock deity Sky Saxon (from
beyond the grave). While the LP cover gives off serious Jack Kirby/psych-rock
vibes, songs like the scintillating title track – with big beat drums, gang
vocals, and twangy fretwork – evince a timeless, electric, rock ‘n’ roll
sound. “The Lanky Gunman” mixes trembling ‘Spaghetti Western’-styled guitar
strum with wall-of-sound instrumentation and an eerie story-song while a
long-lost monologue from the Seeds’ frontman Saxon is integrated into “Green
Forest,” a spacey, hippie-rock screed. “Demon Child” honors its shockabilly
roots, benefiting from Bedlam’s breathless vox and Anderson’s jagged guitar
licks while the punky “Koko the Gorilla” mixes Hasil Adkins with the Electric
Prunes for a raucous good time. Calidoscopio’s Get Ready! provides a
mind-bending trip back to the future with a timeless sound that is both
familiar and yet innovative.
Grade: A
BUY!
Deep Purple –
Turning To Crime (Ear Music) British rock legends Deep Purple are in their sixth decade as a band and
although they’ve never been adverse to recording the odd cover song (their 1968
hit “Hush” comes to mind), they’ve so far resisted the urge to record an album
exclusively of covers…until now. Turning To Crime is a collection of
twelve of the band’s favorites, ranging from bluesy 1950s-era R&B (Huey
‘Piano’ Smith’s “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu”) and ‘60s psych
(Love’s “7 and 7 Is”) to blues-rock (Cream’s “White Room”) and beyond. Although
the current band is quite adept at playing any sort of music, Gillian’s aging
pipes betray his intent at times. Still, Turning To Crime is quite the
live wire, the band pulling off the performances more often than not. Fleetwood
Mac’s classic “Oh Well” is given an altogether new coat of (hard rockin’) paint,
the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things” is provided a stout psychedelic-pop sheen and,
surprisingly, Little Feat’s “Dixie Chicken” is an excitingly funky strut. Bob
Seger’s “Lucifer” is a deep-cut that mixes guitar-driven hard rock and Memphis
soul, but it’s the album-closing Southern rock-inspired medley (with tunes by
Booker T, Don Nix, Gregg Allman, and Steve Winwood) that will turn heads.
Grade: B+
BUY!
Tom Guerra –
Sudden Signs of Grace (Casa del Soul Records) Tom Guerra began his career nearly 40 years ago as a member of outfits
like the Dirty Bones Band and the Mambo Sons. Guerra launched his solo career
with 2014’s All of the Above and came to our attention with 2018’s
acclaimed
American Garden. Recorded during the pandemic, Guerra’s fourth solo effort,
Sudden Signs of Grace, offers up everything that’s great about the artist
– finely-crafted songs, hypnotic melodies, intelligent lyrics, and stellar
guitarplay, all neatly packaged into three-minute, radio-friendly songs.
Although Guerra dishes up a couple of nifty covers here – perfectly capturing
the angst of Eddie Money’s “Gimme Some Water” with his fiery guitarplay while
Harlan Howard’s country classic “The Streets of Baltimore” is provided a
suitably melancholy, twang-drenched performance – it’s Guerra’s original
material that really shines. “Lonely No More” is a gorgeous power-pop song with
Duane Eddy-inspired guitar and winsome vocals; the jaunty “Lover’s Time” is a
charming amalgam of the Byrds and Big Star; and the honky-tonk flavored “Down
the Farm” rides on Guerra’s rapid-fire vocals, rollicking piano-play, and wiry
fretwork. There’s not a duff track to be found on Sudden Signs of Grace,
Guerra delivering an inspired collection of rock ‘n’ roll full of heart and
soul. (See the video, below!)
Grade: A
BUY!
The Specials –
Protest Songs 1924-2012 (Island Records) God bless ‘em, the Specials still crank it out 40+ years after the band’s
exhilarating debut. Breaking up in the mid-‘80s, several members reunited in
1993, and they’ve carried on ever since, releasing a handful of albums since
reuniting, including 2019’s critically-acclaimed Encore. Crucially, the current
line-up includes Specials’ founders Terry Hall, Lynval Golding, and Horace
Panter. Protest Songs 1924-2012, is an exciting collection of themed
cover songs inspired by the George Floyd protests of the summer of 2020. An
eclectic collection it is, too, including classic material by the Staple
Singers, bluesman Big Bill Broonzy, Bob Marley, the Dixie Jubilee Singers, and
Frank Zappa, among others. The Specials are a long way from their days as ska
revivalists, pursuing a soulful, R&B-drenched sound as evinced by their
reading of Pop Staples’ powerful civil rights ode “Freedom Highway.” The Mothers
of Invention’s “Trouble Every Day” is provided an appropriately menacing tone,
complete with scorching guitars, while Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” is sung
in Cohen’s droll style. The Wailers’ “Get Up, Stand Up” offers a powerful,
albeit subdued performance that emphasizes Peter Tosh’s defiant lyrics. Totally
unexpected, but pleasantly surprising, the Specials’ Protest Songs is one
for the ages.
Grade: A-
BUY!
The Wildhearts – 21st Century Love Songs (Graphite Records U.K.) Wildhearts founder Ginger got the gang back together in 2012 for a series
of gigs that led to a live album, but the reformed band wouldn’t go into the
studio until 2019’s acclaimed Renaissance Men. With the
brand-spankin’-new 21st Century Love Songs, the band comes full-circle,
delivering its 10th studio work. It’s a real banger, too, with plenty of the
Wildhearts’ trademark melodic hard rock that often times teeters on the razor’s
edge of heavy metal. For instance, the album-opening title track hits your ears
like a sledge, combining an erudite Mott the Hoople-style of British rock ‘n’
roll with thrashy molten slag. Much of the rest of
21st Century Love Songs follows a similarly-skewed blueprint:
“Institutional Submission” sounds, at times, like Killing Joke on steroids until
the vocal harmonies and elegant fretwork chimes in while “Sleepaway” could pass
for a harder-rocking Cheap Trick. Underneath the instrumental clamor you’ll
unearth undeniable melodies, often accompanied by football hooligan harmonies
running interference for Ginger’s sweeter tones. Ginger could have been a hella
successful pop star if he’d chosen a less debauched path but, lucky for us, he’s
walked a sleazier, obstacle-strewn road to rock ‘n’ roll nirvana for almost 30
years now.
Grade: A
BUY!
Various Artists – I’m A Freak Baby 3 (Grapefruit Records/Cherry Red U.K.) The late ‘60s and early-to-mid-‘70s provided an abundance of interesting
rock ‘n’ roll as bands discovered their muse and experimented musically. This is
the third volume in the U.K. archivists Grapefruit Records’ “Freak” series,
exploring the exciting new sounds of 1968-1973, and it’s every bit as
entertaining as the first two sets. Featuring 53 songs spread across three
discs, they follow a simple blueprint – offer a few scattered obscurities by
well-known bands (Free, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Mott the Hoople,
Procol Harum) and mix in songs by lesser-known but period-essential groups
(Hawkwind, Spooky Tooth, Stray, Trapeze, Nazareth, Tear Gas). It’s when the
madmen at Grapefruit dig into the pits that it gets really interesting, though,
and I’m A Freak Baby 3 also includes rare (collectible) 7-inchers from
diverse artists like Quatermass, Mighty Hard, Curtis Knight Zeus, and Steam
Hammer and then caps off the set with previously-unreleased music from folks
like Stack Waddy, T2, Red Dirt, Wicked Lady, and the Yardbirds (!). Toss in
toons by cult rockers like Leaf Hound, Killing Floor, Third World War, and
Budgie and you have yourself a party, I’m A Freak Baby 3 providing a lot
of bang for yer hard-earned buck!
Grade: A
BUY!
Sami Yaffa –
The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind (Livewire Records) After 40 years in the trenches, former Hanoi Rocks and New York Dolls
bassist Sami Yaffa finally got around to recording a solo album and, as one
might expect, it’s a flamethrower. Yaffa approaches rock ‘n’ roll with a fierce
Johnny Thunders/Stiv Bators aesthetic and songs like the album-opening
“Armageddon Together,” a devastating take on modern religion, reflect this crash
‘n’ burn style of hard rock. There’s more than meets the eye here, tho’ –
Yaffa’s undeniable sense of rhythm adds melody to cod reggae tunes like the
mesmerizing “Rotten Roots,” which crosses the Clash with Lee “Scratch” Perry or
“You Gimme Fever,” which pairs a deep Sly/Robby groove with lusty lyrics and
elegant fretwork to great effect. “Fortunate One” flat-out rocks (not dissimilar
to Lords of the New Church), with Yaffa’s whiplash vox punctuated by Michael
Monroe’s bleating saxophones while “Germinator” slaps yer eardrums like a
nail-studded baseball bat, fueled by Monroe’s raging harmonica and guitarist
Christian Martucci’s razor-blade licks. “Cancel the End of the World” sounds
downright Pink Floydish, with lofty vocals and gorgeous, atmospheric
instrumentation. Yaffa is no one trick pony, displaying the many facets of his
enormous instrumental and songwriting talents with
The Innermost Journey…Grade: A-
BUY!
It may be cold as the dickens outside your window, but the spring thaw could come up quickly in the wake of February’s red-hot slate of new releases guaranteed to tickle your eardrums. Aside from new tunes from talents like Tommy Castro, R. Stevie Moore, Bob Mould, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the Long Ryders your auditory canals can feast on archive music from Alex Chilton (two of ‘em!) and U2 among much, much more!
If you’re interesting in buying an album, just hit the ‘Buy!’ link to get it from
Amazon.com...it’s just that damn easy! Your purchase puts valuable ‘store credit’ in the
Reverend’s pocket that he’ll use to buy more music to write about in a
never-ending loop of rock ‘n’ roll ecstasy!
FEBRUARY 1
Beirut - Gallipoli BUY!
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers - Killin’ It Live BUY!
Girlpool - What Chaos Is Imaginary BUY!
Van Duren - Waiting: The Van Duren Story Original Documentary Soundtrack BUY!
The Specials - Encore BUY!
FEBRUARY 8
Alex Chilton - From Memphis to New Orleans BUY!
Alex Chilton - Songs From Robin Hood Land BUY!
Charlie Faye & the Fayettes - The Whole Shebang BUY!
Humble Pie - Joint Effort BUY!
Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson - Amour BUY!
Marley’s Ghost - Travelin’ Shoes BUY!
Gurf Morlix - Impossible Blue BUY!
Bob Mould - Sunshine Rock BUY!
The Lemonheads - Varshons 2 BUY!
Mercury Rev - Bobby Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited BUY!
Panda Bear - Buoys BUY!
FEBRUARY 15
Hayes Carll - What It Is BUY!
Jon Fratelli - Bright Night Flowers BUY!
The Long Ryders - Psychedelic Country Soul BUY!
Millencolin - SOS BUY!
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Signs BUY!
FEBRUARY 29
Kinetic Element - The Face of Life BUY!
Album of the Month: The Long Ryders’ Psychedelic Country Soul (Omnivore Recordings), the reunited legendary band’s first studio LP in 32 years. Produced by noted board-wrangler Ed Stasium, who has worked with the Ramones and the Smithereens, among many others, Psychedelic Country Soul is a collection of eleven brand spankin’ new original slabs o’ rockin’ Americana along with an inspired cover of the Tom Petty song “Walls.”
Says Long Ryders’ singer, guitarist, and songwriter Sid Griffin in a press release for the new LP, Psychedelic Country Soul is “the album we were always
trying to make… each flavor which made the band unique is there be it
C&W, rock ’n’ roll, troubadour folk music, raw R&B, or out-there
psychedelia.” The new album comes in the wake of deluxe three-disc reissue versions of the band’s classic 1980s-era albums State of Our Union and Two-Fisted Tales by the U.K. archival label Cherry Red.
