Suburban Studs - Slam (Expanded Edition)

Suburban Studs initially got their start as Gnasher, a rock covers band led by vocalist Steve Burton.  When he left the band, they changed their name to the Zipper Kids and then Suburban Studs.  At first, they were more of a glam band, but shifted in a punk direction, largely influenced by supporting the Sex Pistols and The Clash in August of 1976 and then The Runaways a few months later in October.   With the band now consisting of vocalist Eddie “Zipps” Hunt, guitarist Keith Owen, bassist Paul Morton, drummer Steve Poole and saxophonist Steve “Heart” Harrington they signed to the new label Pogo Records and recorded their debut single “Questions” / “No Faith”, which was released in June 1977.  Harrington left the band a short while later, so they continued as a four-piece.  They remixed the single without the sax and turned up the guitar a little and re-released it in October 1977, boosted by a distribution deal Pogo got with WEA.  That connection got them a nationwide UK tour supporting AC/DC, which was followed by a John Peel session recorded in November 1977 and then the release of their sole album Slam in 1978.  While the album didn’t really sell much when it was first released, over the years it has become one of the more collectable punk albums.  It was initially reissued on CD in 1996 on Anagram Records, but now thanks to Captain Oi! it is available on CD again with a second disc of bonus tracks including the original single, demos for the second album (two that were previously unreleased) and the Peel Session, available on CD for the first time.  

When Slam was released, the reviews tended to be less than favorable, often saying they were by the numbers.  Yes, there are some weaker tracks, and the lyrics are at times lacking, but there is a lot more diversity among these seventeen tracks than they get credit for.  Having said that there is plenty of strong straight-ahead punk like “Suburban Studs”, “Questions”, an extremely catchy cut with a ripping guitar solo, “No Faith”, album highlight “I Hate School”, a blast of fast punk where all the pieces fit and “Raw” and “Rumble”, which both add a little harmonica to the mix.  They also do a great breakneck paced cover of The Who’s “My Generation”.  On the flipside there are also songs like “Necro”, which is dark and haunting but then every once has a reggae backbeat, “Razor Blades, a track reminiscent of The Heartbreakers, “Two Victims”, another absolute standout that is more of a classic rocker that at times strangely reminds me a little of Thin Lizzy (this is one song that I definitely wish had better lyrics) and “Panda Patrol”, again more of a rocker with a great galloping beat.

Kicking off disc two are the original single versions of “Questions” and “No Faith” and while it’s interesting to have them here the production is muddy and the sax definitely sounds out of place.  Next up is a live version of “I Hate School” that’s taken from the compilation LP Hope & Anchor Front Row Festival, which was recorded at the Hope & Anchor in the winter of 1977 and also contained contributions from artists like The Stranglers, Wilko Johnson Band, XTC, X-Ray Spex, The Saints and Dire Straits.  The aforementioned Peel Session feature “Suburban Studs”, “No Faith”, “Necro” and “I Hate School” and actually sound better than the album versions with crisper production and a spontaneous edginess.  Closing out the disc are ten demos recorded for a potential second album that was never finished.  From the sound of these tracks, they were shifting away from punk and moving back in more of a glam direction.  “Sniper”, “White Light”, “Hit And Run”, which is glammy, but with a punk edge and the more mod sounding “Forget About You” all show real potential.  Other cuts like “Supernatural”, “Sinkin’ Down” and “All That Jazz” have a T Rex vibe, and while the first is probably the strongest of these demos, the other two are a little too campy.  Slam is an interesting look back at the early days of punk and one of the unsung bands there early on.   

(Captain Oi!)

The Relics - Every Tiny Diamond

Recorded over the course of four weekends last October, Every Tiny Diamond, the new EP from The Relics has a great modern, blues-tinged rock sound while also harkening back to the classic rock and soulful blues of artists like Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and even a little Chris Whitley.  That is especially evident in the stellar guitar work of RYAN that is showcased in every track.  He also fronts the band with his rich, soulful vocals.  All of that by no means minimizes the musicianship of the rhythm section of drummer Joey Marano and bassist Nick Dutiel, who both hold their own and complement his guitar and vocals perfectly.  The first three tracks "Blind", "Reach For The Sky" and the title track are all slow burning bluesy rockers with hooks galore and incredible textures and atmosphere, while the closer "Asking Questions", which still has plenty of a rock edge, puts a little more emphasis on the blues and also does a great job of letting each band member stretch out a little bit on their instrument.  Do yourself a favor and search this one out, because it deserves to be heard.  

(The Relics - Facebook)

The Bluebells - Sisters (Expanded Deluxe)

Following the release of several singles and their eponymous 1983 EP, Glasgow's The Bluebells, with the classic lineup of guitarist Robert Hodgens, drummer David McCluskey, singer Ken McCluskey, bassist Lawrence Donegan and guitarist Russell Irvine (later on Craig Gannon replaced Irvine and Neil Baldwin replaced Donegan), released their outstanding, and what for many years would be their only, full-length release Sisters. That original album exploded with jangly guitar pop gems, often with subtle hints of folk and country, highlighted by three top forty UK hits.  The infectious "Cath" with its singalong pop hooks and ringing guitars, the gorgeous ballad "I'm Falling", and the bouncy, bluegrass-tinged feel-good pop tune "Young At Heart", the last of which hit thirty-eight in the UK in 1984, but then made it to number one when it was re-issued in 1993.  Interestingly, that song was initially released by Bananarama on their Deep Sea Skiving album and was co-written by The Bluebells’ lead singer Robert Hodgens and his girlfriend at the time, Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey.  Now, thanks to Cherry Red Records, Sisters has been re-issued in an expanded two-disc version that not only contains twenty-two bonus tracks, including non-album singles, B-sides and extended versions, five of which are previously unreleased, but also contains the album the way the band originally wanted it released. 

Since they were on a long European tour when the album was being put together, the version that was released differed quite a bit from what the band wanted.  First up was the opening track "Everybody's Somebody's Fool".  They had recorded a new arrangement, which is the one that was released, but the band wanted one that had been produced by Robin Millar and to them sounded more like The Bluebells.  The original version has a warmer, folkier sound with more emphasis on the rootsier instrumentation.  The band also recorded three tracks with Elvis Costello including the lush “Will She Always Be Waiting”, which includes a sixteen-piece orchestra and was included on the album, but for some reason the other two were left off.  “Some Sweet Day” is a great track that fits right in with the rest of the album with backing vocals from Costello and even a little brass section at the end, while “Aim In Life” is a beautiful cut with sparse instrumentation under the McCluskey brothers’ great vocal harmonies.  That song actually got its start as “Eggy Beard” in the McCluskey Brothers’ earlier band Raw Deal and at the time was more of an angular punk song.  The final missing piece of the puzzle is the original longer version of “Cath” that the band wanted on the album and now also back where it belongs.  The rest of the album includes two tracks that are a little more straight-ahead rock with "Syracuse University" and “Red Guitars”, the last of which still manages to mix in some pop hooks with it’s ba-ba-ba-di-ba chorus, along with the horn and organ driven soul of “Learn To Love”, with some killer backing vocals from the incredible Eddi Reader.  Closing the album are a couple of songs with a strong political slant.  First up is “South Atlantic Way” a driving tune with hints of U2 and The Alarm with lyrics directly addressing the conflict in the Falklands and their stunning take on “The Patriot Game”, a late fifties folk tune with the melody from the traditional song “One Morning In May” and lyrics from Irish writer and songwriter Dominic Behan (also a friend of the McCluskey family).  Rounding out the first disc are five bonus tracks including their debut single “Forevermore”, with its hypnotic jangle, the very Beatles-esque Merseybeat sounding “All I Ever Said”, the acoustic guitar and French horn driven “Fall From Grace”, the upbeat “Happy Birthday (Turn Gold)” and the 12” version of “Cath”.

Disc number two contains the remaining seventeen bonus tracks and while there are quite a few remixes and alternate versions including the original album version of “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, the extended version of “Young At Heart”, “Wishful Thinking (Will She Always Be Waiting)”, which is an alternate version of "Will She Always Be Waiting" that has been tweaked a little and doesn't have the string section, alternate and instrumental versions of “Forevermore” (here titled “Forever Yours, Forever Mine (Evermore)”, an alternate version of “Happy Birthday (Turn Gold)” and four more of “Cath” (US Remix, Original Album Version, Remix and Alternative Version), there is still plenty to sink your teeth into.  “Sugar Bridge (It Will Stand)” is a non-album single (here in 7” and 12” versions) and is another infectious pop gem that stands up with some of their best songs.  The remaining songs were b-sides including “H.O.L.L.A.N.D.”, a mellow track with a nice lazy lilt, “Tender Mercy”, a captivating, somewhat somber acoustic song and “All I Am (Is Loving You)”, a heartfelt love song with a bit of an edge.  “Smalltown Martyr” is a fun, more aggressive tune that really rocks out and is a bit of a left turn for the the band, sounding different than anything else they’ve done.  Lastly is their haunting, stark acoustic cover of the 1936 folk song “The Ballad Of Joe Hill” about the labor activist of the same name and the perfect bookend to “The Patriot Game”.  This outstanding collection also contains a very informative twenty page booklet that contains a conversation with Hodgens and MOJO and Record Collector writer Lois Wilson.  While the band has reunited a few times over the years a have released a couple more albums of outtakes and demos, 2023 saw them finally release In the 21st Century, their second album of new material, which is also well worth checking out.  

(Cherry Red Records)

Wizzard - The Singles Collection

After getting his start as a member of bands like The Falcons, Gerry Levene and The Avengers and Mike Sheridan and the Nightriders, Roy Wood helped form The Move, becoming the band’s chief songwriter.  They became quite successful in the UK with nine Top Twenty singles, but never really made their mark in the US.  As the band started winding down, Wood, along with other members Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan, started working on another project that would end up becoming ELO.  Following that band’s 1972 debut release, Wood left and formed Wizzard, taking keyboard player Bill Hunt and cellist Hugh McDowell with him.  Rounding out the group were three members of the Birmingham band Mongrel (bassist Rick Price and drummers Keith Smart and Charlie Grima) and sax players Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow (from the band Pendulum).  Over their five years as a band, they released two albums and recorded a third that wasn’t released until 2000, because at the time the label deemed it insufficiently commercial.  During this time, they also released eleven singles with only two of those twenty-two tracks showing up on the albums.  The Singles Collection is a great new two CD release containing all these single tracks and shows just how fun and diverse they were.  They made their debut with the single “Ball Park Incident”, a super infectious track that hit number six in the UK and is a strange meshing of “Stagger Lee” flavored boogie woogie and glam, with “The Carlsberg Special (Piano’s Demolished Phone 021 373 4472)” on the flip, an interesting instrumental that pulls together a diverse array of elements including glam, classical, orchestral and funk and including flute and harpsichord among the instrumentation.  For their next two singles they tapped into a huge Phil Spector-like wall of sound production with “See My Baby Jive” and “Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad)”, which has a strong fifties sound full of horns, doo wop, motorcycles and Beach Boys flavored backing harmonies credited to The Bleach Boys and Suedettes (both of these tracks hit number one in the UK).  While it for some reason never made its mark in the US, their next single, “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday”, is a joyous tune that will put a smile on your face, and even though it fell short of the top of the chart, hitting number four, it became one of Britain’s all time favorite Christmas songs.  ‘Rock N’ Roll Winter (Loony’s Tune) “Sorry, The Word `Spring’ Wouldn’t Fit”’ and “This Is The Story of My Love (Baby)” once again mine the sixties Phil Spector/Beach Boys territory to great effect, although the latter only hit thirty-four in the UK and was the beginning of the end of their chart success.  The next two singles, the Bill Haley big band rock styled “Are You Ready To Rock” and “Rattlesnake Roll”, which throws in a bit of rockabilly, both harken back to fifties rock.  Their last three singles once again found them shifting in direction, but unfortunately these are also their weakest singles, starting with “Indiana Rainbow” (released as Roy Wood’s Wizzard), more of a jazz-rock tune that comes across a bit generic.  “The Stroll” (this time under the name Roy Wood’s Wizzo Band), is a catchy funk rocker with some jazz and boogie woogie, that did show a glimmer of hope, but then the final song “Dancin’ At The Rainbow’s End”, is a poppier tune that comes across a bit cheesy.  Interestingly, quite frequently the tracks that were on the flipside of these singles showed a greater sense of diversity and experimentation.  Some of the more notable of these are “You Got The Jump On Me”, a Zeppelin influenced rocker from the heavy drums, guitar work and vocals, that does a complete 180 at the end turning into piano driven ragtime, “Dream Of Unwin”, a gorgeous, largely instrumental, track with a dreamy folk / psychedelic sound and “Nixture”, an easygoing, horn driven jazz instrumental reminiscent at times of early Chicago.  The collection is rounded out by a great CD booklet with the story behind each single along with pictures of the covers.  

(7T's)