Mighty Four - Bangin' The Boogie - #24

Mighty Four - Bangin' The Boogie

Just realised, that finnish band Mighty Four will be releasing their third full length CD in mid July 2011. It's not yet available from the mail order shops (I checked), so please queue up and wait just like everyone else. If you want to know more about the Mighty Four, go to their website at http://www.mightyfour.com/ or my website for a review of one of their earlier CDs. The new album can be ordered from Goofin' Records in Helsinki. See http://www.goofinrecords.com/

Cheers

Devon

V/A - Nippon No Rock'n'Roll (A Dr Feelgood Tribute) - #23

V/A - Nippon No Rock'n'Roll (A Dr Feelgood Tribute)

There's a Dr Feelgood tribute album out there. Japanese bands covering everybody's favourite band. I don't think you'll get this at your local record shop, so this will be one of the cases, where one needs to buy this long distance from Japan via mailorder.

1. SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR/ 3 CHORDS
2. GOING BACK HOME/ 赤羽ブリロー
3. DOWN AT THE DOCTORS/ MAMORU & THE DAViES
4. THAT'S IT,I QUIT/ 石橋 勲バンド
5. ROXETTE/ 夜のストレンジャーズ
6. ROUTE66/ Mooney & His Lucky Rhythm
7. I'M A HOG FOR YOU BABY/ The PRIVATES
8. SHE DOSE IT RIGHT/ VIOLETS
9. BEST IN THE WORLD/ マボロシハンターズ
10. MILK & ALCOHOL/ ミステルズ
11. KING FOR A DAY/ 赤羽ブリロー
12. SEE'S THE ONE/ テリー島村グループ
13. DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN/ MAMORU & THE DAViES
14. I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU/ The PRIVATES
15. OYEH!/ SWITCH TROUT
16. I DON'T MIND/ 夜のストレンジャーズ
17. RIOT IN CELL BLOCK NO.9/ ダンス天国
18. VIOLENT LOVE/ トリビュートセッション

Cheers

Devon

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Smoking In Heaven (Part 2) - #22

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Smoking In Heaven (Part 2)

The vinyl has finally arrived here at these doorsteps. The first thing you realise, all of the songs have been written by the Durhams/Weiss'. Not a single cover version in sight. The debut had only two originals. The music is less Rock'n'Roll by a degree, but the songwriting is excellent and it still sounds like a modern 50's platter. Rock'n'Roll mixes with Swing and Boogie Woogie and what else. One of the ladies still sings like she's having an enormous cold. It does sound great, no question.

This is really a double vinyl release and comes with a download code for the whole album. In fact, right now I'm listening to this version (a CD-R that is). There's a new video out there, this one for "Messing With My Life", that just shows how eclectic of an album this is. The album could have done with better graphics though, this is a bit of a letdown compared to the "classic" image on their debut. Nevertheless, the release is waiting for you to be brought to a good home. A thoroughingly enjoyable release! Go out and buy it!

Cheers

Devon

Levi Dexter & Steve Hooker - Rockabilly Dolls - #21

Levi Dexter & Steve Hooker - Rockabilly Dolls

I'm checking the stock of one of my preferred online mail orders and what do I see? A Steve Hooker release! Well, not quite. This is Levi Dexter & Steve Hooker. And if this is carefully chosen, then this is really a Levi Dexter release with some help of Steve Hooker. Well again, I'm sorry, the whole enterprise has the stamp of the latter hammered into the plastic. Not least because Steve Hooker provides electric, acoustic and bottleneck guitars, harmonica, vocals and last but not least handclaps. Anyway, this is also a Steve Hooker production and comes to Europe via Japan. The CD has very recently been released on Thousands Records (1000's Records).

 

They claim that Rockabilly is the Punk of Rock'n'Roll and they're here to remind us of this fact. Might be so, I wouldn't know a thing about this. To me, Rockabilly was always the mellower family member. A bit like the older brother or sister (Rock'n'Roll) being out on the streets and when he or she returns home, they're taking care of their young siblings. I might have gotten my bearings wrong ... I'm a bit irritated. If the Punk analogy holds at all, it's the other way round. The likes of Wild Bob Burgos are the ones with the Punk attitude. And that guy is certainly Rock'n'Roll. I'm confused.

Some of these songs have already been released on previous albums, for example Steve Hooker's "Before The Rooster Crows". Others, I don't know about, as I'm not familiar with Levi Dexter's releases. What you get is a very entertaining slice of Rockabilly (there it is, I almost wrote Rock'n'Roll). Nine tracks that clock in at just thirty minutes (with 2 seconds overtime). But I'd rather have half an hour of high energy Rock'n'Roll (I can't deny it, this is more Rock'n'Roll to me than anything else), than 80 minutes of music I can't stand. Well done!

 

The music is a bit rougher, than on a "real" Steve Hooker album. This can be measured only with the most advanced scientific methods, but I'll swear to it, the music has an edge, that's usually not there. I'm talking slight variations here. Just don't think one's the "Music For A Late Night Date" type of stuff and this here is the Death Metal bit. No, this is certainly not so. Compared to the aforementioned "Before The Rooster Crows", this release seems to be somewhat straighter. I don't know, if it's less finesse ... it's straighter, that's all. Maybe that's the Punk in here.

 

Nine tracks, the last being an instrumental "Wicked Blues (Remastered)", will remind you, why you like this kind of music. One thing though, I have to mention. Being a major Screaming Lord Sutch Fan, I think "Jack The Ripper" should have been left off the CD. While it might be a honourable attempt at the song, it just had to fail. Some songs you just can't cover, and only because the definitive version has already been done. Mind you, this is not a bad version, but as a singer, Screaming Lord Sutch's take (or takes) is/are in their own league. A plus point for the sleeve. Excellent. But what I really want to see, is exactly this on an LP version of this album. This cries for graphics about nine times as large.

 

You can buy this CD at well stocked Rockabilly mailorders (or visit Steve Hooker's Website at http://www.stevehooker.co.uk).

 

Cheers

 

Devon

Alice Cooper - Old School 1964-1974 Box Set - #20

Alice Cooper - Old School 1964-1974 Box Set

A monster of a box set is on the way into the shops. The item should be available around June 21, 2011, which seems to be the official release date, although some shops have it down to June 17, 2011.

This doesn't come cheap. Around USD 260.00 if you happen to live in the States. The pricing for Europe is a joke though, the link from the Alice Cooper site to Switzerland has it at CHF 315.00, while the link to Finland shows almost EUR 240.00 for the lot. If you happen to live in EU Europe, you should buy this in Germany as the link from the site gives you an option to buy this for a bit below EUR 190.00 (and postage is free).

If you search the internet, you also get some mailorders in Germany offering the item for just above EUR 160.00, but then you'll have to add postage (most likely). But what is it you get? Plenty from the way this is announced https://alicecooper.com/pre-order:

4 CDs from the years 1964-1974:
Disc 1: Demos, rarities, live, and advertisements
Disc 2: Demos from “Muscle of Love,” a pre-production of songs from “Schools Out,“1973 Madison Square Garden live track, and advertisements.
Disc 3: Spoken word (from 2010/2011)
Disc 4: Live show of the 1971 “Killer” tour in St. Louis

DVD (single disc in Amaray case) – over 2 hours including new and candid conversation with the band plus never before seen archival clips.

60 page, full-color yearbook style book with hard front & back cover:
Period pictures of all band members, many never before seen
Gatefold folder containing: tour program, ticket stubs, set list, 5 prints

Bootleg Vinyl: 1971 “Killer” live show in St. Louis

7” Vinyl: Songs “Wonder Who’s Loving Her Now?” and “Lay Down And Die, Goodbye” from The Nazz

Now I realise, that this is serious cash one has to cough up, but I'm already salivating and can hardly wait. The item does look stunning and I just suppose, I have to hold myself back on other acquisitions of popular music during the next month.

Cheers

Devon

The Coffinshakers - #19

The Coffinshakers

It’s hard to make an international career as an artist, if you release only three full albums in 10+ years. The Coffinshakers are working at it with all due speed. If they keep up that pace, we can expect their fourth album up until around 2015. In the meantime, you’ll have to do with their debut “We Are The Undead”, which commands a healthy price on the collector’s market, as it was apparently released in a limited edition of 666 copies towards the end of the 90’s, plus there’s “Dark Wings Over Finland” (actually a MCD) and their album of 2007 “Same”. There’s a number of 10’s and 7’s as well.

“We Are The Undead” seems to have been reissued at some point on CD. But it’s equally hopeless to find, unless you pay serious money for it. The LP goes for around EUR 120.00 these days, with a healthy way up the scale. Some day, I’m going to fish a decent copy. The other two albums on CD are still readily available (some 7’s too). The "Same" seems to have been released on vinyl as well. What you get here is some of the finest in Rock’n’Roll with a touch of Country. Some call it Psychobilly and even make a connection to Punk. Of the latter I think, they’re just being labeled as such, because they might appeal to a wider base. 

The selling point, in whatever drawer you want to stash this, is certainly Rob Coffinshaker, the singer. He gives the Johnny Cash of morbid Rockabilly (most songs of the Coffinshakers are themed to match their name), and it doesn’t sound forced (which you might have thought), but comes completely natural. I’ve heard enough of these Johnny Cash wanna-be’s to last me a lifetime. Rob Coffinshaker is an exception, and a very good one at that. He grumbles his way through the songs and there is never a dull moment. This is topnotch songwriting and in a way, the Coffinshakers are in a class of their own, in this particular genre.

Rockabilly/Rock’n’Roll mixes quite easily with some country, uptempo tracks sit shoulder to shoulder with ballads of the rockin’ kind. The lyrics are on the dark side with Vampires, the Undead and the whole merry band of Zombies in one go. You might think, that this sounds a bit one dimensional and boring, but rest assured, this band delivers the goods and their albums are very interesting and diversified. You mightn’t be the digging type in a cemetary, but you’ll enjoy this band as much as the next Zombie. http://www.coffinshakers.com/

Cheers

Devon

Happotedit - Mäntsälän kapinalliset - #18

Happotedit - Mäntsälän kapinalliset

Sometimes I'm just buying a CD or an LP because something strikes me as weird and strange. I don't know what it was with this album. The fact that the guy on the cover stands in some street in the finnish province in the middle of winter, sporting a tigerprint coat and a pink shopping bag (nothing to say about his socks and shoes) or that all fourteen songs have finnish titles. No idea.

There's not much on the internet, at least nothing that I can understand. A translation of the song's titles into English was all I could find. And the fact, that the lyrics seem to be on the funny side. I wasn't sure wether Happotedit was trying to pull my leg, because this is, frankly speaking, one of the stranger Rockabilly outings in the world. Strange but essential listening. I have to dig very deep to find an album in this genre, that radiates so much fun. Even though the guy could sing (or can't sing as someone else has it) in any other language that I don't understand, Finnish is somehow fitting. It carries the Rockabilly feeling quite well.

The band is surprisingly good as well, since they seem to be an ad hoc formation and it's just about the singer who's the only one turning up for each and every gig. I don't know and this is about the extent of my knowledge. The whole thing clocks in at under half an hour. Release is on Jungle Records from 2006 (JARI1). Rockabilly rules!

Cheers

Devon

Dr. Feelgood - I'm A Man (Test Pressing) - #17

Dr. Feelgood - I'm A Man (Test Pressing)

It's always a delight, to stumble over such an item, especially when you least expect it. This one, I've found about a year ago in a record shop (amongst the trash, really). And for a good price as well. Not unlike on auction platforms, where you get into bidding wars with fellow Dr. Feelgood fans and in the end, you're still not holding it in your hands, although you've bid somewhere in the three-digit range.

What is amazing, is, that these records still turn up. I mean, here we are, more than 30 years after the fact and you can still find precious items like that. One would have thought, that the record shops of this earth have been picked clean by now, but no, there's always the possibility that you find an excellent addition to your collection. The 7" is a one sided test pressing and, as you can see, has a handwritten remark about distortion. To me this is one of the priceless items in my collection and when I'm telling you what I had bought it for, you'll go green in the face. Ready, set and go! Less than £ 20.00, that's what!

Cheers

Devon