Album Review 5: Thank You - Puffy

It's been a LONG time since i've done a review on here, but i've been getting 'the urge' so far this year with tons of great albums appearing left right and center - and it's only March!

Today, the album in question is Puffy's (known as Puffy AmiYumi in the US) newest release, 'Thank You'. The album marks the 15 year milestone in Puffy's career, hence the title likely being a sort of thanks to the fans that have stuck by them all these years.

For those who don't know, Puffy are a J-Pop/Rock band and... Hey! Come back, let me finish! I know, I know; I was surprised at first too. I'm by no means a Japanese music afficianado - the only J-music i've been in any way moved by so far has been from Guitar Wolf, the Blue Hearts, Pink Lady and Puffy - most of it goes way over my head. BUT there's something about Puffy's immensely varied and exciting back catalogue that is so appealing. Plus their half-arsed dance routines, seemingly dry sense of humour and 'casually dressed with big hair' appearance just adds to my fascination.

Now, the timing of this album probably couldn't have come at a worse time. Unless you've had your head buried under the sand these past weeks, you will of course know of the horrors of the Japan earthquake/tsunami and the struggles over there. I'm not going to dwell on this too much, but I hope that this album does not vanish off the radar because of the disaster...

Thank You songlist:
1- My Country Road (4:33)
2- Jet Love (3:21)
3- R.G.W. (4:20)
4- Hoshi Girl (3:57)
5- Wake Up. Make Up. (4:45)
6- Haru No Uta (4:44)
7- Koi No Yamaarashi (4:18)
8- Ai No Odyssey (4:30)
9- Banzai! (3:13)
10- Fish On (3:49)
11- No! (4:04)
12- Yokubou (4:34)
13- Happy Birthday (3:55)
Total Running Time - (54:05)

This album has certainly felt like a long time in the making, which is weird since their last album was only released two years ago. Anyway, things get off to a VERY positive start i'm happy to report. 'My Country Road' is a steady middle-of-the-road track, but done to a very high standard. Complete with harmonica solos and a wonderful chorus, definately one for my future playlists.

Next we have 'Jet Love'. Hands down my favourite song on the album! Starts with a crazy synth solo, and suddenly goes into a surf-rock\funk bounce. Superbly structured lyrically and musically, if I had to list my top Puffy songs of all time, this would probably go straight onto the list, and likely to be high up there too!

R.G.W. (Red, Green, White) was released as a christmas single last year complete with a fun little video. I didn't like it so much at first, but it has grown on me somewhat. It's better than any Christmas songs from the last 20 years or so, but doesn't have enough 'novelty' or 'stupidity' to make it great.

Track four is 'Hoshi Girl'. Another quality song with again, brilliant chorus and verses. The male backing voices do irritate me a little - and not so much because they're singing in 'Enrish' (though that does annoy me a bit also), I just don't think they're necessary at all.

Things start to get a bit, uhhh, terrible on the next song. 'Wake Up. Make Up.' is, to Puffy's credit, a completely new musical area to explore. But it sounds so 'un-Puffy' that it makes me a little annoyed. It sounds like what many Western musicians are doing nowadays and collaborating with rappers, but with this song in particular, the music sounds very bland and rushed, and the electronics on the voices periodically are very upsetting. Worst track on the album, possibly their worst track ever, which is a shame because without it, this album was looking so strong!

Haru No Uta is pretty unimpressive also. Not as bad to the extent of the last track, it just seems a bit lifeless and lacking in some 'oomph!'. Hopefully things pick up next...

...and they do! 'Koi No Yamaarashi' gets my vote for next best track on the album. Rock steady track with swing and jazz influences in the chorus, and the vocal trade-offs in the verses are a nice little welcome addition.

When I first heard 'Ai No Odyssey' it threw me a bit. There are these bizaare "orchestra hits" near the beginning of the verses. Also, the verses sound dark and build suspense, yet the choruses are like frollicking in the Springtime. A damn weird song musically, but... I dunno... it's been slowly growing on me. I think I love it.

'Banzai!' is a classic Puffy-tune. Beatles influenced intro with a boogie-woogie swing harking back to their cover of 'High-Teen Boogie' from the Hit Parade. Great little song.

'Fish On' is another of the better tracks on the album. Weird synth intro again, but is typically infectious and smile-inducing, and this time the male backing singers don't annoy me so much. Wonderful, wonderful song.

'No!' has a slightly different vibe to typical Puffy-songs. It has a much darker verse than normal, similar to 'Shobjin' from '98s Jet album, but then goes into reverse gear with a fun, powerpop chorus. Definately a good track though!

'Yokubou' has a really nice slide guitar/rhythm guitar arrangement over the front end of the choruses. The rest of the song to me is fairly bog-standard. Definately one i'll be listening to more though.

The final song, 'Happy Birthday' was another single prior to the release of this album. Similar with 'R.G.W.', I wasn't wild about the song at first, but it definately is growing on me. I think I found the chorus a bit twee on the first listen, but i'm warming to it (though I still don't like the 'woah-oh-oh' chants very much).

All things considered, this is a serious Puffy album, in the sense that it does what all the best Puffy albums do, which is, ironically, to not take themselves seriously! It has the weirder aspects from 'Jet CD', the brilliant songwriting and arrangements akin to 'Fever*Fever' and the rock edge of 'Spike' and 'Splurge' without sounding too overproduced like their last two albums.

Even with a couple of duffer tracks (and they are REAL downers compared to the majority of the songs), this is still Puffy's best album in years. My current opinion makes me rank it below 'Fever*Fever' and 'Jet' (my Puffy benchmarks) but about on par with 'Spike', my 3rd favourite. Considering they've now released 11 albums [12 including the covers CD], that's a hell of a standard.

Congratulations, Puffy! And Happy Birthday.

Score: 8.5\10

Album Review 4: Chutzpah! - The Wildhearts

After rave reviews and what seems to be/have been a highly anticipated album, I could not wait to get my hands on this! Unfortunately, play.com had other ideas. After the record being dispatched on the Saturday before Bank Holiday Monday, I expected it to flop through my door on Tuesday...
It would be an understatement to say I was gutted when there was no post that day. So, bit late, I thought. It'll be here tomorrow, right? Well, no. Wednesday came, and dispite a large, parcel-sized thud ringing in my ears at 11.30, there was bugger all for me at the door. FUCK YOU, PLAY!! Anyway, it arrived yesterday and I put it straight on for listening. First listen was a great one! Which is a relief due to the time it took me to really get into the last album. Almost immediately after my first listen, I was rudely interrupted by a friend at the door, and was out all day... so I had to make up for it yesterday evening and breezed excitedly though it another six or so times before hitting the sack (where I listened to it one more time for good measure!). It's a pretty short album, which is fantastic - gone is the myriad of songs with four minute-riff fests. (Nothing wrong with riff fests... just four minute ones..)

Onto the album in question, 'Chutzpah!'. Great title for an album - it's a hebrew word that has something to do with energy or something along those lines. This is probably the first time Ginger has taken a (slightly) more backseat role through some of the album, allowing bassist Scott Sorry to perform a song he wrote alongside the other tracks, and it notably the first (though download-only at the moment) single for the album. CJ is still providing those soaring harmonies that always seem to really make Ginger sound better and better (or maybe he's just getting better generally!) and Ritch as ever with a sound, heavy drumming performance - certainly shows off some flare in a few songs here.

Chutzpah! songlist:
1- The Jackson Whites (3:26)
2- Plastic Jebus (3:16)
3- The Only One (3:49)
4- John Of Violence (3:51)
5- You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane (2:49)
6- Tim Smith (3:28)
7- Low Energy Vortex (3:28)
8- You Took The Sunshine From New York (3:39)
9- Mazel Tov Cocktail (2:58)
10- Chutzpah (5:46)
-Total Running Time- (36:34)

The Jackson Whites is a real teeth kicker-outer. The chorus parts are incredibly infectious, and the main riff is erection inducing. As a scottish frenchman would say: "Instant dur-sur!". Don't ask. A highlight of the album, hopefully a future single, and future classic the 'hearts repitoire of live songs.

Plastic Jebus is another classic though has flaws unlike the first track. The first minute or so is as brilliant, if not even better than the opener. However, the song is very chorus-reliant and the arrangement has been done in such a way that there's only one verse. The verse is brilliant, so why not do two or three?? Still a bit surprised at this. However, that is not to knock the chorus. In this song the chorus is sung by Scott, and sounds superb. A definate chant-a-thon at shows, and although sounding a little more commercial than before, the Wildhearts are still retaining their signature guitar/drum complements within a kick-arse song.

Onto the download-only single now, The Only One is a song that Scott has written and performed and stands out as a heavy ballad. I didn't particularly like the song when I first heard it a week or more ago, but it does fit the album nicely. Ritch's drumming should be complimented here; marching style that explodes every so often as we hit the chorus. The writting here is definately impressive and this turns out to be one of the most memorable songs on the album.

John Of Violence for me has had sort of the opposite effect to the previous track. It was in fact one of my favourites at first, but again suffers in my opinion to the overall arrangement. It is a great song that could have been made better if the the last minute was more like the first. Ginger's scream of 'JOHN OF VIOLENCE' at the end of the first chorus really gets the head moving, but that's the only time that climax happens. Seems silly to moan about the song because of that, but it could have been so much better! The little solo/bassline does make up for the rather small quip I have, and it is a decent song overall.. (am I arguing with myself again?)

The next song, You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane has a good tune, but not what i'd consider vintage 'hearts. I would think this would definately be a track that appears live often, and probably highly enjoyable. The song topic harks back to ye olde days of 'Miles Away Girl', yet doesn't have the complex nature that it showed some fifteen years ago. The ending is amusing though; sounding like Japanese school girls singing a french nursery rhyme... i'd love to hear that live.

Tim Smith is what I would assume to be a tribute to the Cardiacs fella who seems to always work very closely with the Wildhearts and has done for many years. This stands out has a heavy, scorcher of a track. The heaviness doesn't last long though, as we go into a melodic, hallelujia-clad chorus. [Pardon spelling]. This is the sort of song arrangement that should have been on the last album, just keep those track times down!

Low Energy Vortex is next. When I first heard this I was surprised I hadn't heard many comments about this track from reviewers... it's probably my overall favourite on here. A fairly bogstandard song after the peaceful piano intro. However, the chorus is possibly one of the best choruses i've heard from them in a long while.

Shallow breathing makes it so hard to fight this
The calmest storm could blow me away
Stop the bleeding before you start a crisis
and keep the poison potent as it courses through my veins

The next song has constantly made me laugh. You took the Sunshine from New York sounds fairly poppy, but as we know, Ginger is the master with that pen. Great imagery used in both verses, and just generally a brilliantly structured song.

Butter coconut as a welcome smell
Baby pigeon seed on the window sill
Kitchen cupboard full of granola bars
Walking through the city beneath the stars
And loving every dog on the Lower East side
Fighting for the bill in the taxi ride
Your pink knickers sit on the living room floor
'Cause noone wants to clean them up no more

Tiny little squares of Green and Blacks
Watching DVDs of tits and ass
Long summer days on Rockaway Beach
Surprisingly hard and far to reach
Homies in a box for fifty cents
The squirrels kinda wondered where you went
The bathroom seems a little light on stuff
The bed's unmade and the TV's off

This is only part of some of the great lyrics in this song, the bridge near the end and chorus are fantastic also.

Next we have the wonderfully named Mazel Tov Cocktail. Sounds to be a fairly generic hard rock song, but once again, we have a killer chorus and probably one of the highlights of future live show. A feel-good tune and if I had to choose, probably my favourite on the album.

The finalé is of course, Chutzpah! Some thrash metal for everyone here, but mixed with an electro-pop chorus? "Where did that come from!?" Sounding like a fusion of Suckerpunch and Destroy All Monsters with the first and only riff filling part. I'm not going to complain about this one though, since it doesn't last that long, and it is quite interesting with the off-beat parts through some excellent Ritchie drums. Middle section sounds like a mini-variation of Metallica's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' complete with Quasimodo's bells.

There aren't particularly any 'bad' songs on here, just some that could have been better. However, it's a step forward from their last record, and considering i'm still listening to it now after many, many listens already, it's gotta be a great album. Also, from information supplied on their official site, it seems that there is a resounding 'yes' for the band to play the whole album (plus oldies) on their upcoming tour. I'm all for it! Gather your Chutzpah!

SCORE: 9/10

Album Review 3: Backyard Babies - Backyard Babies

Swedish punk rockers, the Backyard Babies have been around since the closure of the 80s and are still a driving force when bringing the sleaze back to Britain's current abysmal music scene. Their self-titled 2008 album was one of those rare first listens where I immediately enjoyed the album, which is becoming rarer and rarer as time's gone by. It is also worth mentioning, that it is even rarer to find a band that seems to be producing better music the older the musicians become. Hanoi Rocks are another that seemed to have their finest moments towards their demise, and although some of the Backyard Babies' early songs like Star War and Minus Celcius are still staple tunes, the whole feel of their albums, in my opinion, has continually improved. I even liked 2006's release, People Like People Like People Like Us, which seemed to generally recieve very negative critism.

The Backyard Babies feature two members who take lead vocals (rather than one providing backing), though one is arguably the far better singer and more prominant in songs (Nicke Borg). However, Dregen being the charasmatic clown always seems to attract more attention, and the songs he does sing in seem to suit his voice very well - so I must praise the way in which both members perform their selected songs. As a comparison, Nicke's voice is deep, full of sleaze and energy, and really powers through the music, whereas Dregen has a far higher voice but utilising just as much, if not more sleaze than his bandmate. Their latest album has some of the best vocals from the paring yet, and their aren't too many fillers on here.

Backyard Babies' songlist goes like this:
1- Fuck Off and Die (3:45)
2- Degenerated (3:36)
3- Come Undone (3:40)
4- Drool (3:23)
5- Abandon (4:13)
6- Voodoo Love Bow (3:21)
7- Idiots (3:04)
8- The Ship (3:06)
9- Nomadic (3:47)
10- Back on the Juice (3:33)
11- Where Were You? (3:15)
12- Zoe is a Weirdo (1:53)
13- Saved by the Bell (3:54)
-Total Running Time- (44:41)

Well the first song makes a pretty bold statement. Both Dregen and Nicke battle over vocal bragging rights in this track, with Dregen singing the verses and Nicke delivering a killer link-up to the chorus, of which both members join togethor. The chorus is heavily catchy and definately a crowd pleaser, if maybe for some just to get the chance to shout 'Fuck!' a lot (which is fine - gets the old blood pumping.)

Degenerated has a fairly repeatative riff throughout the song, but it is a damn-fine riff. I don't consider this one of the album's better songs, but it sets the upbeat tempo ready to carry through into the next track.

The next song, Come Undone, is a real scorcher and brings all the best elements of the babies togethor. Great drums, clever bass-lines, Nicke's fantastic voice and a catchy chorus to boot. A section of the chorus reminds me of Feeder's Just A Day but where that was a fairly average song overall, this one improved it.

Dregen's finest moment on the album now is on Drool. This is what I mean by choosing the right guy for the job. Nicke scored full marks with the last track, but now Dregen appears centre-stage and gives all the judges a frying-pan to the face. This is definately one of my favourite ever Backyard Babies songs as again, it pulls out all the best elements and really gets the aural party started.

The next song is part acoustic and explodes into electric at various stages. Abandon should be an album highlight, but for me it just falls short due to it's inability to leave a lasting impression after listening. It's uplifting without being twee, and big enough without being over-dramatic, but it just doesn't feel right - certainly not in the context of the album and the songs surrounding it.

Back on track with Voodoo Love Bow. While i'm not quite sure on the details of what the song is going on about, I do know is that Nicke's voice reaches orgasmic proportions here. Raucas highs and Barry White lows are just the start of why this song kicks bottom. Superb track with a very memorable riff, and definately one i'm always coming back to.

Idiots sounds at first like an earlier Backyard Babies song, but quickly fits snuggly with the rest of the album. Clever vocal structure around the various guitar parts and another killer song on a very strong album.

If Fuck Off and Die was never written, The Ship would probably be the opener for this album. It's a flurried, rock-steady amthemic song that is sure to gradually become a crowd pleaser. I say all that and it's not even a song I particaularly am fond of! It is by no means a bad song though, just not as strong as some of the others on here. The sound of the track definately works with a nautical theme linking to the title, which I guess is a good point.

Nomadic is a fairly average song in the context of the album - it fits in fine, but does not strike me as live material (yet they played it when I saw them shortly after the album's release!). I wish bands would come to me before they write setlists to support new albums. They ALWAYS seem to pick the wrong songs to play...

Back on the Juice is another really strong song. If not as loud and powerpacked as some of the earlier efforts, it is a well written and joyous song with nice chorus. Not a strong highlight, but a highlight.

Kicks off with a great drum part, and as soon as Nicke's vocals kick in once again, it seems to be shaping up for another blinder with Where Were You? - but unfortunately, the chorus parts feel a little cheesed-up for me. I can see this being fun live, but I have to be fair and say that it's not one of the top-end tracks on here.

Now, here we go! Zoe is a Weirdo is the quickest track, shortest track and maybe the best track on the album. Dregen-fronted now, and a comedic, riff driven power tune. Sounds like a song about an obsessed groupie, and is just what all real sleazy rock bands should be writing about!

Saved by the Bell closes the album and is a nice little ballad to finish. It's an outcast in the album's context, but it is a very nice song, even if you prefer the faster tempo like me. Plus it reminds me of that old American morning kids' show...

The album, I would think, is a pleaser for anyone who likes a heavy does of 'fun' in their rock, which should be everyone. For me, this was probably the best album of 2008, and one that should be pretty well respected for the decade. Go, you sleazy Swedes!

SCORE: 8.5/10

Album Review 2: Numb - Hammerbox

I like grunge. I've never hated it, nor have I professed to worship it. I don't think i've ever heard a 'perfect' grunge album yet, 'Nevermind' had good moments and bad and although I has nothing against bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana, none of them stood up to the mighty Hammerbox, as far as i'm concerned.

"Who?" I hear the cry of many. Well, I first heard Hammerbox at the age of seven or eight. It was part of the soundtrack to the videogame 'Road Rash', and I bought it as a 'Help Charity' compilation box set but could never really get into the game itself. The jukebox, however, that was part of the game really drilled into my head though. Bands like Therapy? and Hammerbox were there, with some brilliant tracks to be heard. It wasn't until about a year or so ago that I returned to this game in a 'retro' mood and the songs resonated that sense of pure nostalgia, and I ended up delving into Hammerbox's discography at breakneck speed. The songs in question that were used on the game were Simple Passing and Trip. Both of these tracks are fast, thumpy and have brilliantly catchy riffs, which are fairly scarce in most grunge bands. Did I mention that they're fronted by a lady? Another rarity in the grunge movement I think you'd find. Take Alanis Morissette, inject her with petrol, and you have the 'Hammerbox' that is Carrie Akre.

Numb was released in 1993 and was the second (and final) Hammerbox recording. The sound is big, angry, chunky and emotional. The tracklist was and is as follows:
1- Hole (2:40)
2- Hed (3:16)
3- No (4:12)
4- Blur (3:06)
5- Outside (3:33)
6- When 3 Is 2 (4:27)
7- Trip (3:30)
8- Attack Of The Slime Creatures (3:46)
9- God (3:57)
10- Simple Passing (2:01)
11- Sleep (4:29)
12- Anywhere But Here (3:02)
-Total Running Time- (42:05)

Opener Hole really drives the album with 'Rita' proportion (seems like a good analogy having been to Alton Towers yesterday!) and as the guitar and drums meet at the fork in the road before blasting into the main riff, Carrie's voice dives in to steal the show. This is definately one of the album's highlights, and as we hear a rather satisfying Uuughh to lead into a superb bridge we 'head' into the rest of the album.

You see what I DID there? Hed is another excellent track and while not as 'in your face' as the opener, it is able to slow down the pace, whilst still retaining an aura of emotion that carries through the rest of the songs. Soon we go flying into No, which is another highlight. Superb guitar parts here; very catchy, very memorable and it's definately one of those tunes that you start to look forward to on your iPod when you're out on a long walk (well, it is for me at least).

Blur starts promisingly, but isn't really anything special; it's unfortunately far too overshadowed by the next track, Outside. Melodic and powerful chorus and has every grunge chord under the sun poked in there at some point for good measure.

When 3 Is 2 is the only single from the album, and was a track I very much ignored at first. Since I actually bought the single, it's grown on me lots - it has a brilliant chorus and the verses flow very nicely. Soaring backing vocals make this more of a treat to listen to, but I must add here and now - the B-side track to the single called simply 'Rain' is one of Hammerbox's best songs. Technically not part of the album, but it's a real gem and worth hunting down if you ever get the chance.

Now we're into the 'fucking-kick-ass-must-listen-to-before-you-die' sorta song, called Trip. My favourite song from ye olde 'Road Rash', and my still my favourite on this album. The riffs are mind-blowing and infectious, and the vocals are heading all over the place. The grit in this woman's voice is heavily satisfying, and it feels such a shame that she's gone for a more commercial approach in her recent solo efforts.

Attack of the Slime Creatures isn't that good of a track, despite the great name; God on the other hand is one of the better ones. Another excellent chorus dealt with a serious gut punch each time it gets blasted. Then it goes into a backing vocal chant by some of the male members and has a much more of a different feel to some of the other songs because of this.

Simple Passing is the last great performance before the last two tracks deliver a fairly average (but by no means bad) ending to an otherwise damn fine album. Another song from 'Road Rash', and the shortest song here. This is the song you'll be humming all day, with its wonderful soaring vocals and rock-steady beat. Definately another highlight for this sunken grunge classic.

When Hammerbox released this record, they had high hopes for the future - but unfortunately the likes of Nirvana crushed all hope of being able to really make a mark in the music scene at the time, especially as the grunge era came and went in such a short span. Hammerbox were only alive for a few years before it disbanded and Carrie Akre formed new band Goodness in the mid-90s. Goodness were like a softer form of Hammerbox, with some pretty decent songs, but never seemed to be able to rival the energy that Hammerbox had in abundance. Goodness came and went just as fast, and now Carrie works on solo albums with varying degrees of success.

Numb, in my opinion, should have been a staple grunge album up there with the likes of Nevermind, Ten, In Utero, and Badmotorfinger. This album has plenty of peaks and troughs, exudes energy and has some uniquely constructed guitar parts of which I think really make this album stand out from the rest. Reformation? Very unlikely I would think, but never say never...

SCORE: 8/10

Album Review 1: Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go - The Wildhearts

Why, hello there. What? More pointless reviewing blogs for nobody's satisfaction but my own? What on earth is the problem, young man? Maybe it's the Summer Holidays and it's that feeling where the days fly by, but the clock drags on; all the while you're never quite sure what day of the week it is, or even what year we're in. Whatever the case, there's always room for more blogging, more thinking, and just generally a thing to do where I can relax and discover things that maybe I didn't before because i'd never really thought, relaxed or blogged enough to work stuff out in the first place. I promise that the next few paragraphs will actually start to make some kind of sense as i'm sure anything before this sentence probably came out as the vocabulary equivalent of a dog who's been made sing whenever the Eastenders theme tune comes on the tele - inaudable, unreadable mush.

...and from Eastenders, leads me neatly into The Wildhearts' first album, Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go. It's sort of a holy grail of an album, in the sense that it's bloody hard to get hold of, and as a collector, even when you've heard all the songs from it, you feel as if it's your right to own it. The front cover is striking, depicting a detailed human (I assume human) heart, with a toy arrow impaled through it. Coincidentily, this is the same cover as used for the later released 'Best Of' album for all of us who were too skint to afford the original grail, and had to make do with the plastic Thomas the Tank Engine cup. Hey, but I love that cup too.

1992 was the year. I would have been 2 or 3 years old depending on the month and it really is one of those collections of songs that I wish I could've 'been there' for the first time around. Unfortunately my mother couldn't produce quickly enough, and I had to make do with not hearing the Wildhearts at all until the age of 15/16. Oh how tragic life was before then.

I recently got my hands on this mini-album (only four songs. Four! That's like half an Iron Maiden album!) so I could hear the early, botched, raw, scratchy, itchy, messy, fucked up versions of some of my favourite Wildhearts tunes. On first listen, I was almost disappointed that the sound quality wasn't AS bad as all the sources had been saying. In fact, I actually prefer the production on Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go than the enhanced, expanded eight track edition (eight songs. Eight! That's like an entire Iron Maiden album!) that would become Don't Be Happy... Just Worry a year later.

The album unfolds as follows:
1- Nothing Ever Changes But The Shoes (5:29)
2- Crying Over Nothing (3:49)
3- Turning American (6:25)
4- Liberty Cap (4:16)
-Total Running Time- 19:59

Since this is only a four track album (four songs. Four! That's...) I can go into a bit more detail of why I think this album is so great. The whole shebang starts with the classic opener, Nothing Ever Changes..., and what an opener that is. It's not just an eye opener, it's a jaw dropper. In fact it's an ass spreader. Open every orifice you can think of, and you have it. It begins with a few slowly played opening chords, that almost transport you to the inside of a church or castle, and then the big chord kicks in, and that oh-so funky bass starts. Aside from the intro to an album, I would go as far as to say this is the best introduction to any song ever. The intro builds and builds for about 45 seconds, and then explodes into probably the most beatiful guitar melody ever written (and in this version, it isn't hidden away behind the rest of the sound, it finally stands out). This melody only lasts for about 15 seconds, and completes the wonderful intro. A minute of pure heaven.

[Quick message to anyone reading up to this point]: Well done. You've survived my getting all goggly eyed and wet panted over nothing more than the intro to a song. Don't worry, i'll start going into the jist and stop being so specific about chords and shit in a second.

Whew, so, getting past the intro, we head into the bulk of the song itself. Now, something I may go on quite a lot about, certainly if I ever do more reviews based around The Wildhearts' albums, is the sheer quality of Ginger's lyrical expertise. Certainly in the early days, he was a demon with a pen and some of the most seemingly simple ideas and lyrics could be moulded around music to make it far more complex, and basically, pure ear-candy. Nothing Ever Changes But The Shoes is no exception. You might think it a barmy title, but it's a really clever and sort of strangely clairvoyant view into many band's (especially The Wildhearts') careers. The song is basically about the state of how the music industry is run. How no matter where you go, who you're working with/for, they all want the same thing, and the only thing that's ever different is the people involved - the situation is always the same. Take the lyrics:

Laughing is all that I can do,
Trying to keep from falling through,
Nothing ever changes; Nothing ever changes.
They all got advice to give,
'Cause they got no life to live,
Nothing ever change; Nothing ever changes,
and nothing ever changes but the shoes.

In a nutshell then, this is truly a great opener with poignant words of wisdom, in the guise of a rant that sets the tone for the next three tracks perfectly. Crying Over Nothing is the next track, and wouldn't you just know it, it's another belter. This is actually one of my favourite Wildhearts tracks period, and has the sort of riff that you think 'they must have stolen this from somewhere, but made it ten times better than what it ever was' thing going on. Starts with a mini-bass line with sliding lead guitar, and quickly explodes into the riff of the same rhythm. As far as i'm aware, it rarely receieves much live play, even back when the back-catalogue was small, which baffles me because it's probably my favourite of the four. (Four!) The lyrics again fit the tone of the song effortlessly. The opening lines begin:

You, with that sadness in your eyes
You got places you can cling to if you'd only take the time
I've got the arms to break your fall
but you're sad without a reason and that's the baddest kind of all
Down down - See them drown.

Next into the longest song on the album, Turning American. Generally speaking, I am anti-long songs and usually have to skip songs if they go on for more than five minutes, but this is definately worth listening all the way through. The song meaning is interesting, in the sense that from first inspection, it would seem to be something to do with english people becoming more like our American cousins, which would widely be considered a fault - certainly if you didn't like Americans. However, Ginger seems to have never sad a bad word about the people of the west, and since he praises the place so much and even has a home out there. This could not be the case. No, the song is actually to do with musicians - and it's musicians who don't stick to their roots and feel as though that have to switch styles to stay popular and keep in with trends. Another well constructed rant floating on a bed of an epic 'army march' of a riff. This is a slow and heavy song, which is a great power punch after the quicker flurry of Crying Over Nothing. The lyrics are again, superb - probably the most intelligent on the album, and sung with great grit and frustration that really digs deep into the 'ol bones. Ginger has never claimed to be a great singer, and I wouldn't argue with a man who writes this well... but to be honest, as many Wildhearts fans i'm sure would agree - he is the right singer. His words, his voice, his presence just seems to fit.

'Cause it's a place where people happen
It's the corner of success
Everybody loves you and you're never second best
Smell of easy money and you'll follow it 'til death
I smell the shit upon your breath
I remember you when you were an English man
but now you're turnin' American

Walkin' away from the crumbling empire
won't make it grow anymore
Changing your style 'cause the radio tells me
How can you sleep? You're a commercial whore!
And you'd lick the steaming phallus if it offerred you a hit
Clean you of integerity and then they'll make you fit
Think you'll glide to stardom and then show them what you got
Your pride. Your balls.
They own your lot!
I remember you when you were an English man
but now you're turnin' American

Coming neatly to the closer now. Liberty Cap would be unquestionably the most overlooked song due to it's much slower tempo than the rest, but that doesn't make it an inferior track. It opens with the bass alone - a very deep, mysterious bass that really has that body pulsing effect that you want. This is another song that builds up, but on a much more emotional level than the opening track. As the lyrics start, lots of imagery is induced that enhance a brilliantly claustrophobic atmosphere, which mirrors the openess of the first few chords of Nothing Ever Changes... as the suspense reaches its climax, the drums wail and we're off into a gut buster of a chorus. The song appears to be filled with words of frustration and angst and towards the end, we get the gentle chant of 'I'm calming down...' repeated a few times before we explode into the last few, off-beat riffs that end this mini-album on a dramatic explosive high. Whew. 'bout time for a cuppa tea methinks.

Leave me be, man, I just wanna be on my own
Leave me be, man, I just wanna be on my own
I've got secrets in my head
I've got spiders in my bed
I said, leave me be, man, I just wanna be on my own
I'm calming down...
I'm calming down...
I'm calming down...
Down...
Down...
Down...
Ugggghhhhh!

So there we have it. Mondo Akimbo A-Go-Go in all its glory of just four tracks! Did I mention that it's only four tracks, and it's this good. It was an album that really seemed to set the tone for many of the band's personal endevours and musically fueled their reputation for being a rampaging riff band, who were able to reel you in with a cheerful melody and soothing harmony, before banging your scaly head against the side of the boat and letting you back in for round two. Not their most praised work. Not their best work either. But it was their first and really began the journey for all the fans of a manic roller coaster ride of drug-induced arguments, fall-outs, split-ups, reformations, split-ups, more drugs, split-ups, reformations, more reformations, more splits ups and eventually... coming clean and reforming to be playing the circuit for us all once again. Four defining songs of the band's career. (Four!?)

SCORE: 10/10