The Uber Rock Singles Club – September 2013
Written by Johnny H
Saturday, 07 September 2013 04:00
With the summer all but over and we inhale the plastic fumes from our final festival bonfires, it’s time to close the curtains pour yourself a nice cheeky glass of red and join me for yet another trawl through the great and the good vinyl releases that have graced Uber HQ over the last few weeks.
First out of my nasty clip shut vinyl carrying case this time around is the new 7″ from The Ricky C Quartet released via Wanda Records. Available as a limited run on 100 white and 200 black vinyl lead track ‘Sweet Revenge’ is a snarling example of European protopunk, strong in the melody department and likely to get creepers tapping worldwide on first listen. On the B Side there’s the added bonus of ‘Sometimes’ an infectious harmonica driven slice of r’n’b, that if it were on a Hives album the mainstream press would be wetting itself over it. Great stuff from a UK band who just keep on getting better and better.
Next up a band who literally blew us away at Rebellion last month, German punkers Radio Dead Ones, and their 300 run 7” of ‘Second To None’ which marks the recording debut of frontman Bev’s more (ahem) melodic approach to his craft. With Rich Jones at the production helm I must admit the stripped bare blast of the A Side has more than a hint of The Black Halos about it, whilst the B Side ‘Runaway’ is without doubt the best thing the Dead Ones have recorded to date. To finish off this fine slab o’ glunk we get a 2013 version of ‘Take It On Trust’ that gives the tune a slightly more Replacements-cy feel. I for one can’t wait for the new Radio Dead Ones album it promises to be a real scorcher if this GMM released single is anything to go by.
It’s certainly been a busy few weeks for collectors of all things David Bowie since we last met. First up their was EMI’s 40th Anniversary heavyweight 7″ picture disc reissue of one of my all time fave songs by The Thin White Duke, namely ‘ Life On Mars’. Never mind how many times I hear this song I never tire of it, which is just as well because not only does the 2013 Ken Scott mix sounds amazing coming complete with additional studio noises on the run out but on the flip there’s a live version of the same song from a gig at the Music Hall Boston back in October 1972 with the piano on this sounding particularly exquisite.
With all the renewed Bowie activity this year it’s obvious people will all want a share of the DB pie seeing as the man himself doesn’t appear to want to do much to support his latest studio album. Case in point Acid Jazz releasing The Riot Squad ‘Toy Soldier’ EP which was recorded back in 1967. Now this release will be of particular interest to collectors of all things swinging sixties as it’s kind of like Lindsay Kemp’s initial influence on Bowie all brought to life. So whilst partly theatrical the songs also strongly hint at what was to follow for Mr David Robert Jones, in particular the excelent ‘Silly Boy Blue’. The B side whist containing a cover of ‘Waiting For The Man’ is probably more of a lure for Bowie fans due to the Anthony Newley-esque ‘Silver Treetop School For Boys’. Whilst this EP isn’t something I’ll be playing every day it is certainly a release well worth digging out if you simply can’t get enough Bowie.
Which is more than can be said for this next slab o’ wax, because obviously not wanting to be left out Bowie’s current label also gets in on the picture disc rush by unleashing a heavyweight version of ‘Valentine’s Day’ one of the better cuts from Bowie’s (if you ask me) overrated, yet still fine, ‘The Next Day’ album. As with the previous single off this album IOS/Columbia are hardly giving the collector anything new as the B Side is the instrumental ‘Plan’ which is also on the new album, and at a retail price just short of £8 (you’ll need to add p&p too) I’m wondering how much longer people will continue to buy this stuff?
Then again we can always rejoice in the fact that next week sees the release of a new 3 track 7″ from Dick Venom & The Terrortonesreleased via Jailhouse Morgue Records. Entitled ‘Invasion Of The Spider Queen’/’Planet Of The Honeyfuzz’ (‘Doodlebug Blitz’ is added as a bonus song) this is Nottingham’s answer to The Munsters hotrod doing what they do best, playing psyched out rock n roll music for like minded lunatics. Now whilst you might expect such a release to come drenched in sticky fluids this one actually comes wrapped in some breathtaking B Movie artwork from Catherine O’Conner that perfectly complements the twisted buzz conjured up by Mr Richard Venom and Company. Don’t get your pantyhose in a twist just do the ‘Doodlebug Blitz’ and the world will seem a much saner place to live. The Überverse needs more bands like this it really does. Quality……
To finish off this edition of the Singles Club we have two releases from just across the river Severn, that both have CD releases only, and first up is the self-released ‘Roadtrip’ by The Disfavoured Party, which if it is a real measure of what they have to offer then I’ll be intrigued to hear more of their keyboard driven alt rock. The vocals from Adam Rich might be a bit too eccentric for some, but they sound perfectly fine to my finely tuned lugholes. So if you like the proggy end of The Damned or maybe The Cardiacs then there is much to offer on the single’s B side ‘Winter Is Coming’ which is as prophetic a title as you’ll find anywhere right about now.
There’s certainly nothing pretentious about what fellow West Countymen BlackWolf do though. These five guys play plain and simple balls out hard rock, and ‘Mr Maker’ the lead single from their PledgeMusic funded self-released debut album ‘The Hunt’ has testicles the size of Buster Gonad. Okay their Alter Bridge meets Black Stone Cherry version of hard rock might be a tad safe for some, but it’s good to see young bands still keeping the classic rock flame burning. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what these young guns do next.
So until the next time keep them fingers flicking and I’ll see you on the other side of a record rack somewhere near you soon.