By DJ Monk
The WitchDoktors should be more than familiar to old-school Über Rockers, as they have been stalwarts of the London underground garage scene for nigh on three decades now, becoming something of record-breakers along the way, thanks to their mammoth six-year residency at Soho’s infamous 12 Bar Club. Now, 28 years down the road, they are taking a look over their shoulder, with this 14-track (one of every other year of their career) retrospective compilation – or mixtape, as the band themselves are describing it.
And “mixtape” is, indeed a more than apt description as, rather than following the well-trodden compilation tradition of starting at the beginning and plotting the subject’s career in chronological order, the WitchDoktors do indeed mix things up, starting as they do with the title track and then ‘No Pain No Gain’ from their most recent album, 2016’s ‘Voodoo Eye’, before plunging right back in time to meet up with ‘Dr John’, the lead character from their debut EP of the same name from away back in 1995.
Over the course of the remaining 11 tracks, the ‘Doktors criss-cross back and forward in time, showcasing material from all four of their full-length albums, as well as the wonderful ‘Crying’, the only other contribution from their equal amount of EP releases. Despite traversing three decades, each one of the songs chosen sounds as fresh and vibrant as each other, showcasing the timeless (sic) quality of the quartet’s material: OK, there are slight differences in the production qualities, and maybe some of the older tunes could have done with a sprinkling of modern day technological fairy dust, but that’s a nigh on pointless quibble given the sheer power of the songs themselves to excite and entice you sing and dance along.
‘Timeless & Dimeless’ is a wonderful evocation of both the sound and the spirit of the WitchDoktors, a combination of rockabilly and garage punk played with verve, energy and a genuine “fuck you if you don’t like it” attitude. It’s a collection which well and truly lives up to the first part of its title, and should be an essential of all fans of twisted ‘70s-infused punk ‘n’ roll.
- ‘Timeless & Dimeless’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
- WitchDoktors play the last ever Undercover Festival, at the Fiery Bird in Woking, this coming Saturday (7 March).
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