Black Bombers – Volume 4 (Easy Action)

Black Bombers – Volume 4 (Easy Action)

One of shit Islands finest “Best-kept secrets” Black Bombers have only gone and recorded another barnstorming slab of garage rock n roll that played at volume will I guarantee – knock you off your feet. the only downside is this is only six tracks but then for the sake of our sanity it makes sense as anything more would be a waste besides, why release ten when you can say it all in six? ‘Volume 4’ begins with the call to arms riff-o-la and anvil pound before Alan Byron joins in with his vocals as his drawl is hitting the nail squarely on the head as the off kilt melody draws you in and then slips a Black Bomber under your tongue then you can relax as the trip takes you through a garage wormhole that’s dripping with attitude and bang on the money tunes. Over the next three minutes and fifty-two seconds this power trio give you a fantastic one-note guitar solo a bass and drums breakdown that is as good as anyone and all roads lead to the smashing climax and we’re straight into ‘Relentless’ and its train kept a-rollin’ rhythm mixed with enough Brian James tone playing some fuzzed up Stooges licks that is healthy to try and once you imagine that you’re in the right ballpark.  Its taken me quite a few plays to get through this record because as soon as one finishes rather than let the next one play I can’t help but press repeat.

Dave Twist (drums), Darren Birch (bass guitar), and Alan Byron (guitar and vocals) were clearly paying attention to what was the good and the great when spinning the black circles in their bedrooms now older and (hopefully) wiser they are unraveling all that pent up aggression and knowledge into their records with Black Bombers because this is excellent.  Sure there are shades of previous bands happening here and there (why wouldn’t there be) but the power and execution is exquisite on ‘Animals And Cages’ even with the ‘I Wanna Be Your dog’ lift it nails their colours to the mast with style but the real ace in the pack here is ‘Gnarley’ Now this is something I never thought I’d be saying out loud but a song with no words is absolutely fuckin’ killer.  Brooding with menace and mesmerizing from the opening chord through the Bass breakdown its worth the price all on its own.  Astounding stuff.

‘Sometimes’ is more of the same with its raw power (sorry couldn’t help myself) and boundless energy. Closing with a cover of the most excellent ‘Hair Of The Dog’ that’s every bit as sleazy and hanging on by a thread as the original if you’re going to do a cover then this is how you do it.

These Black Bombers aren’t illegal but they will keep you up all night my only advice would be to pick up a copy of this right now and enjoy the trip it’s awesome.

 

Buy Vol 4 Here

 

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Author: Dom Daley

Amebix – Slovenia 1986 (Easy Action)

Amebix – Slovenia 1986 (Easy Action)

Featuring tracks taken from their albums ‘Rise’ and ‘Monolith’ and originally only out on CD Easy Action from the UK have taken the original recordings and given them an overhaul and pressed it on vinyl for the first time.

 

With dark imagery you might be forgiven for presuming that Amebix are part of the Norweigan black metal community but you would be wide of the mark for that impression firstly because you can actually read the bands name on their logo and secondly they have more in common with early post-punk and crust punk of Crass but I’m sure the band did influence some of the bigger names in Black Metal.

The record begins with some haunting sounds before the band breaks out and ‘Arise’ sounds like it is risen up through the bowels of Hell and the band charge headlong into the set. ‘Largactyl’ rages about a medication used to treat schizophrenia of which I believe at least one member of Amebix suffered with back in the day. With what would amount to inside knowledge of such things the song is a terrifying journey as it thrashes along at a raging pace. “Its only Paranoia” rages Rob Miller.

 

Its a fairly dark affair and a live show from Amebix would have been an intense affair back in the mid-eighties when there wasn’t a great deal to shout about but the band captured that dark underbelly of life really well as music isn’t always about girls and cars. The sleeve notes by The Baron explains well where the band were at and describes the times as well as anyone.  Amebix was a hardcore band they influenced others and walked their own path that reflected in their music.

It’s great that Easy Action releases such diverse music and with a distance between this recording and its vinyl release the songs often have a menace that no doubt influenced and was influenced by the likes of Venom and Voivod and no doubt Motorhead as the Godfathers of crossover punk and metal. ‘Axeman’ is as dark as it gets and I did smile hearing the crowd in Slovenia being asked to shout ‘Axeman’.

Investigate something dark and dank from the corner of crust punk and metal crossover where two worlds collided and it was captured and preserved for your listening displeasure here

Author: Seb Boyd

Scott Morgans Powertrane – Beyond The Sound (Easy Action)

Scott Morgans Powertrane – Beyond The Sound (Easy Action)

Easy Action has always had a love of good old Rock n Roll and always seem to go that extra mile when reissuing a record on vinyl. Even if your not familiar with a release but have a vague knowledge it’s always worth checking out because odds are you’re going to dig it big time.  Sure I know who Scott Morgan is but I’d never bothered or got around to investigating Powertrane before now and with this issue on wax with a bonus 7″ single was offered up for review how could I possibly turn it down?  You’re right I couldn’t.

Kicking off with the title track this is power garage rock bordering on what has affectionately been named Action Rock and the groove the band hit from the off is spectacular.  It sounds like a freakin’ juggernaut and by the time ‘Chilly Willy Is Missing has rolled on past I’m bought hook line and sinker.

 

I’m not quite sure why this wasn’t already in my collection because I love the ‘Three Chords And A Cloud Of Dust’ compilations but there was only a couple of Powertrain tracks on that set but having this album rattling my speakers is a treat. man the groove this band hits on tracks like ‘Ain’t No Time’ is spectacular but the Detroit soul n roll of ‘Pearl’ is worth picking this up on its own.

Morgan and the who’s who that have graced his records is stunning and easy to see why people would want to be associated with his songs from The Stooges to Nicke Royale and Deniz Tek to name a few.  But this record was made for vinyl and to be played at volume no doubt about it.

When you flip it over side two is more of the same high-grade rock n roll as the band simply glides and rocks like fuck and to close it off ‘Talk Is Cheap’ is one hell of a vocal to boot but we’re not finished yet because the final two tracks on the album are live from WDET radio broadcast and the first is an Al Green track where Morgan certainly channels them soulful blues and the bonus 7″ single is a further two tracks sourced from these sessions that features two more Morgan penned tracks that sound like they were recorded as loud as possible.  Raw live soulful rhythm and blues a marvelous way to end this power-train.  Get your groove on folks it’ll satisfy the garage rockers and blues guitarists looking for a fix of the loud stuff no doubt about it.  Scott Morgan sonic grooving genius.

Buy Album Here 

Author: Dom Daley

Mick Ronson – Just Like This (Easy Action)

Mick Ronson – Just Like This (Easy Action)

Recorded back in 1976 in Woodstock the late Great Mick Ronsons ‘Just Like This’  finally get the release this posthumous collection of recorded songs deserves.  Sure it only contains seven songs but the quality is awesome and the tracks themselves aren’t too shabby either.

The title track is a great riff that just seems to glide as the band hammer down that groove. It sort of sets the tone for what we are about to hear to be fair and on ‘Hard Life’ I love the way the band throws in a snippet of ‘Ziggy’ in the middle of the track as the band is locked in and jamming out.

Ronson is joined by Mick Barakan on Guitar & Backing Vocals, Jay Davis on Bass and Backing Vocals plus lead vocal on Takin’ a Train & Hey Grandma, whilst Bobby Chen plays Drums and Backing Vocals.  The songs are described as having a harder edge which is fair to say but the playing remains the (Not So)  secret weapon and the players involved recollect that they didn’t realise how good Mick was as a player until they got up close to the guy in the studio but you don’t get to work with the likes of Bowie, Hunter and Dylan by being average I guess.  It’s also mad to think that these tapes and songs might never have seen the light of day due to lack of funds at the time and the classic record label unhappy with what they were hearing now that would have been a tragedy had we never have been able to drop the needle on these tunes..

Original ‘1998’ tape restoration & mastering was re-done in 2018 Re-Mastering duties were handled by Anders Peterson at Ghost Mastering & Post, Sweden. It’s great that recordings like this aren’t lost forever and still people care enough to preserve them and sadly in Ronson’s absence us folks out on the high street can finally enjoy some fantastic musicians making music.

Officially endorsed by Ronsons family this edition comes on blood red vinyl and with great sleeve notes reminiscing about the recording of these tracks by the people who mattered but its the music that is captured in the grooves that shine brightest.  I love the laid-back groove of ‘I’d Give Anything To See You’ which has some amazing restrained playing and then to follow it up with ‘Takin’ A Train’ is sublime.

 

who wouldn’t love the full-tilt groove of ‘Hey Grandma’ but my favourite has to be the epic ‘Crazy Love’ where you can easily get lost inside some fantastic guitar playing. Long live the music of Mick Ronson –  Ronno On! indeed such a cool talent that’s greatly missed.

Buy Just Like This Here 

Author: Dom Daley

That was the week that was

That was the week that was

Another week rolls by and we head towards Christmas but there are no mince pies or sherry being overindulged round here when there are records to review and Shows to see and last week was no exception as RPM brought you a diverse bunch on the live front as well as on the death decks.

 

Sadly the last seven days saw another rock n roller pass on to the next life and we said goodbye to Peter Blast.  I had the pleasure of reviewing several of his albums and spoke to him in the last twelve months.  On behalf of everyone here at RPM I’d like to offer our condolences to his family and friends and raise a glass to his memory.

 

We also brought you an interview with Phil Privilege from the  awesome kings of power punk n pop Cyanide Pills with an amazing trail of singles and albums as part of their repertoire Phil told us they were on the way to deliver the next long player as well as answer a few of our questions about the band, Catch up with it here

 

We also had some pretty diverse live reviews from the likes of hard rockin’ Junkyard , Cowboy Junkies and a doubleheader from He Who Cannot Be Named and the Awesome Hip Priests. But our bread and butter has to be our album reviews and with Black Friday RSD releases in thin supply some of our favourite labels did manage to put out some quality must have records in the shape of MC5. UK Subs ‘Sub Mission’ got its first pressing on record  and we again scoured the four corners of the globe to bring you the likes of Civic from Australia, X Darlings from Switzerland, Paris’ Youth Avoiders and Californias Smash Fashion to name a few.

As for the coming week, we continue with Bens California Dreaming road trip where he visits some pretty amazing places as he skips across the USA. we also caught a few amazing live shows and bring you some fantastic records by some well-known people as well as some of the finest new performers current kicking up a storm on record players and concert halls around the planet. Remember to stick with RPM for all your alternative news and reviews. As Lux used to say “Stay Sick” www.rpmonline.co.uk its a rock n roll revolution!

 

 

 

Dave Kusworth – The World of Dave Kusworth Volume 1 & 2 (Easy Action Records)

Dave Kusworth – The World of Dave Kusworth Volume 1 & 2 (Easy Action Records)
Dom Daley.
So when is it a good time to look back on a recording catalogue thas rich with quality yet seemingly something of an unknown quality to the general music buying population?  Right here right now I guess.  Dave Kusworth is something of an enigma in the music world he still writing and recording and making music but modern technology and social media tools have somewhat bypassed the guy and he will happily carry on in his own inimitable way creating music for his dedicated fanbase to feast upon and he’s teamed up with the good people at Easy Action Records to put together an amazing double album that spans his career and showcases just what a talent he has.
this record begins with the band he formed with the sadly passed Nikki Sudden who wrote this song whilst on acid and it was Kusworth that stole the music from the barracudas and changed the title which kinda makes it as good a place to start as any as the guitars jangle along to the uptempo beat.  Next its ‘Shame For The Angels’ from the EP of the same name that I love. Great lyrics an interesting story about what happened to the tapes of this allegedly.  Rock and Roll pirates and vagabonds to the end.
The Bounty Hunters are up next and with Glen, David and Alan  Kusworth rocked things up to a “Happy” pitch and songs like ‘Threads’ led the way in boozy rock and roll and could or possibly should have seen these guys become as popular as The Quireboys and The Dogs D’Amour. Over the next side and some The Bounty hunters rock and roll like their lives depended upon it ending up with ‘Riches To Rags’ which sort of seems quite fitting.
The second record in this collection sees a solo recording of ‘Next Tuesday’ that is taken from the fantastic ‘All The Heartbreak Stories’ and is a beautiful melancholic wander through the mind of Kusworth.
His tenure with the Tenderhooks are up next and the loose version of ‘All I’ve Got Left’ is fantastic and whilst I tend to lose the thread(no pun intended) as to what he was calling the band at the time and what album this one or that one is off because as long as the title contains the words Dave Kusworth – I’m in.  bounty Hunters or Dave Kusworth Band who knows or to be honest who really cares ‘Paint And Sugar’ is a pretty simple song and it mixes up perfectly the whole Keith and Johnny vibe with his more Waterboys tinged side.  To be fair to Kusworth having his output condensed down into twenty songs seems a bit of a headache for whoever contrived this and not a project I’d have liked bestowed upon me.  Sudden had a boxed set and I’m thinking this could easily have been the case because for every reason there is for including the rocking and excellent freak out of ‘Someone Else’s Shoes’ there must be another ten tracks you could have snook in but for consistency and variety this collection could always be considered a starting point eh?
The World Of Dave Kusworth can often be a magical and terrifying adventure and judging by the soundtrack on offer from Easy Action one that should be grasped at with both hands but the best thing is this being Vol 1 & 2 suggests there is more to come so watch this space.  Fantastic talent – fantastic legacy – Buy it!
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Iggy Pop – Live At Bookies Club 870 (Easy Action)

Iggy Pop – Live At Bookies Club 870 (Easy Action)

Dom Daley.

Originally recorded for radio broadcast this show has had the speed corrected and has been officially licensed from Iggy for release both on Vinyl and CD.  Now those of you familiar with the releases of Easy Action will be well aware of their catalogue and the fact they seem to have a Tony Robinson like leave no stone unturned pursuit of certain artists and amazing and interesting recordings and Iggy Pop is certainly one of those artists.  With an incredible history, The Ig has left scorch marks wherever he’s been and with whoever was playing in his band at that time.  Sure he had some forgetful shows but man did he have more than a fair share of memorable ones.

A week-long residency in one of Detroit rock city’s most famous venues saw Iggy and his band knock it right out of the park with a hypnotic, chaotic and utterly compelling set of classics that absolutely personified everything that is exciting and captivating in music.  From the opening howls of ‘Raw Power’ this performance sounds unhinged as Iggy tells his mom he’s on the radio before crashing into some of the most vital songs ever written by anyone, anywhere.

There is no let up in proceedings as the players who made the touring band also included Ivan Kral who played on the studio album (‘Soldier’) that preceded these tour dates. Iggy always demands every last drop of sweat from his bands and this lot really had the bit between their teeth as they hurtled along( as this show really testifies).  It’s not the classic Iggy that I love about this set (Even though I do) its the lesser known songs the ones like ‘Dog Food’, ‘Puppet World’ the brilliant ‘Knockin’ em Down (In The City)’ this actually sounds like the template used by the likes of Andy McCoy which makes sense as to why he later ended up in Iggy’s band. These are the songs that make this a must hear recording.

After the incredible thunderstorm of the first eight songs, it’s the ten-minute jam of ‘One For My Baby’ where Iggy pleads and begs the audience to shut up so he can croon but c’mon man what do you expect? these kids were hypnotized by the music and then, the audience is asked to move back and chill out. As the audience can be heard calling out during his “Soft Song” brilliant! He does make it to the end – eventually.

As he heads into the home straight all sense is thrown out the window as ‘Search And Destroy’ signals pandamonium no doubt.  ‘Funtime’ has a filthy bass line and then Iggy does his best Bono and gets a girl up to dance as ‘Nightclubbing’ plays out. The album is then closed off with the funky ‘I’m Alright’.  Again Easy Action delivers another compelling Iggy Pop live concert.

Easy Action

First 100 copies will include A4 Poster, Postcard and sticker set

Gatefold sleeve with printed inner bags

Unseen photos from the actual concert by Sue Rynski and audience members

DAVE KUSWORTH ANNOUNCES BEST OF COMPILATION AND LONDON DATE

DAVE KUSWORTH ANNOUNCES BEST OF COMPILATION AND LONDON DATE

Legendary Birmingham songwriter DAVE KUSWORTH has announced a one-off London show in celebration of a major new anthology.

An early member of Dogs D’Amour, playing on their 1984 debut album, Kusworth began his career in the late 70s with seminal Birmingham garage band TV Eye, going on to found The Jacobites with former Swell Map, Nikki Sudden.

The first ever vinyl compilation of Dave’s work, and a taster for a major vinyl reissue programme, The World Of Dave Kusworth Vol.1 & 2 brings together material from his period with The Jacobites, as well as tracks from his own later bands The Bounty Hunters, The Tenderhooks and The Dave Kusworth Group. The album also features a new track from Dave’s new solo album, due for release in 2019. Each of the 20 tracks was chosen personally by Kusworth and longtime friend, bandmate and designer Dave Twist, who was also responsible for the album’s lavish packaging.

Dave will be launching the album with a very special show at London’s Hope & Anchor on Sunday 4 November. Tickets are on sale now from We Got Tickets

The World Of Dave Kusworth Vol.1 & 2 is available to pre-order now through Troubadour Records via Easy Action…

Easy Action

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