‘KNOW YOUR ENEMY’ REMIXED, RECONSTRUCTED AND RE-ISSUED AS TWO SEPARATE ALBUMS AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. RELEASED 9TH SEPEMBER VIA SONY
Today, Manic Street Preachers have made available a brand new track recorded at the time of their sixth studio album ‘Know Your Enemy‘. ‘Studies in Paralysis‘ was recorded at Miloco Studios in London but left off the original 2001 release. It has remained unearthed until now and is available on the entirely remixed and reconstructed re-issue of the record available on 9th September on Sony Records. The song, which Nicky Wire incorrectly remembered as being released as a b-side to one of the album’s four singles, is a red raw rock’n’roll song with a none-more-classic Manics title celebrating the blankness and inertia that comes with the loss of belief. Another lost track ‘Rosebud‘ came out last month and was accompanied with a Kieran Evans film
“It started with an email from Wire (it always does!). Would I be up for working on visualising two unheard tracks from the ‘Know Your Enemy’ sessions that were to feature in the beautifully expanded and reworked re-issue of the album? Of course I would! Both ‘Rosebud’ and ‘Studies In Paralysis’ landed an hour later and were stunning and took my breath away. Fuck me…They left these off the original album…what were they thinking???!!!
An hour later, another email landed from him – “I’ll send some DV footage of the Miloco sessions up to you”. But this footage was very different from previous recording sessions he’d filmed. There was a seriousness to everyone’s behaviour and recording performances. There was no frivolity or funny off camera ‘moments’. The atmosphere felt intense, you could feel the pressure they were under.
Cutting this footage to ‘Studies in Paralysis’ was a task. I went through many iterations and edits to get the right “feel” to reflect what is a truly glorious song… Thankfully…I think we definitely got there in the end“.
‘Know Your Enemy’ will be available as two separate albums as originally planned, ‘Solidarity’ and ‘Door To The River’ packaged as a 3 CD bookset, double CD and double album on 9th September 2022.
“The Demolition 23. album is one of my favorite albums of my career and definitely one of the best.”- Michael Monroe
“Me and Michael were talking about how much we missed the original Punk music of the Ramones and Dead Boys and Sex Pistols and Clash and decided to do an album in that spirit.”- Stevie Van Zandt
Stevie Van Zandt’sWicked Cool Records has announced plans to reissue the sole album from Demolition 23., digitally for the first time ever, and on CD + ‘Blue Smoke’ vinyl, on October 14. The band, which formed in NYC in 1993, consisted of former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe, ex-Star Star guitarist Jay Hening, Monroe’s Hanoi Rocks bandmate Sami Yaffa on bass, and Jimmy Clark on drums.’Demolition 23.’ (which had a limited release in 1994, but has since been out of print for years) was produced by Van Zandt, and features collaborative songwriting efforts between Monroe, Van Zandt, and Jude Wilder, and one track (“Deadtime Stories”) co-written by Monroe/Stiv Bators. The album, a return to the members’ punk roots, also includes covers by Monroe’s influences and friends, including Stiv Bators (“Ain’t Nothin’ To Do”) and Johnny Thunders (“I Wanna Be Loved”). Many of the songs from the record have become staples in Monroe’s live sets, which recently have included festivals and a stint opening for Alice Cooper.The digital and CD release of ‘Demolition 23.’ includes all of the original songs, along with 3 bonus demos. See track listing below. The physical versions of the album include a booklet with photos and liner notes from Monroe, detailing each song — with additional notes written by all of the living band members. The vinyl also includes a download card for the bonus tracks. The band’s logo was designed by Yaffa, who continues to play with Monroe to this day.In advance of the self-titled album’s re-release, a track titled “Hammersmith Palais” has been released to streaming sites, along with a demo version of the song.
Michael Monroe on the single “Hammersmith Palais”:
“Hammersmith Palais was this great club in London where we saw a lot of brilliant, legendary shows by some of the coolest bands ever. I played there once guesting on sax and harp with the Lords of the New Church. Unfortunately in later years, the place was closed down and replaced by a boring office building. The song also refers to some great, fun times in the past that will never return.”
Michael Monroe on the re-issue of ‘Demolition 23.’:
“The Demolition 23. album is one of my favorite albums of my career and definitely one of the best. I had the pleasure and privilege of having my great friend Little Steven as the producer. This was originally going to be a Michael Monroe solo album, but we had put together such a strong group with Sami Yaffa on bass, Jimmy Clark on drums and Jay Hening (RIP) on guitar, that I decided the band should have a name. Sami Yaffa suggested “Demolition 23” from the William Burroughs book “Exterminator” and it immediately hit a nerve.
Little Steven and I had been writing the songs with very much an authentic kind of Punky Rock& Roll attitude and style. We also wanted to pay homage to the late legendary unsung heroes and my friends Stiv Bators and Johnny Thunders by covering one song each– The Dead Boys’“Ain’t Nothin’ To Do” and Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers’ “I Wanna Be Loved.”
The album was recorded at the end of 1993 at the Power Station Studios in New York City by the great engineer Ben Fowler. This was one of the easiest and most fun times I’ve ever had recording an album. The comfort of having the production in the good hands of Little Steven allowed me to relax and enjoy doing my thing. Steven brought out the best in everybody and we didn’t waste any time. We laid down the basic tracks, drums, bass and guitars for the 10songs in 3 days and I did my lead vocals in 2 days. It was like 2 vocal takes per song, then Steven would say “Ok that’s good! Next!” After the 5 days of recording, we mixed one song per day, so the whole album took about 2 weeks to make. And it still sounds great today. This record was never officially released in the States, but now Little Steven is FINALLY releasing it on his Wicked Cool label for everyone’s enjoyment.
As bonus tracks, we’re including 3 demos that we recorded at New York’s Baby Moster Studio prior to recording the album. I remember when we finished our session there, the Ramones came in and started setting up for the next session to record their cover of “I Love You” for the Johnny Thunders tribute album “I Only Wrote This Song For You.” I’ll never forget when Johnny Ramone started hitting some chords on his Moarite guitar–it was so loud you could hear it in every room of the studio. Anyway, these 3 demos already indicate what a great chemistry Demolition 23 had as a band. Hope you dig this album as much as we all do!
Stevie Van Zandt on the Demolition 23. reissue:
“The Demolition 23. album is one of my favorite records. Me and Michael were talking about how much we missed the original Punk music of the Ramones and Dead Boys and Sex Pistols and Clash and decided to do an album in that spirit. It was written in two weeks and Produced in two weeks. Love it.”
Have you ever heard a band for the first time and felt like a part of your soul just became more complete than it had been? When I first heard James and the Cold Gun, that is the easiest way to describe the feeling. Hailing from Wales and with a string of singles prior to this debut EP, they have laid down an incredible EP that somehow becomes even better with each listen as more and more elements reveal themselves. EP of the year? The answer is an emphatic “yes” with me experiencing the same euphoria I felt when Quinn the Brain released their debut EP a couple of years ago.
What makes this band so special? Let’s start at the beginning of this release with ‘Seven’ which builds slowly before unleashing a killer rhythmic hook. They pack an urgency in the groove that gives way to an insidious chorus that sticks in the head like gum on your new shoes. Hints of bands like the Foo Fighters, 3 Colours Red, Ash, and others are present but really just serve as a reference point as James and the Cold Gun have captured their own identity. There is an awesome breakdown in the song which takes the musical dynamics to another level. They show no let up with a RFTC influence introducing ‘Around the Bend.’ The guitar work here is awesome with the mix really giving extra flashes to the guitar notes. This feels like having a freight train barreling down on you in the tunnel and hopping on for the ride at the last second.
‘Plug Me In’ might be my favorite among favorites here. The intro reminds me a bit of a harder-edged GvsB as the volume gradually increases over the first couple of verses before exploding to give way to the chorus. The vocals here have a vitality to them that showcases so much emotion and passion that it is hard to describe. If you could unleash some primal screams with melody while feeling your throat get pulled apart, that might get you close to the right spot. Next up is ‘It’s Mutual’ which brings some Queens of the Stone Age to mind but again James and the Cold Gun have really captured a magic and unique formula all their own. Here they use a sneaky great chorus that will have you singing along while trying to figure out what the actual title of the song is as it is seamlessly etched into the chorus lines. Wrapping up this bundle of sonic perfection is ‘The Long Way Home’ where a seesaw-type riff leads into a hit single in waiting. Some hand claps are added into the mix here which are perfectly placed in the mix as the guitars still lead the way. The bridge breaks the song down and creates a feeling of intense pressure building before it throttles all that tried to stand in its way. It brings to mind Refused around the time of ‘The Shape of Punk to Come.’
At this point, I hope you have ordered this album and are currently already listening to it as there is not much else I can say. This is an incredible release that has become a part of my soul. It’s a cathartic release that can be played again and again. The bigger question might be how the band follow up this release but, much the way the Wildhearts followed up their initial EP releases with an amazing full-length debut many years ago, I think James and the Cold Gun will do the same.
After an unusually long silence (for Tyla), Dogs D’amour have returned with this new EP featuring songs that will not be on the new ‘Tree Bridge Cross’ album, which is also about to finally see the light of day following a very long delay due to issues pressing the vinyl. These songs are slightly rougher production-wise than the ‘In Vino Veritas’ album and the aforementioned ‘Tree Bridge Cross.’ The five songs plus the instrumental piece at the end work very well together and will have me tagging these onto a playlist of the new album when it is finally released.
The Dogs these days have been functioning as a tightknit unit for many years with Tyla joined by Gary Pennick (guitar), Matty James Cassidy (bass), and Simon Hanson (drums). ‘Blow on my Dice’ rings in the proceedings here with Tyla’s distinct voice serving up the first lines over the guitar notes before the rest of the gang crashes through the door. This midtempo song is extremely addictive and catchy with some tasty background vocals serving the song perfectly. This is not cutting edge by any means but a fun lighthearted singalong. What follows in ‘Every Scar’ I would say is essential and a killer epic at nearly 7 minutes. The spaghetti western acoustic guitar and whistling set the tone as a dark somber verse takes hold. The slow build in this song has made it a favorite on the EP for me. At times, I am reminded more of a song that would feel more at home on ‘Libertine’ or ‘Nocturnal Nomad’ than on a band release. Hanson’s drum work has to be noted as it is just perfectly executed. The haunting vocals executed perfectly. I am hoping this one will get translated over to the live shows.
Returning with the quicker tempo ‘Jimmy Moonblood’ next, the band shines in another hook-filled delicacy that reminds me of ‘Johnny Silvers’ in the chorus from way back in the day. My only issue with this one is it is over way too fast at just two and a half minutes. The band again slows the tempo way down on ‘Memphis’ featuring the last piano Scotty played with the guys before his passing. First time I heard this song, the comparisons that came to mind musically were Johnny Cash and Elvis. It’s a beautiful song that could be a close cousin of ‘Empty World’ in its feel and delivery.
The last proper song on the EP gets rocking and bluesy with ‘Nazarine.’ Cassidy’s bass work with these Dogs has always been top-notch, and the groove he and Hanson serve here is extremely tight. With Tyla and Pennick rocking out on the guitars over the top and adding a simple vocal hook that does not let go, it serves as the perfect closer. ‘Never Forget That Day’ then adds the musical ending as the credits scroll down the screen. This adds a very different touch to the EP that what we have seen Tyla and the Dogs do in the past.
Tyla’s Dogs D’amour are not going to revolutionize music or start any new trends in the mainstream. They deliver vital rock n roll packed with the blues, sincerity, spirit(s), and heart which have kept me hooked on Tyla’s music since the 80’s. This EP hits the mark and has constantly been in the rotation since it arrived. Now, I’m going to play it through all over again and enjoy the musical journey.
The second single, ‘Terminal Love’, taken from the album Punch Drunk’. Sees More Kicks get back in the groove.
Kicking out the jams since 2017, More Kicks released their self-titled debut album in 2019 which we reviewed and hailed as a masterclass in power pop. Since the pandemic singer /guitarist James Sullivan managed to release a fantastic experimental solo album, ‘Light Years’ but this is his bread and butter and a most welcome return for the trio.
Following up the single ‘Animal’. ‘Terminal Love’ sees the band pack a bigger punch on this new single. After a quick jaunt across the USA More Kicks set a release date for September for the album from Dirtnap Records/Stardumb Records. pre order Here
I first came across DFM way back, having been bounced a you need to have a listen to these guys from Pity my Brain main man Jamie Richards, and was instantly blown away by the depth atmospherics and intensity of the music, that initial LP Time was followed on in 2020 by the superb Inviolate, stretching the intensity out, building on the first LP showing a band choosing a direction, both powerful, observational and more to the point drawing the listener in to a dark dystopian world created by none other that Caroline Cawley and Brother Bill Fisher from the Church of the Cosmic Skull, but music that shines as the complete antithesis of that body of work.
But on to the current release (War of the Ether), preceded by the self-titular single War of the Ether, again this is seriously powerful stuff. As the press release illustrates, “Lyrically, the album dives deep into a recent scandal surrounding 796 skeletons found on the grounds of the former Catholic-run Tuam Mother & Baby Home in Caroline’s native country of Ireland. To hide the shame of pregnancy out of wedlock, women were sent to homes like this all over the country. Forcibly separated from their mothers, many of the children died in infancy due to neglect, and some were trafficked for adoption to the US”.
First track up She came from up the Dromban Hill draws you in before the poetic spoken vocals lead you through the story unfolding. At times I get drawn back to some of the almost autobiographical work of Joolz, real time observational, an outsider recanting the story, looking in and backwards, the first thoughts I’m starting to build as we move into second track up Critical mass is how sharp the whole sound is, focussed, driven and intense. This feeling of intensity is an off set to the almost at time ethereal vocals, but the vocals form only part of the whole, all the parts twist and engage wrap around each other, cocooning you in an aural soundscape.
Next tracks up The Veneer and Walls of Filth and Toil, again lead you step by step engaging, driving and moving you inwards spiralling into the soundscape of the story unfolding. Then the Title track War of the Ether, hits in hard, the intensity ratcheted up another notch, the guitar work enhancing and pushing the vocals ever higher. License of their Lies maintains the intensity. By the time you reach No Matter, your held by the story unfolding, gripped by the soundscape and hit by an almost Primal Scream of emotion. Finishing the LP off A decent class of girl a fitting tribute and uplift to the sounds and story that we’ve been told.
This an LP that again draws you in, the subject matter, coupled with the intensity of the music and some staggering good ethereal vocals really demands your attention, well worth checking out released in October, with a tour following, this is the type of music that really needs to be witnessed live.
First up we have the first video off the brand new Baz Francis EP ‘Wake To The Morning’ check it out and pick it up at the links. Facebook / Pick it up Here
second time around we’d like to share the brand new video from Girls In Synthesis and ‘Watch With Mother’ the post punk outfit are set to release the eagerly anticipated follow-up to 2020’s incendiary debut, ‘Now Here’s An Echo From Your Future’. Entitled ‘The Rest Is Distraction’ it’s available this coming October via the band’s own label Own It/Cargo Records, it’s mix of fractured guitar, crushing drums and bass, intense vocals and lyrical content – create as challenging a record as you will hear this year! Pre order here
It’s been a while in the making but it’s finally here, Steve Vincent has assembled a cast of reprobate Rockers to assist in pulling this together and apart from writing and playing a lot of the instruments himself, he’s accentuated a lot of the tracks by drafting in the likes of Danny McCormack from the Wildhearts and Steve Conte from Michael Monroe band as well as Miqu December from Plastic Tears who also has a writing credit on a track he duets on (‘Fallen Wheel’).
Hailing back to a time when Grunge killed off glam and all strands associated rightly or wrongly struggled with the association people like Steve survived and moved on but never lost the passion and love for Rock n Roll. In a time (the early 90s) when London was alive with real rockers and genuine great bands like Gunfire Dance, Kill City Dragons, Cheap and Nasty to name a few who stood a fighting chance but never quite fitted in with the punk rock crowd nor the glam rock dandies it was a more gritty mid 80’s feel going on, Steve kept going with his band Paradise Alley who were also out of step with what was considered Glam and what would have cut it as punk.
The band limped on in various states playing towns and cities from America and beyond but burrowing away at home writing and recording Steve kept his powder dry and long after Grunge ate itself, Steve appears like a genie from a bottle (of thunderbird wine no doubt) and delivers a solo record that deserves being championed from these here pages as I wonder how or why it’s taken so long to get all this music out there. Steve does a sterling job on the harmonica he blows on up-tempo opener ‘Yesterdays Man’ with its layers of sound from the picked guitar and Danny McCormack throb on the bass. That sleazy Hanoi Rocks inspired swagger of ‘All I Wanna Do’ has Steve wheezing on that harmonica again for a barroom sing-a-long with some decent guitar licks courtesy of Mattias Johansson and some most welcome joanna tinkling courtesy of Matt Connor adding to a feel-good rocker. The late night come down flip side of ‘All I Wanna Do’ is ‘Last Train To Babylon’ with a laid-back tempo and groove with some tasty guitar playing courtesy of former New York Doll Steve Conte which seems apt as the New Yorker adds some real Noo Yawk flavour to the mix about the city that never sleeps.
Steve swaps his pixie boots for a pair of two-inch creepers and puts his foot to the floor for ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ as the lyrics take a darker turn so does the groove – it shows a side that isn’t just good times and parties but real issues and a riff to boot on this well-constructed darker song.
Once dubbed as the “happy song”, ‘Falling’ is a standard rocker wearing a big smile and it shows – you certainly feel it. ‘Fortune wheel’ is co-written with Miqu from Plastic Tears and works well. Left to ferment from the 90’s it reached its vintage and this toe-tapper leads the charge into the home straight.
The penultimate song ‘Sleepwalking’ is a self-confessed homage to Stiv Bator who I’m sure would have approved of the songs meaning and story he’d also have enjoyed the meandering guitar work that underpins the riff that oozes glam punk not some powder puff Sunset Strip Glam Rock but a gritty authentic Punk Rock slice of Glam grafted from mid 80s wardour street to the here and now, excellent stuff.
To close off the album is the gentle and considered acoustic ballad that is ‘Lost Boys And Fallen Angels’ dedicated and inspired by a former bandmate who lost his life a decade ago and to people everywhere who’ve lost someone with a PMA and kind soul that’s never coming back – it’s a fine and fitting end to a really impressive album showing that Steve Vincent has many strings to his bow and an ability to write and record some excellent rock and roll. Long live real Glam Punk Rock n Roll and keep on keeping on Steve – this is a record that deserves to be heard and hopefully just the start.
Amongst the many hundreds of concerts I’ve attended over the years, I still Slade as one of the best live bands I have been fortunate enough to see. I saw the classic line up of Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Don Powell and Dave Hill twice, in Cardiff and Bristol, on the ‘til Deaf Us Do Part’ tour when I was around 14 years of age, and having initially fell in love with the band through their ‘Sladest’ album around 1974-75, I think this is proof positive that when you fall in love with a band early on in life they stick with you forever, especially when they are as awesome as Slade.
I’ve also collected the band’s back catalogue with an almost religious fervour over the years, and with Salvo having provided the almost definitive reissues of their recorded output as recently as 2006, including the ‘Slade Alive! (The Live Anthology)’ two CD set (which features three of the albums/concerts included here plus the ‘Slade Alive Vol. 2’ set which isn’t included here) you’ll forgive me if I admit that the purpose behind this all new ‘All The World Is A Stage’ 5CD box set is somewhat frustrating. With only the CDs ‘Live At The New Victoria’ recorded on April 24 1975 and ‘Live At The Hucknall Miner’s Welfare Club’ recorded on June 26 1980 proving to be of any real interest, and at around £40 for the set, I have to say that’s a lot of money to spend when things are getting pretty tight at the moment.
Granted the ‘Alive! At Reading’ CD (which I’m sure some will also be buying this set for given its almost legendary status) restores the classics’ Tak’ Me Bak ‘Ome’, ‘Mama Weer All Crazee Now’ and ‘Cum On Feel The Noize’ (all missing from the Salvo reissue along with the ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ singalong) but it’s still not the full fifteen song set, and to include ‘Slade Alive!’ and ‘Slade On Stage’ but miss out ‘Slade Alive Vol. 2’ simply feels like an opportunity missed to finally give Slade fans as near a definitive live document of the band as they always excelled in that setting. Or why not simply ditch the already released albums and just go with previously unreleased live sets, I’m sure there must be enough fans who would have snapped that 5CD set up?
To that effect, I find myself only briefly dipping into the review streams of ‘Slade Alive!’ and ‘Slade On Stage’ (they sound just as I expect them to), before moving quickly to ‘Alive! At Reading’ and that triumphant Sunday back in 1980 when Slade stepped in at short notice to replace Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard Of Oz and Gary Moore’s G Force on the Reading Festival bill and then proceeded to not only steal the show but also kickstart their ‘80s reawakening. There are a few sonic dropouts throughout this set, but it’s great to once again hear it in most of its glory, as my tape recording from the Friday Rock Show had long since disappeared from my collection, most probably leant out to a friend and never returned.
Moving on to ‘Live At The New Victoria’ from April 1975 and not only does it capture the band live at the time I first started listening to them, but it also has a set list that centres largely around the band’s then new album and film ‘Slade In Flame’. The volume on the stream of this recording seemed to drop ever so slightly compared to the Reading set but it’s a rip-roaring run through a dozen of some of the finest songs the band ever penned. Okay ‘The Bangin Man’ might be stretching that definition a bit but this set is worth investing in just for the versions of ‘How Does It Feel’ (which is also my all-time favourite Slade song), ‘Far Far Away’ and the B-side ‘OK Yesterday Was Yesterday’ where Noddy slips into an impromptu Tommy Cooper impression for the song’s introduction. Amazing stuff indeed!
The ‘Live At The Hucknall Miner’s Welfare Club’ 1980 CD that closes this set out is (as far as I can tell) pretty much the full live set that Slade did a few nips and tucks on for their Reading 1980 set, and here the band sounds absolutely fantastic from opener ‘Dizzy Mama’ through to ‘Born To Be Wild’ which brings things to a suitably high energy end. I’m not sure how large the crowd was at this show but compared to the turbocharged sound Slade generate onstage they sound positively timid. This is the sound of Slade firing on all cylinders, yet seemingly on the verge of also splitting up due to their lack of commercial success at the time. Mind blowing stuff indeed.
Unfortunately, as I’ve only received a stream of this box set to review, I cannot tell what the twelve-page booklet or clamshell packaging is like, but what I can tell you is that the (mainly) previously unreleased live material really is exceptional.
As I said at the top of this piece Slade will always rank as one of the best live bands I’ve seen in my forty plus years of gig going and ‘All The World Is A Stage’ turns that fact up way past eleven…and then some. Magical stuff, even if the set is seemingly somewhat overpriced. I’ll let you decide if you snap one up now or wait for the price drop that will no doubt follow.
Tony Wright releases new single – Pre-orders Here plus 19 date UK tour
The poignant ‘Cannonball’, is taken from his forthcoming solo album, ‘The Anti Album’, out on October 7th
“Cannonball is a sad and lonely song. Full of emotions that wouldn’t be wished upon anyone. It’s where we end up when we lose confidence and stability… Whether it’s through mean people or hard times the song just talks of the emotions and feelings inside. There was no point trying to cover over these cracks or pretend anything different so it is blunt and to the point. Not what everyone wants to hear perhaps but that’s not going to change the way we play it and or the sentiment behind it.” – Tony Wright.
“The video takes a slightly lighter approach and tells of the jealousy of the miserable clown at the circus who’s envy is all consuming when he sees the Human Cannonball. The clown wants to be the Cannonball and enjoy the praise and adulation that pass him by. The plot thickens and the video tell the story of how the clown goes about rectifying this… Based on the silent movies which allowed us to get away with lots of stuff when it came to the filming it includes peril and danger alongside cunning and underhand tactics. He wants to fly through the sky and break down walls.” Along with Cannonball, The Anti Album features nine further songs, including the previous single Buried You Deeper
This truly honest record is the perfect manifestation of Tony Wright’s immutable wit, sadness, quiet anger and charm. The Anti Album is available to pre-order in usual CD and vinyl, plus an exclusive limited edition red vinyl album
UK dates in full
October Fri 7th Settle Victoria Hall
Sat 8th Scunthorpe Cafe Indie Sun 9th Todmorden Golden Lion
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