Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin – ‘We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (self Release)

Rob Moss and Skin-Tight Skin – ‘We’ve Come Back to Rock ‘n’ Roll’ (self Release)

After a 35+ year hiatus from music, Rob Moss recorded an album of 14 proto-punk-inspired rock ‘n’ roll songs, featuring 14 different lead guitarists, including:

Bob ‘Derwood’ Andrews – Generation X
Nels Cline – Wilco, Nels Cline 4
Don Fleming – Velvet Monkeys, Gumball, Dinosaur Jr
Franz Stahl – Scream, Wool, Foo Fighters
Billy Loosigian – Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band
Mario Monterosso – Tav Falco’s Panther Burns
Marshall Keith – The Slickee Boys
Brian Gay – Government Issue
Stuart Casson – Smash Fashion, Dove, The Meatmen
Saul Koll – The Lovesores

In addition to top lead guitar talent, Spit Stix (Fear) drums on two songs and Francesco D’Agnolo (also of Tav Falco’s Panther Burns) plays piano on another.

If Rob’s name is familiar it’s because he was a member of Government Issue and Artificial Peace — two iconic Washington, D.C. hardcore bands.
Looking to get back into the rock ‘n’ roll game, Rob called up old friends and friends of friends to record an album of new material. While a bass player in his past, Rob now plays rhythm guitar and sings lead vocals. From the opening proceedings of ‘Babble Tower’ to the curtain call of ‘Rock n Roll Is Dead’ Rob turns in an impressive array of songs from the confident punch of the opener, Rob calls upon his friends from back in the day to lend a hand and help out a Rock and Roll brutha and the array of talent does just that.
The list of guitarists lending a hand is impressive which also adds some colour to the palet of Robs straight up Dead Boys meets Social Distortion old school punk n roll. Chris Rudolph lets off some steam on ‘Babble Tower’ and straight into ‘Ugly Chair’ that has Rob drawling on a Lou Reed vibe with Saul Koll bending the six strings like a good un.
We take a slight detour on track four and wander through the Coops garden picking up a lick here and a shuffle there sounding like prime time Alice Cooper band is never a bad place to find oneself. Stuart Casson is the player who lends some Roll to the Rock that’s being cooked up. ‘No 48 Crash’ is solid 70s glam as a tip of the hat is made to the lady in leather who no doubt inspired the groove.
If you want another change of gear ‘Oxygenate’ has some classic rock swirling organ for good measure.  I must admit I always love me some sleazy rawk n roll with a snotty dash of punk rock swagger and ‘Real Fine Kitty’ might be generic but I love it and its strut all that’s missing is the horn section tooting surely Rob had a Memphis horn section in his little black book?
Brian Gay turns up for a little tip of the Johnny Thunders handclappin’ rock and roll on ‘A Maltese Falcon’ and when a record has too much Johnny Thunders licks on it I’m tapping out as well.
The track I anticipated the most was the final knocking with Former Gen X band member Bob ‘Derwood’ Andrews who to be fair plays the song and doesn’t use it to jerk out a bazillion notes where they’re not needed and besides he has the cowbell going on as well and when has a record ever had too much cowbell? Exactly.  Andrews is a fine addition but cmon guys ‘Rock and Roll Is Dead’?  Never, not on my watch and not on the watch of Rob Moss & Skin Tight Skin either.  If you still believe in punk rock and roll with swagger and plenty of ’70s inspired glam rock then what are you waiting for hit the link and pick it up.
Pick up the album Here

Generation X – Generation X (Deluxe Edition) (Chrysalis Records)

Generation X – Generation X (Deluxe Edition) (Chrysalis Records)

Remastered/Re-issued/Expanded…

The first wave rightly gets the recognition but hot on the heels by a matter of days, or weeks bands like Generation X and Buzzcocks took things to new levels.  So the Clash had the slogans and Politics, The Pistols the nihilism and snot and The Damned were the first for everything it was bands like Buzzcocks who brought the poetry and teen love and With Idol and James Generation X brought the Legacy and homage to who passed before them from the silver screen and music clubs they openly embraced Elvis, The Beatles and The Who to name a few. It was their thrift store chic and boyish good looks and that swagger that they put to maximum use with Idol and his lip curl these magpies soaked it all up like a sponge punk, pop, rock and a dash of glamour.

This Deluxe Edition house in a solid slipcase is expanded to three LP’s.  LP one is the debut album complete with lyric inner bag and the first thing that grabbed me was how fresh the songs sound. I still love ‘One Hundred Punks’ and the energy from the frantic drumming and the edge on Derwood-Andrews guitar playing. so Idols lyrics were a bit shit at times such as ‘Kleenex’ but it certainly doesn’t detract from his sneer as he spills the lyrics left right and center. But don’t forget these were just a bunch of snotty kids to be fair why shouldn’t their lyrics be a bit juvenile because at the end of the day that’s exactly what they were.

Musically they weren’t some kids picking up their instruments for the first time and a bit wet behind the ears as songs like ‘Listen’ might have been a bit sloppy but they used echo and time changes really well and it all weaved an awesome tapestry. ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ being the platform that Idol broke away and used throughout his career wasn’t the sound of a bunch of kids making a racket with volume and adrenalin it was and still is an exceptional song.

Be honest who doesn’t like shouting the refrain of ‘Youth Youth Youth’? A great way to end a great record fuck the detractors and the purists Generation X made a few exceptional albums and this was the first.  Don’t even get me started on ‘Valley Of The Dolls’ which I trust will also get the same treatment as this?

The second LP features the singles and their B Sides now who doesn’t really think those couple of singles weren’t fantastic?  ‘Ready Steady Go’, ‘Wild Youth’ and the slew of B Sides are a welcome addition to this collection housed as part of a double album.  The Remaster has taken away all my clicks and pops and has me thinking how good would that album have been had these two been included on that as well? “Wild Wild Wild Youth!” Hearing the Dub version was probably the first time this young kid had ever heard any Dub – trailblazers for sure. Not sure how or why the B Side of ‘Fridays Angels’ is included here but I’m not complaining  ‘Trying For Kicks’ is decent.as is ‘This Heat’ it has cowbell for Gawds sake!

Probably the main reason a lot will have picked up this set is the third LP (it certainly swayed it for me) with twelve previously unreleased tracks which include a couple of Phil Wainman recordings such as ‘Ready Steady Go’ and ‘No No No’ and the Us versions cover of Lennon’s ‘Gimme Some Truth’.  the kind of material I’d expect to have on a set like this. The big revelation is still to come with the Alan Winstanley mixes.  Alan Engineered the first album and also mixed these versions and to be honest Maybe its time playing tricks with me but boy these songs really do come to life on these versions.

 

There are seven songs in total and they take on a fresh and even more raw sound which is excellent. If I was to have a complaint about this set its the lack of little extras that aren’t essential but do tend to make this anniversary box sets a bit special.  I wasn’t looking for silver rings or signed art reproductions (although that would have been nice) for £500 but maybe a 12″ book with essay from people who were there and pictures maybe a DVD with live footage who knows it must all exist maybe have gotten the band to do a short piece each because all that’s contained here is one side of the innerbag has an essay from Adrian Thrills which is nice to read but sort of a little lite. That something of a minor gripe because for less than 40 sheets this is a must-own for punk rockers and anyone who ever had a soft spot for these four scamps and their Rock and Roll sound because it really was a boss sound and I loved it then and still love it now.  If anyone from the James, Idol, Chrysalis camp happen to read this I look forward to the ‘Valley Of The Dolls’ set it needs to happen for continuity and because I’d love it. Never mind a hundred punks I know four who ruled. Tony, Billy, Mark and Bob.

Buy Generation X Here

Running With The Boss Sound – on this day in history

Running With The Boss Sound – on this day in history

Running With The Boss Sound –  Today is January 26th and for me, one of my favourite and most cherished albums was released into the world way back in 1979.  I still play it regularly as it had a big influence on an impressionable young lad.  From the attractive lady on the cover to the pills never mind four gangly lads with leather trousers and scruffy died hair. It was everything I wanted it to be and I can still remember twisting my mothers arm to let me go home from Woolworths with my very own copy tucked under my arm and when I got home it might as well have been welded to the house stereo because it only left the turntable to get turned over for what must have been weeks or months even.

‘Valley Of The Dolls by Generation X might not be as revered as ‘Never Mind the Bollocks’ or ‘The Clash’ it doesn’t get talked about as much as The first Joy Division album or the first few classic Buzzcocks records but to me it might only be outclassed from the 70’s releases by ‘Damned Damned Damned’, ‘LAMF’ and ‘Machine Gun Etiquette’.  It was the Dogs danglies as far as I’m concerned and still is and much like the previously mentioned favourites it still gets played quite frequently by myself. 

‘January that year was the first glimpse of these four pirates as ‘King Rocker’ is released as a single and one of those seminal moments in time as Idol sneered his way through their performance on TOTP.  Reaching a very respectable number 11 in the UK charts at the time was quite an achievement although their label wasn’t so happy.  It came out with a picture of each band member on specific colour pressings something that bands have copied since to increase sales – me I only ever got the tony James cover but it was on red vinyl (still got it)

The album came out on this very day forty years ago and took a right panning in the written press , with reviewers slateing it as “overblown and artistically hollow” and only managing to reach number 51 in the UK album charts the next single being the albums title track only managing number 23 in the singles charts things weren’t looking good for the band amidst trouble at their live shows the summer saw the third and final single being released off the record and ‘Fridays Angels only managing number 62 which must have been a killer for the band and their management not even hitting the top 40. the band began to fragment with Andrews leaving before the year was out and Laff following suit soon after via a harsh sacking from James and Idol due to the classic musical differences.

I was also gutted to find out many years later about the internal squabbling involved in the making of this album and when the band got Ian Hunter in to produce he wasn’t impressed with LAff and his drumming and got Clive Bunker from Jethro Tull in to play the drums as hunter didn’t feel Laff was up to the job in the studio.  Now had I been in the band and as much as I love Ian Hunter I think I’d have told him to fark off over there and then fark off a little bit further as being in a band was all about a gang you know four lads who shook the world riding in to the valley of the dolls and all that comrade but it seems not every band is like that and Bunker was indeed drafted in.

There was an interview with Andrews in 2013 where he stated “The style changed in as much as we had a famous ‘rock-star’ producer in Ian Hunter, a bigger budget, more time and a wider gap between the two older guys and me and Laff. It was actually heartbreaking for Mark Laff to be told by Ian, Billy and Tony that he was not going to play on this album and for him to choose a replacement drummer. He chose Clive Bunker from Jethro Tull and whilst teaching him the parts with two kits set up it was decided it sounded great with two drummers. If I took too long tuning up for an overdub I could see Tony James through the studio glass calling Chris Spedding! It wasn’t the same camaraderie as the first album”

that’s a real shame because in my eyes VOTD has stood the test of time and in 2019 it deserves to be championed as a bit of a classic and for all the rock star buzzkill that was happening at the time they did manage to write and record some fantastic songs.  I think its more in line with the style and sound of Hanoi Rocks than they get credit for and maybe this record was a little bit ahead of the game and would have gone down much better had it been released maybe five years later who knows?

 

Buy Valley Of The Dolls Here