The Creation - Making Time (1966)
17/03/2023
Biff!
Bang!
POW!!
Welcome Soundheads to the living action painting world of The Creation.
I’ve said it before… an’ I’ll say it again!
Eddie Phillips is the greatest freakbeat guitarist of all time… an’ then some!
Nuff said.
Another band that sadly missed out on the big time and had a varying line-up that didn’t help their cause.
Even so, in their brief life cycle, they laid out some killer riffage.
Forget the Who comparisons, they shared an amphetamine agitation, but that’s about it.
And Jimmy Page definitely copped the bow action off Eddie.
Our music is Red with Purple flashes indeed.
Have good weekends and make time for The Creation
RH X
And make even more time to watch this incredible bonus clip of the boys on German TV.
Some serious frugging from kids in the crowd!
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Christine (1980)
10/03/2023
Hola Soundheads
It’s a two way tie for the greatest singles band of the late 70’s/ early 80’s.
On different days, my own personal choice swings from Buzzcocks to The Banshees and it’s never a total commitment as I’ll happily change my mind again.
So I vouch for equal billing.
Yes, it could be The Cure or even The Bunnymen, but perhaps the consistency and frequency wasn’t always just about there, compared to these heavyweights.
Not that really any of it should be compared, it wasn’t about that back then.
It was a golden period that hasn’t been matched since.
For that, I blame the labels.
But hey, it’s the weekend and we shouldn’t be getting arsey over something like that right now.
Anyhoo…
Today, it’s the Banshees!
Great and very worthy albums, but fuck me… the singles are awesome.
And some of them goddamn weird too.
Metal Postcard or Playground Twist anybody?
It’s been a hard choice to actually pick a favourite that pips the others, but I’m going for gold here, and Christine ticks the medal winning boxes.
The second single with the absolutely classic line-up of Severin, Sioux, Budgie and the ever astounding John McGeoch.
He wasn’t even allowed to announce he was on it at the time, due to contractual conflicts.
But he and Budgie are channeling Can’s Soundtracks and Tago Mago period to the max, even if it’s not entirely evident until you take a step back.
It’s incredibly minimal, but it is minimum is the maximum tunage.
One of Siouxsie’s best vocals sits beautifully on top and Severin’s bass broods and growls like the broodiest growlingist bass ever known.
Sublime.
Not much more to say.
From Hong Kong Garden onwards, SATB did it different and they kept their own all the way.
Forget all that goth shit that got stuck to it, that never belonged there.
So…
Grab a pint of snakebite and stick on the Once Upon A Time compilation and fall under the spell again of some absolutely top notch single action
RH X
World Domination Enterprises - Asbestos Lead Asbestos (1988)
05/03/2023
A ho young Soundheads
Those that aren’t so young will remember the fabled Loop shows with Godflesh and World Dom and what a demolition of ears that was.
This is where it all started for WDE and in the words of Neil Diamond… what a beautiful noise.
Steve’s dub depth bass, the ultimate agit scratch guitar, (which Keith proudly never tuned) and Diggers blastorama bash of drums.
All of the shop, but at the same time, tight as fuck.
It’s like Neubauten decided to make a record in trench town with Lee Perry.
Sadly, Steve is no longer with us, having passed away a good few years ago now…(Rest in Dub my old friend)
So no worthy reform of a band that literally sounded like nothing else and were absolutely years ahead of their time.
This record still absolutely sounds outer-worldly and puts so many noisy pretenders to shame.
In the words of me… what a beautiful chaotic fucking racket
RH X
Hot Shot Love - Wolf Call Boogie (1954)
24/02/2023
Greets Soundheads,
No death tunage this week, let’s get swampy.
Sun wasn’t just Presley, Lee Lewis, Cash, Orbison and Perkins. Although all those early records for each were fantastic, so there’s no gripe from me.
But dig beneath the surface and there’s some equal gold to be found like any good detectorist knows.
Sway time comes in hot n heavy with Wolf Call Boogie, courtesy of “Hot Shot” Love aka Mr Coy Love.
A supreme harp slinger but sadly this was his one and only single for Sun.
What little is known about him is that his private life was hectic on the love side and he seems he spent more time running away from “difficult” situations with… let’s just say, erm… his trews round his ankles.
Hot Shot Love by name and nature as it appears.
Anyways, a terrific Memphis swag of boogie chillin’
Bourbon on the rocks Bartender!
RH X
Love - My Little Red Book (1966)
10/02/2023
Oh for fucks sake… this is getting very silly.
Another death that can’t be ignored, the one and only Mr Burt Bacharach.
Yes, I know this is LOVE and not even the first run out with the Manfred Mann version (on which Burt laid down the 88’s) but aside from Arthur’s vocal inflection that kind of copped from Paul Jones’ more slower and mellow form, this punktastico flash has the sneering needed for such a cold call for revenge that fails miserably.
Bacharach and Hal David were at the absolute peak of their powers. Barring Cilla’s shrill calling on their numbers (no thanks Cill, not today my dear) you could lay in anything of theirs for primo SOTW and perhaps this very one is the furthest away from Burt’s velvet fingers but that’s the beauty in it.
An absolute perfectionist in the studio, as much as I’d have paid to be a fly on the wall to watch him take on Arthur and duke it out, this breaks ranks and is all the better for it.
I call it inspired where others might not.
But it certainly faired better than the Manfreds.
Rest well Burt, you did it good
RH X
And a bonus for the curious…
Click here for Burt’s own take on it with Tony Middleton laying down some definitely post Arthur vibes