=  MAY 2007 =

Simon Lewis

Jeff Penczak

Tony Dale

Mick Wooding

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PSYCHEDELICA VOLUME 2 – VARIOUS

(www.northernstarrecords.co.uk)

    Volume one of this series was filled to the brim with up-and-coming bands ready to blow your mind in lysergic bliss. Well, I’m pleased to report that this double CD continues with that aim and is chock-a-block with swirling guitar, groovy basslines, and enough melodic hooks to satisfy even the most hardened psych-head.

    Opening act Belles Will Ring have a wonderful Church-like vibe and some lovely jangly guitar, something that is evident with The Quarter After, although this time there is a harder edge and some head rattling soloing overlaying the jangle. Sounding like the perfect “Rubbles” band, The Deaths Display some wonderful dynamic changes on “May Queen” one of my favourite songs on the compilation, before The Dolly Rocker Movement take it all back to basics with the garage stomp of “What’s That Sound?”.

   With a creeping ’66 bassline, The Black Angels give the Fuzztones a run for their money on the slow-burning “Young Men Dead”, the authentic fuzz guitar burning a planet sized hole in your head.

    Throughout this compilation, comparisons with bands such as Spacemen 3, The Church, Fuzztones, Byrds, etc are inevitable. However every band seems to be holding up the flame they have inherited rather than merely imitating what has gone before, meaning that this compilation is fresh and vibrant, holding the attention and ensuring that after you have played disc one you will move on to disc two without hesitation.

    One band who do manage to sound completely original (to me at least ) are The Hiss, whose “Your Old Eyes” is a splendid song with some great lyrics. Possibly the noisiest song on disc one is “Why” a gloriously epic slice of guitar driven psych from Heroes Of Switzerland that really hits the spot. Other highlights on disc one include the farfisa groove of The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, the Neanderthal garage of Dust, and the psychedelic twang of luminol, but really there is not a bad track in there and only space prevents me from mentioning everyone.

    Right, on to disc two, which opens in grand style with the punchy swirl of “Kill Me”, the insistent rhythms softened by some drifting vocals as The December sound strut their stuff quite magnificently. Proving they are no slouches in the noise stakes The Voices then take the room apart as they pound their way through “The Sound Of Young America”, Psychedelic shoegazing anyone?

    As with disc one it is impossible to mention everyone, but Sunsplit (great name), manage to stick in the brain, Floorian leave a trail of incense smoke behind them, Perfect Blue do atmospheric psych so well, Hopewell seem to live on another planet, Satsangi are Danielle dax Jamming with The B-52’s, and Their hearts Were Full Of Spring lead us out gently with the Psych waltz of “Out Of Sight’ Out Of Mind”, rounding another fine compilation from the good people at Northern Star Records. Now all I have to do is get round to actually interviewing them, sorry for the delay guys. (Simon Lewis)

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JE SUIS FRANCE – AFRIKAN MAJIK 

(CD from www.antennafarmrecords.com)

   Kicking off with an euphoric bassline that gets yer head a-nodding, Je Suis France take no prisoners on the 16 minute cosmic romp “Sufficiently Breakfast” that opens this sprawling and delightful album. Sounding like Julian Cope jamming with Hapshash, the piece has heavy guitars, electronic squalls, and thumping percussion a-plenty, all adding to a freakout of the highest order. After such a storming opener it would be easy for the band to fall short of the mark on the following tracks. Have no fear though, “Virtual Heck” is A short blast of Garage Flaming Lips, “Whalebone” is a hypnotic synth workout that reminds me of Todd Rundgren around the time of “A Wizard A True Star”, whilst “That Don’t Work For Us” has a classic Pavement feel in it’s pop grooves.

    Featuring nine musicians playing everything including the kitchen sink, there is plenty of room for improvisation on such tracks as the frantic electronic rush of “Wizard of Points”, as well as moments of plain weirdness such as the excellently named “Digital Shrimp”.

   There is a classic eighties psych feel to “101 Miles and Runnin’” with a punk guitar riff and reverb vocals driving the song forward and making you realise how good these guys must be live, judging by the amount of energy they exude on this CD. In fact, it is this exuberance and we don’t take ourselves too seriously attitude that really makes this album shine, allowing them to tackle the garage hoe-down of “Chemical Agents” with the same amount of enjoyment as the electronic synth drone of “Feeder Band”, a track that sounds like it was recorded underwater.  Never shy of experimentation “California still Rules” has a dub heart intermingled with it’s guitar noise, whilst the final, not so hidden track “Never Gonna Touch The Ground” takes the dub ideas and becomes a gloriously deranged reggae workout as performed by a bunch of weirdos, just perfect.

   Possibly not the greatest album ever made but full of energy, fun and happiness. Just right for that summer barbecue, invite your friends and have a blast. (Simon Lewis)

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SOFTWAR – SOFTWAR

(CD from www.digitalisindustries.com)

OV – NOCTILUCENT VALLEYS

( CD from www.softabuse.com)

   Two albums featuring long-time collaborators (and now married) Christine Boepple and Loren Chasse, both of whom were involved in the excellent Jewelled Antler collective.

   On Softwar the duo are joined by Kerry McLaughlin and Geoff Koops to produce a softly refreshing slice of improvised brilliance that is quiet and contemplative whilst remaining experimental and beautifully psychedelic. Opening track “Psychic Shift” is a drifting cloudless sky drone that shimmers across the room, the almost invisible vocals only deepening the mystery. Second track “Hagoo (The Victory Over Moods)" is a denser drone that is lightened by some wonderful half remembered melodies, allowing the piece to retain it’s form with the vocals adding that important human warmth. 

 A real sense of structure and melody is present on “The Softwar”, the vocals becoming ever more clear as the band almost stray into conventional songwriting (by their standards anyway), offering a wonderful burst of sunshine that spreads it light through the rest of the album. Maybe it is this warmth and light that gives this album such a cohesive and free flowing ambience, with every song following on from the last to create a rippling pool of music that offers new patterns at every listen whilst retaining it’s overall shape and purpose.

    After the short heartfelt drone of “Earth Volley”, thing become more magical with the pagan drone of “Immul (The Childrens Crusade), the buried in the mix vocals ensuring that the listeners hears everything that is going on, the half-heard lyrics only building up the tension. After this “The Human Spring “ and “Soft Love” act as delicate counterpoints, gentle waves lapping at your mind, whilst the gossamer drone of “sightless Sculpture” leads us into “Prui” the nine minute closing track, that is a beautiful as the memories of your first love, remaning inside long after the actual music fades.

    Recording as a duo “Noctilucent valleys” sees Loren and Christine go further into the psyche with a collection of experimental drones that slowly twist and writhe across 50 minutes creating a dense and primitive landscape populated with mythical beasts and half remembered dreams.

  After being taken deep into the primeval forest, track 4, the sublime “Bone of the Bone Scholar/Moon of the Moon Scholar” finally takes our souls from our bodies, the music coiling around us in an intense yet welcoming way, until the piece takes us down into stranger waters having the same feel as Tibetan ritual music, opening us up to reveal the truth. With gentle chimes “ Ghost Of The Future” slowly immerses us back into reality before “Centaur in Saturn” stretches time, seemingly much longer than it’s stated 3:36.

   As with “Softwar” this album ends with a slowly evolving drone of great depth and beauty, tinkling bells and melodic swirls giving “Canals” a deft lightness that perfectly encapsulates what has gone before, relaxing the listener on the road home, after a dramatic and worthwhile journey.

    Both these albums are excellent; taken as a pair they become a sonic landscape that you will want to explore on a regular basis, offering both light and shade, with exquisite touches and raw emotion. (Simon Lewis)

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SIBYLLE BAIER – COLOUR GREEN

(Orange Twin)

     Intimate, ethereal, ghostly whispers from across the ocean and the sands of time, recorded in Germany over 35 years ago and recently corralled for your listening pleasure by our friends in Elf Power, who run the Orange Twin label out of Athens, Georgia. [Rumour has it that Baier’s son, Robby, transferred these songs to CD from the reel-to-reel tape recorder she recorded them on and passed them along to his friend, J. Mascis from Dinosaur, Jr., who forwarded them on to Orange Twin for release consideration.] Opener, ‘Tonight’ sets the stage for a series of confessionals and wry, trainspotting observations of everyday life that capture Baier’s state of ennui and lonliness. Its aching beauty reminds me of Throwing Muses’ ‘Pearl,’ while other moments will bring you back to the naked honesty of Janis Ian’s sparse, self-titled 1967 debut. At other times you may find your thoughts drifting back to the similarly minimalist folk and whispered naivete of Marissa Nadler and Vashti Bunyan.

     Baier tempers the icy aloofness of Nico with the romantic nostalgia of Joni Mitchell, and still finds room in her soul for the strolling blues of ‘Softly,’ delivered in a voice _{way down here}. The beauty of Baier’s compositions –  most in the two-minute range with several clocking in less than that – is that she strips them down to the bare essentials: just a young twentysomething, alone in her room with a reel-to-reel, a microphone and her acoustic guitar delivering tales of woe and bedsitter images without the need to pour on maudlin strings, elaborate brass arrangements or incessantly pounding drums. New Order once sang about being touched by the hand of God, and after listening to Sibylle, I feel like I’ve had my soul caressed by the warm breath of an angel.

     “Sadness is beautiful,” she sings in ‘Says Eliot,’ as succinct yet matter-of-fact as if this was a foregone conclusion that should be patently obvious to everyone. There are moments of delicately sublime epiphanies – those “Aha!” moments where you recognize yourself in the situations that Baier is relating. “Yeah, I’ve been there and done that.” But to hear someone so young share so much sorrow, with a hint of hope in the back of her voice, almost makes the pain wash away. In this regard, there’s a lot of Leonard Cohen in Ms. Baier, particularly his knack for couching melancholy in a lilting lullabye, as on closer ‘Give Me A Smile,’ wherein those aforementioned and heretofore absent strings waltz into the room on the back of a melody that Mr. Cohen built a 40-year career on.

     Baier, who was apparently an accomplished dancer, painter, and actress (she appeared as “The Woman” in Wim Wenders’ ‘Alice in den Städten’ and one of the tracks on the present album is entitled ‘Wim;’ her music is also believed to have appeared in the 1975 German film, ‘Umarmungen und andere Sachen’), chose to abandon her musical muse, and moved to America to concentrate on raising a family. Robby has created a website for her fans, claiming “Sibylle will most likely never see this site. She is really quite perplexed by all the attention her album has gotten…, but she prefers to hear her accolades through the eyes and ears of her family. The web makes her dizzy, I think.” It’s a shame that she didn’t see fit to continue her musical pursuits, as it is her music, emotion, and honesty that makes me dizzy. Hopefully more examples will find their way to her adoring public, possibly through her son’s site, which promises more pictures and songs, some of her poems and samples of her art. Until then, we have this momentous archival release to cuddle close to our bosoms. (Jeff Penczak)

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FURSAXA – ALONE IN THE DARK WOOD

(CD on ATP Records)

  Tara Burke's music has always been a web of paradoxes. At once post-modern and medieval, technologically-aware and lo-fi, part of a free folk movement and sui generis, her project Fursaxa has often sounded like the perfect accompaniment to the unmaking of the world.  Her fifth release overall and second for the ATP imprint (after the marvellous 2005 release 'Lepidoptera), 'Alone in the Dark Wood' was recorded both in Tara's native Philadelphia and in Finland. It takes her sound deeper into the forest and closer to the sound of the Jeweled Antler Collective and Finnish Fonal label than her previous work. Over the course of thirteen short pieces, the fundamental Fursaxa elements of chord organ, casiotone and Farfisa, detuned guitar, and looped, multi-tracked plain-song are enriched by violin, banjo, balalaika, organ, bells, flute and percussion to atavistic but fractally-intriguing effect. Ghost-wails and chord organ drones usher in 'Lunaria Enters the Blue Lodge', before the bottom falls out to be replaced by flatly-strummed guitar while the chanting recalibrates itself for a journey into the outer dark. By way of contrast, 'Bells of Capistrano' deploys a flotilla of bells and flutes to guide its avian ascent. These contrasts work well through the album, as does the mixture of almost fragmentary tracks (as short at 0:16) and more fully-formed pieces. It's difficult to get bored at the centre of such restless invention. 'Black Haw' could be part of an imaginary soundtrack to Cormac McCarthy's ashen post-apocalyptic nightmare 'The Road', so strong is its sense of nuclear winter descending on the world. Conversely, the title track forges spiritual bliss from banjo and Burke's star-maiden vocal treatments. The CD comes closest to traditional folk on the strongly Gaelic 'Nawne Ye', which plays out like Alan Stivell accompanying a coven of witches in some arcane ceremony. Likewise, 'Sheds Her Skin' has the air of private ritual, sailing on a sea of glassy-eyed mandolin. After these tracks, the actual words sung on 'In the Hollow Mink Shoal' return the listener partway to consensual reality, though the latter, vocal-less half of the track is somewhat flatly instrumented, perhaps indicating that Fursaxa is at its best when voice and instrumentation combine. It all makes for a fine and varied release, though Burke is probably always going to do her strongest work in the live setting, and you should try and catch her on stage if you can, or at least check out the mighty 'Amulet', released a few years back on Secret Eye. (Tony Dale).

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – HIDE AND SEEK [YET MORE NEW DIRECTIONS]

(Psychic Circle)

     This “collection of British blue-eyed soul” from 1964-69 is the fourth release on the Psychic Circle imprint, and is once again selected from the private collection of The Bevis Frond’s Nick Saloman. The horn-driven title track is provided by Dave Antony, who once fronted a band whose members went on to form King Crimson! One hit wonder, Jason Knight’s ‘Our Love Is Getting Stronger’ is a punchy, Motown-styled shoutalong in the fine tradition of Fontella Bass’ ‘Rescue Me.’ Barry St. John enjoyed a modicum of success singing backing vocals on Roxy Music, Elton John and Pink Floyd sessions, and her wonderful ‘Turn On Your Light’ demonstrates that Aretha had nothing on this little Glaswegian spitfire.

     Jon & Jeannie aren’t exactly Ike & Tina or Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, but their 1968 single for Beacon, ‘We Got Lovin’’ features a nasty guitar break to recommend it. Another mouthwatering rarity is The Stone Graphics’ ‘Traveller Man,’ co-written by Liza Strike, another famous session backing singer, who recorded with Steely Dan, Elton John, Pink Floyd and the aforementioned Barry St. John (on Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of The Moon’ opus!) And before The Moving Finger recorded the Brit psych classic, ‘Pain of My Misfortune’ (which you can find on both the Rubbles collection and Saloman’s previously compiled ‘We Can Fly’ series), they were known as The Anglians, and the B-side to their lone 1967 CBS single, ‘Daytime Lover’ is a slow, organ-driven groover with tasty guitar licks and fine harmony vocals.

     Kevin “King” Lear’s take on ‘Cry Me A River’ oozes the suave sex appeal of Tom Jones and the soulful emotional pleas of Otis Redding, while The Exotics’ toetapping, dancefloor magnet, ‘Don’t Lead Me On’ boasts a strong driving beat with just a hint of Bob Marley in the vocals. Johnny & John were, respectively, Gustafson and Banks from The Merseybeats and their one-off scorcher, ‘Bumper To Bumper’ is a funky little number that’s sure to crowd dancefloors at wedding receptions. The obscure Simon & Garfunkle B-side, ‘You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies’(the flip to ‘Fakin’ It’) had become an unexpected Northern Soul attraction in 1967 for Dana Valery, and Five & A Penny brought it over to England with their 1968 one-off rendition on Polydor that features blazing brass and a snappy, chunky backbeat.

     Other highlights include Johnny Carr’s bouncy ‘You Got Me Baby,’ featuring some memorable Hammond organ and fuzz guitar breaks and The Carrolls’ 1966 screamer, ‘Surrender Your Love’ (penned by the famous American husband/wife duo, Ashford & Simpson), which features none other than comedienne Faith Brown (born Irene Carroll) on lead vocals. Bernie & The Buzz Band’s ‘Don’t Knock It’ is an Atlantic Records rhythm & Blues-styled scorcher with heartfelt vocals that sound like a cross between Sam & Dave and David Johanson in his Buster Poindexter persona. Kingston, Jamaica native Owen Gray’s ‘Help Me’ is an Archie Bell & The Dells call and response-styled rocker with an undercurrent that reeks of Van Morrison’s ‘Gloria’(!), and the collection ends on a high note with Watson T. Browne’s collaboration with the pop psych band, The Explosive on 1968’s punchy stomper, ‘I Close My Eyes.’ So overall, this is another fine Psychic Circle compilation for Northern Soul theme nights and dancefloor-friendly, all-night parties everywhere. (Jeff Penczak)

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – ON THE BRINK

 (Psychic Circle)

     Nick Saloman coined the term “instro-hipsters” for a 6 volume collection of way out, psychedelic instrumentals released on the Past & Present label. Saloman has now been selected to curate a new series of psychedelic rarities for the fledgling Psychic Circle imprint and for their third release, he revisits the theme with 20 previously uncomped corkers, subtitled ‘Return Of The Instro-Hipsters.’ Oozing sitars, Hammond organs, fuzz guitars, flutes, big band orchestrations and freaky theme tunes, this new collection, according to Saloman’s informative liners, could be enjoyed as “the soundtrack to any visual recollection of what Swinging London was all about.” The set kicks off with the title track, courtesy Manfred Mann guitarist, Mike Vickers. It’s a catchy little stomper, with the main melody carried by a piano and a heavy brass band, but surprisingly, I can’t hear a guitar anywhere on it! Next up is Jim Sullivan’s groovy sitar arrangement of the traditional ‘She Walks Through The Fair.’ Sullivan is a legendary session guitarist who’s recorded numerous albums for the DeWolfe film library, taught Ritchie Blackmore how to play and has often been linked to sessions with Jimmy Page, and this is a wonderful addition to his catalogue.

     If fuzz guitar is your thing, then The Shock Absorbers’ arrangement of The Isleys’ ‘It’s Your Thing’ (from their 1969 ‘Guitar Party’ album) is just the ticket, featuring what Saloman labels, “one of the most evil fuzz guitar sounds I’ve ever heard.” A heady recommendation, indeed! French chanteuse, Rita released the classic ‘Erotica’ single in 1969 to cash in on the popularity of Jane Birkin’s ‘Je T’aime’ and in keeping with the theme of this compilation, Nick flips her over for the groovy, organ-driven backside, ‘Sexologie,’ which sounds like those wacky psychedelic instrumental backings to the Party segments on the old ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In’ US TV show from the late sixties! Vickers then returns as author of the Offside B-side, ‘Small Deal,’ a smooth, sultry snarler with a bit of a secret agent vibe. Some of our British fans may recognise Offside as the studio project who performed the theme from the BBC’s match of the day highlight show. This is the flip.

     David Smith’s obscure 1973 single ‘See Me’ is a brilliant organ-based rendition of the A-side (which contained vocals), that will surely have you digging out your old Procol Harum albums. Toss in some phased strings and guitars in the background and you have one of the album’s clear-cut winners and inspiration enough for me to seek out the vocal side (or at least request that Nick consider including it on a future Psychic Circle release!) There’s more fizzy, fuzzy delights on hand for The Fidd’s ‘Happy Walk’ that makes me want to go out and explore nature and legendary arranger Ken Woodman brings his big, fat Piccadilly Brass to the party for the rousing ‘Mexican Flier’ off his 1966 ‘That’s Nice’ album. It’s wall-rattling, big band sound is punctuated with mental images of those “Biff,” “Bang,” “Pow” action bubbles from the old Batman comic/TV show, and you can probably supply your own James Bond images to accompany this charmer. And speaking of Batman, I found myself humming the theme on more than one occasion during The John Schroeder Orchestra’s 1965 single, ‘Nightrider.’

     Trax Four appear to have been a studio concoction assembled for the 1966 exploito instrumental album ‘Winding Party,’ with the organ-driven ‘Moanin’’ one of the album’s representative tracks selected for inclusion here. I also liked the hard-edged, heart-pounding rousing swinger ‘Soul Serenade’ from The Mike Cotton Sound, with a catchy little riff that may be the most memorable piece of music you’ll take away from the whole collection. And what would an album of groovy, Swinging London instrumentals be without a selection from a Chappell Music Library album and Lee Mason and His Orchestra’s ‘Deadly Nightshade’ (from the 1972 album ‘Chappell Recorded Music’) is about as fine an example as you are likely to hear, with Booker T-like organs, wah-wah guitars, jazzy drumming and a flute-led melody line that’s another of my favorites.

     I’m sure you all know Vic Flick – even if you don’t know The Vic Flick Sound. His ‘West of Windward’ is a breezy slice of cinematic wonder that’s perfectly suited for those scenes of Swinging London featured in countless British 60’s movies. But perhaps his most famous role is as the guitarist who’s responsible for The James Bond Theme that all budding guitarists have tackled at one time or another to test their manual dexterity!  Elsewhere, The Chris Barber Soul Band’s ‘Morning Train’ is enough to get you out of bed and off to work on time, although this stomper is also of historical importance for featuring the legendary Ronnie Scott on trumpet and a young, pre-Oblivion Express Brian Auger on the swirling, Hammond organ. Another historical figure of note chimes in (literally) with ‘Tricycle,’ featuring the aforementioned Big Jim Sullivan on sitar, a gorgeous flute segment and a light-footed cha-cha back beat that’s perfectly suited for your next Space Age Bachelor Party! Bennett’s credentials include drumming with Marty Wilde’s Wildcats and his most famous role as the chap who replaced Tony Meehan in The Shadows. The collection ends with a selection credited to Stanley Myers (‘Organ Fantasia in D Major’ from the soundtrack to the 1970 film ‘Take A Girl Like You). It’s another fine, organ-driven stalker that may just feature The Foundations (of ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ and ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ fame), as they are one of the acts that also appear on the soundtrack.

     So, if you are a fan of groovy, psych instrumentals in general, or Nick’s previous ‘Instro-Hipsters- A-Go-Go’ series in particular, you owe it to yourself to pick this up for your next swinging 60’s party! (Jeff Penczak)

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The Woggles - Rock And Roll Backlash

 (CD on www.wickedcoolrecords.com)

For those of you uninitiated with the Woggles (shame on you! Where've you been?) [obviously not reading the Ptolemaic Terrascope - they used to be regulars in our reviews columns at one time - Ed.], they emerged from Athens, Georgia, USA in 1987 releasing their first 7” EP in 1990.  Since then they have released another thirteen 7”s, five full length LP’s, a 10” EP, a live LP and two compilation sets, not to mention myriad releases on various artists comps across many labels.

Originally lumped in with the eighties ’garage revival’ these guys were part of a slew of bands that sprouted during this time, but where so many withered and died the Woggles still storm on unbowed.

Why then, have these guys managed to last 20 years I hear you ask? (or is it the other voices again? No, Not now! Not now!)  Well, many of those eighties bands merely aped the garage sounds of the sixties and when trends moved on they had little else to offer.  The Woggles on the other hand used these musical influences as a springboard for their own sound and although you can hear nods to garage, soul, blues, etc in their work they are always unmistakably the Woggles first and foremost.  This is probably the reason why bands like the Nomads, the Fleshtones and the Makers have also survived so long.

A look at their choice of covers will give you a good idea of how their sound has been shaped.  From the Rockabilly of Wayne Parnham, through English beat like the Sorrows and Pretty Things, through the US garage sound of the Sonics and the Alarm Clocks, and the soul of Sam & Dave, it all combusts in the Woggles musical engine to produce an exciting sound very much their own.

The current line up features ‘Professor’ Manfred Jones on vocals, Buzz Hagstrom on Bass and Dan Elektro on drums.  The tragic death of their lead guitarist George Montague Holton III in in 2003 means that long term collaborator Jeff ‘Flesh Hammer’ Walls has taken up the mantle on guitar filling the big guy’s shoes to great effect.  Jeff previously played guitar with Guadalcanal Diary.

So to the latest release. (Yes, I know it’s taken a while to get here - just limbering up).  ‘Rock And Roll Backlash’ follows 2002’s superb ‘Ragged But Right’ which is a hard act to follow.  The good news is that the Woggles have risen to the challenge and delivered another excellent LP.

We kick off with ‘Rock and Roll Backlash’.  Dan thumping the snare on the beat to help create a pumping soul sound.  None of your light weight pop-soul, this soul is full on floor-filler with a guitar sound that packs a punch.  There are even Stax-like horn fills in the mix - great start. ‘It’s Not About What I Want’ springs out of the speakers with a choppy riff that the Sonics or Wailers would have been proud of, the slight vibrato of the Professor’s voice punctuating his gritty delivery. Next up is ‘Porridge’ with it’s chiming guitar echoing folk/garage nuggets spread across countless 60’s compilations.  The Woggles show they can take on the styling of Love/Byrds as easily as they can crank out the punk.

‘Drive On’ tops off side one.  (Yes, I’ve got the vinyl version - don’t try to play the other side of your CD - it would be very foolish).  It’s kind of like the early Kinks in overdrive - Flesh Hammer’s distorted guitar and Buzz’s throbbing bass underneath the professor’s rasping voice.  The scream he emits as Flesh Hammer launches into his killer solo is enough to make Gerry Roslie himself miss a beat.

Side two kicks off with ‘El Toro’.  Now this stopped me dead in my tracks!  What we have here is some kind of Mexican sounding instrumental.  Now, I know what you’re thinking. (Well, I don’t actually know what you‘re thinking, having no idea who’s reading this and absolutely no psychic powers whatsoever.  I am of course taking an educated guess).  You're thinking “but that would sound odd in amongst everything else you’ve described”.  Well, let me tell you people - it really works!  It is a truly beautiful thing.  A sort of updated take on a spaghetti western theme, the horn line even evokes Ennio Morricone’s ’Dollars’ soundtracks at one point.  Expect to hear this on a Robert Rodriguez film soundtrack soon.

‘Sayanara Blues’ is a perfect example of what the Woggles do so well - kicking out straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll. Next we go back to 60’s Germany for a wonderful cover of the Lords' strange, but very catchy ‘The World Is Falling’. ‘Time Of My Own’ is one of my faves on this set and has an anthem like quality - fine riff, driving beat and great chorus.  A good keyboard sound in the mix here too. Closing the LP is another favourite of mine - ‘Blasting Cap’.  These guys know how to put the punk in garage punk!  A forceful guitar cuts over the forging rhythm section while the Professor gives us the lowdown - and he’s sounding mean as hell.  A scorching finish.

I can’t recommend this LP, indeed this band, enough.  To access all things Woggles visit their website at www.thewoggles.com. Rock And Roll Backlash?  This is and out and out Rock And Roll Revolution! (Mick Wooding)