I’ve neglected this album over the last few years. It’s sad that it’s taken the death of Guitarist Steve New for me to dig it out and play it again for the first time in ages. Those Punkers hoping for the Sex Pistols MKII when Glen Matlock formed the Rich Kids with Steve New, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure were to be totally disappointed, cos punk rock it certainly wasn’t, there were traces of it, but it was well hidden amidst some serious guitar riffs’n’licks and unexpected experimental weird noises, the sound pointed to a new direction, one that Midge Ure and Rusty Egan found with Ultravox and Visage, and something that Steve New added to bands like PIL and Gen X, when he became a guitarist for hire. I may not have played this album a lot recently, but it’s had more listens in the wolf den than Never Mind The Bollocks has over the last twenty plus years. Check it out here. Highly recommended!
If yer into the Rich Kids, or wanna check out some live stuff of theirs its well worth a trip to King Rocker Rocks On, were there's some top quality shit available.
4 comments:
What can I say one of my favourite albums of all time and so underrated.
The twin guitar attack of Steve New and Midge Ure (Another underrated guitar player because of his later works) just gets me everytime. A brilliant powerhouse drummer in Rusty Egan and in my opinion the greatest bass player of the punk generation along with Jean-Jaques Burnel of The Stranglers in Glen Matlock.
Great songs in a pop/rock tradition really cool hooks with a mysterious production which sadly got slated on release but I always felt had a charm and mystique to it.
Poorly compared by the critics to "Bollocks" which is just plain wrong and people expecting a punk album which I'm so glad it wasn't. Glen always had a sixties edge to his music with Small Faces, Easy Beats, The Move, The Creation being influences on his sound.
A real shame they never lasted longer but the New Romantics were calling, Glen carried on and made a couple of fine singles with The Spectres but alas all the world wanted was Sex Pistols retreads shame.
Thanks for the nod to my blog appreciated as always mate. KOKO.
Yeah, Midge Ure is underrated as a guitar player. Worth recalling he played second guitar with Thin Lizzy for a short while.
Apparently Midge has an O.B.E. Obviously awarded for his work on this fine album!
RIP Steve New.
Thanks a lot for this. Personally, Bollocks doesn't get a helluva lot of play in my stereo. Some great tunes, but no "toe tappers." This on the other hand, is great to drive to on a summer day with the windows down. Thanks, Nuzz.
Thanks for this - I never found a copy so look forward to finally hearing it!
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