THE GODFATHERS - A Big Bad Beautiful Noise - (*A REVIEW*)

Peter Coyne, The Godfathers only remaining original member said he wanted their new album to be a....”Kick arse contemporary Rock'n'Roll record that expands upon the musical legacy of the great Godfathers albums - Hit By Hit, Birth School Work Death, More Songs About Love And Hate and Unreal World. And I believe we've done that.” and he's right, they have! Peter maybe the last man standing, but ….these new boys of his rock in a way The Godfathers have never rocked before, there are some anthemic moments like the albums closing track You and Me against the World, which is a real lighters in the air guitarfest moment for outsiders everywhere. The whole affair is kicked off by the post apocalyptic sonic molotov cocktail of the title and opening track A Big Bad Beautiful Noise, which like several on the album; Defibrillator and Feedbacking have heavy traces and large doses of Hawkwindesq spaced out psychedelia and Stooges stoner rock, others, like One Good Reason verge toward Lou Reed and Velvet Underground, while You Don't Love Me and Lets Get Higher recall the The Godfathers of old. Then there are some new Pop/Rock hooks on  Till My Heart Stops Beating and the tribal stomp of Poor Boys Son plus an aching guitar ballad She's Mine It is indeed contemporary, check out Miss America for a timely attack on the land of the free, and musically, well some of these tracks wouldn't sound out of place on a Primal Scream album. Big Bad Beautiful Noise....It does what it says on the tin and more It is a potent and explosive mixture of songs, something for everyone, an album that makes you feel.... so alive! What more can you ask for in a Rock'n'Roll record?

THE GODFATHERS - Birth, School, Work, Death.

Birth, School, Work, Death was The Godfathers major label debut, it lacks the rawness of their Hit By Hit album, it doesn’t however lack the tunes, or the anger and frustration of living in 1980’s Britain. This was a real kick in the teeth to the Rave Culture that was polluting Britain in 1988, The Godfathers were no loved up smiley faced ravers; more amphetamine fuelled rage-ers. Songs with passion, power and feelings that were all too real, rather than escaping the times in a field The Godfathers embraced them on a run down council estate before punching them in the face. No baggy tops'n'flares or electro beats here this was sharp suits and guitars. If you fancy a bit of Birth, School, Work, Death. You know what to do. Enjoy and Destroy!

SINGLED OUT: Nikki Sudden / The Godfathers / The Derellas

No music with this post, just 3 short reviews of recent singles released by some NPW faves. I say singles, but they aint really singles, well not like I remember singles being, they’re single downloads, and it’s just not the same as buying vinyl or CD, there’s no real product to hold in yer hands, no cover or case, just the music. Quick and convenient maybe, but also sterile and clinical, which is something that can’t be said for the three tracks:
NIKKI SUDDEN - I Know You is a Rocking little foot taper taken from Playing With Fire; a carefully selected compilation of completely unreleased songs recorded for Nikki's last two studio albums "Treasure Island" & "The truth doesn't matter " which is available from Easy Action Records. THE DERELLAS - She Kissed The Gun is action-packed and inspired by the downfall of legendary producer Phil Spector, it spits out classic 77 guitars like The Clash meeting The Ramones.
THE GODFATHERS - Back Into The Future finds the band as rawkuss and angry as they ever were; “What’s the problem? I’ll tell you the problem / You’re slaves to money and it don’t mean nothing”

THE GODFATHERS - Love Is Dead (7" vinyl rip)

Right then, as it’s Valentines Day; the day when a human emotion becomes a commodity as people show their love for each other through buying Cards, Chocolates and Flowers, here are the mighty Godfathers with Love Is Dead and B-Side, Angela. This is the original 7” from 1987 released on their own Corporate Image Records. When the band signed to Epic Records it was re-released a year later. Enjoy!

Essential Ephemera #9

Here’s a review from the now defunct Sounds music mag, a gig advert and my ticket stub from a 1987 gig by THE GODFATHERS. One of the smartest and sharpest guitar bands ever. Back in the day these guys rocked; Like The Heartbreakers meeting Eddie and The Hot Rods on a South London housing estate. I’ve posted this ephemera for no other reason than I’ve just been listening to their Shot At The 100 Club release, a live recording of their 25th anniversary show back in June of last year, and….maan! they still rock! This Damn Nation, Birth School Work Death and I Want Everything are lyrically as relevant now as they were in the dark days of Thatcher, musically….well great Rock‘n‘Roll never ages, but the idea that music can politicise people seems to have died a death. Perhapes in 2011 we’ll see it resurrected and people will start “Biting the hand that doesn’t feed them”

The Reading Festival 1987 (take a trip)

As it’s The Reading Festival this weekend, I thought I’d stick up a few live sets from the one in 1987. I could approach this post with memories of standing by the side of the stage that year when The Quire Boys were playing ready to change any guitar strings, catch flying guitars etc. Or there’s 1992 the year when Kurt Cobain from Nirvana was pushed on stage in a wheel chair dressed in a white hospital robe and wig, when I worked behind the bar for the Workers Beer Company, (all my wages were donated to the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign) serving beer to the moshing mud monsters. Alternatively I could talk about the notice someone had put up at work last week selling a couple of weekend tickets for this years Reading Festival. They only wanted £187 for them, was that for a pair? No it was a £187 each! I think the only time I paid to get into Reading it was £17.50 for the weekend. I know that was back in the 80’s, but maan! that’s some price rise over the years. Anyway, enough of my shit; here’s some great music from Reading 23 years ago. There’s the sleaze and leather gasoline rawk’n’roll of Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction. Then we’ve got the blues’n’roll boogie of The Quire Boys, finally there’s The streetwise guitar assault of The Godfathers. Enjoy!