BATTLE OF THE ENGLISH DOGS VINYL RELEASES PART 3

ENGLISH DOGS – TWO DIFFERENT BANDS; two separate vinyl releases in 2014

The UK PUNK Version with - WE DID, WE DO, WE ALWAYS FUCKING WILL! Versus The Metal Dogs version with THE THING WITH TWO HEADS.

Separate reviews are below in full.

Content/Integrity

WE DID, WE DO, WE ALWAYS FUCKING WILL!  Wakey’s lineup stick to their original ethos of sharp punk songs laced with astute lyricism. The integrity of this release stacks up to the English Dogs early material with Wakey, and is a worthy addition to the English Dogs somewhat patchy output post 1985.

THE THING WITH TWO HEADS Adey, Pinch and Gizz stick  to their “metalmorphosis” and largely disclaim their punk origins, to their detriment. Despite Pinch’s claims that it would be the missing link between their landmark crossover punk metal gems To the Ends of the Earth and Forward into Battle, it misses that mark in their mission to be metal. It doesn’t quite stack up to the legacy of those records, and whilst it’s an OK English Dogs release from core members of the “metal” line up, they needed to infuse it with a bit more punk energy.  

Playing/lyrics

WDWDWAFW features a rejuvenated line up that’s having fun. The playing is great, and showcases their punk energy. The lyrics encapsulate Wakey’s warped outlook and  shrewd observations.

TTWTH features a tight band and sound for sure. But they’re almost too spot on and technical, in contrast to the unbridled energy of To the Ends of the Earth and Forward into Battle. The lyrics are a bit too comic book Tolkienish.  One song keeps referring to a retard.

Production

The production on WDWDWAFW captures the band perfectly. The spark’s there, and there’s a full stereo sound that’s solid.

Production on TTWTH is good, that’s about all I have to say, except well, it’s a bit clinical.

Packaging

WDWDWAFW isn’t overstated, but does the job effectively  good old black and white, it’ put together  well,  nicely set out with inner sleeve.

TTWTH tries its best with gatefold sleeve, great cover art, and coloured green vinyl.  It’s nice,  but it doesn’t seem quite right.

CONCLUSION

The UK PUNK Version with - WE DID, WE DO, WE ALWAYS FUCKING WILL!  Emerges victorious and wins the battle.

At the end of the day, it’s a stronger release as a whole, and it’s the one that had me singing along. There’s a bit more integrity to it. If you read the lyrics to Death to the Dogs from WDWDWAFW it kind of says it all really. They laid down a challenge to the Metal Dogs – and they win.

There are loads of positive reviews for TTWTH, and it’s only my opinion. As a fan of the English Dogs I did buy both, and I remain a fan of both versions/line ups. I saw Wakey’s lot when they came out last year, and they were great, it was great to see them play the old stuff alongside stuff from WDWDWAFW. If the Metal Dogs version came out I’d go and see them.

I like TTWTH – it’s still an English Dogs release and it has some good bits on it, I’ve played it a fair bit. There’s some bits that I’m just not too enamoured with.   It’s let down by some songs which just don’t use enough of their original DNA.

Here’s an idea. Perhaps if they hadn’t had their differences, the two bands could have released a split LP. Then it really would have been “The thing with two heads” .

chrismccousin@gmail.com

BATTLE OF THE ENGLISH DOGS 2014 VINYL RELEASES Part 2

ENGLISH DOGS 

(US –Based METAL version)

The Thing With Two Heads

Candlelight Records

Following on from a successful 2012 US Tour performing the classic punk-metal crossover records “To the ends of the Earth” and “Forward Into Battle”, this version of the English Dogs with core members of the lineup that recorded those releases, Vocalist Ade Bailey, guitarist Gizz Butt, and drummer Pinch hatched plans to record and release new material culminating in The Thing With Two Heads.

The Thing with Two Heads commences with the single Turn away from the light.  Crunchy metal that at once incorporates death metal and rap style vocals. It’s clear from the start that they’re fully embracing their metal side. Freak Boy continues the theme, speeding up a tad, and revealing a hint of the punk roots past. Organized and Hate song continue in the same vein.  Ghost note has a bit more energy and pace. Then there is the sea shanty that is Up from the depths, and The thing will arise channelling 80’s metal.

Side two opens with the promising Planet of the living dead which is perhaps the closest they come to channelling their old selves here; with its speedy delivery and the “whoahs”, melodic solo, it’s easily one of the best songs on the record. Royal flying corpse is great, except it sounds like an Iron Maiden song. It’s all downhill from here. Rectify sounds like they have been listening to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers for fucks sake.  Down with the Underdogs starts out like a  ballad, is too long  and too overblown. I found it a challenge to  listen to the whole thing. There are some good moments in this epic, when it picks up about half way, just when I’ve gone to sleep. I thought I was dreaming that they sounded like they should again ... they almost recapture that old energy..... for a minute.

Lyrically there’s many references to “The thing with two heads”.  Some of the lyrics are not only uninspired, but, pretty well, embarrassing. Hate song is an example  “Just for you/here’s a hate song/and it makes me sad to say you’ve made my shitty day/ And I’m sick, sick of dealing with a retard/ 1-2 Fuck You/3-4 What a bore/5-6 Whiny bitch/You ain’t nothing but a retard/Fuck You”. Really. It appears Pinch channels the lyrics of his other band The Damned’s Love Song and recycles them.

The Thing With Two Heads was touted as “the missing link” between To the ends of the Earth and Forward Into Battle by drummer Pinch but this doesn’t appear evident. There’s more in common with the ambitious Tolkienesque  Where legend began  (which I don’t mind) and the crunchy metal of Gizz Butt’s later English Dogs incarnations in the 90’s.  To the ends of the Earth and Forward Into Battle may not have had the best production but there was a distinct energy that was captured there. What also made them was the merge of equal parts punk and metal. Their punk roots were still evident and really shaped those records and sound. There’s a  relentless raw ferocity and punk energy that was present on To the ends of the Earth and Forward Into Battle – inclusive of the metal solos  -that is lacking here, and they have all but abandoned their punk side. 

The Thing With Two Heads was recorded over several sessions, with all the members recording separately, but I’ll give ’em that it sounds cohesive. While you expect the appropriate changes in production in a thirty year gap, The Thing With Two Heads is a bit too tight and slick. The playing is good, the guitars are spot on, as is the rhythm section, and Bailey stays within his vocal range, for the most part

Package wise this is a bit of a funny one. There’s some love and a care gone into it, absolutely. Great artwork and all.  But.  There’s a comic book appeal (see the title lettering) that kinda gives the game away. Nice gatefold sleeve which harks back to their earlier releases. There’s lyrics inside the gatefold, but the print is small and obscured by the Tolkienish cartoony fantasy drawings. Good quality green vinyl and sound though.

Look. I didn’t expect them to rehash  To the ends of the Earth or Forward Into Battle. But I was excited by the prospect of them harnessing some of that energy  again and creating another punk-metal masterpiece. And they have got to move on, get with the times etc etc. And I do like it, and will listen to it. But it just could have been so  much more if they had gone back to being the English Dogs rather than the Metal Dogs.  There may not have been such a high expectation had they not made the claim that it would be the “missing link between “ To the ends of the Earth” and “Forward Into Battle” – because it has little in common with those records.  They are more intent on showcasing that they can play different types of metal here. Had they kept in touch with their former selves, and retained their identity this could have been fuckin’ great, instead of OK. If you didn’t know it was the “English Dogs”, you couldn’t put the old record against this and still say it was the same band. Things could have been better, rather than them just being a by-the numbers metal outfit.

In an interview with Gizz Butt a few years ago he said he regretted “not staying with the formula and going over the top with Where legend began ”. So what the fuck?

I would have loved to have been more positive on this one. And after all it’s only my opinion right? But I did fork out for it.

Maybe I’ll put it on in 6 months and go “Well fuck. Now I get it”

ENGLISH DOGS - Turn Away From The Light [Official Video ...

► 3:46► 3:46

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBGM2GJ6xPQ

BATTLE OF THE ENGLISH DOGS 2014 VINYL RELEASES Part 1

ENGLISH DOGS (UK PUNK VERSION)

We Did, We Do, We Always Fucking Will!

Nunny Dave Records/Massprod/PHR records collaboration

Both  current separate versions of the English Dogs, The UK “punk version”, and the US “metal version” put out releases almost simultaneously, both available on vinyl. In Part 2 we’ll check out the US metal version’s release. In part 3 we’ll stack them up to see who put out the best record.

First up in the battle is the UK Punk English Dogs. Original vocalist Wakey formed this version of the band a few years ago after countless line-ups,  settling on this line up in which he’s the only original member. After loads of shows and a few EP’s we have “We did, We do, We always fucking will”.

Here Wakey retains the punk spirit of the band’s first incarnanation; they maintain the initial template of no fuss punk rock, and  the original flavour of the English Dogs complete  with the Wakey humour, warped world  view, and astute lyricism that permeated the English Dogs earliest stuff, while still moving the sound forward.

It  kicks off with the sharp and  buzzy, Ripper on the Street (I’m a human dustcart cleaning up the waste) which gives you an idea of  where things are going here. Then it’s Death To the Dogs  in which Wakey gives it with bile to the current metal version of the English Dogs “Death to the Dogs/The heavy metal dogs/What legend forgot/The lies in the book/The royalties they took/That racket..what the fuck?/ So I lay down a challenge your album versus ours ” (which we will explore in Parts Two and Three of Battle of the English Dogs vinyl releases 2014).  Society Insults me follows, then  the first of a couple of ones about drugs, Toot, and Chemical General. Side one finishes up with Ross Lomas, City Baby, Ignite books, a hilarious anecdote of Wakey attempting to buy the aforementioned GBH bass player’s autobiography.

Side two commences with the incisive Pater Betrayal.  Brain disease “There’s people out there that think we’re mental/approaching middle age and still wanna pogo”  and Punk and Judy continue the madness. The title track (featuring vocals from The Varukers Rat and Jason from Bastard Squad)  says it all really; “Thirty seven years and still counting/Dad said he’s going through a phase/Well it’s a fuck of a phase/middle aged and grey/United  we don’t care”. The whole album is infused with energy, fun, madness, melody and mayhem. A good indicator of wether a record’s any good is if you wanna give it another spin pretty quickly – which I did.

Package wise,  good stuff. The cover (with a nice new “purpose built to distance ourselves from the Metal Dogs English Dogs” font) is perhaps a nod  back to “Mad Punx and English Dogs” – although they seem a bit more unified here on the front cover pic. It’s all pretty well set out, the layout  pays homage to the band’s punk/madness aesthetic. There’s a well put together inner sleeve with lyrics and nice pics. Good quality vinyl. Production is well charted, everything’s clear in the sound, well set out, not too glossy,  and there’s a good stereo sound.  Wakey’s warped personality is captured  in the vocals and shine through perfectly on this recording.  The band are pretty tight as a unit, and it’s obvious they all work well together. The CD apparently comes with extras  (digipak with extra CD and video) but I’m not complaining -  vinyl only here thanks.

Great stuff, a great punk record. This is a great addition to the English Dogs legacy, and good to see them back to “core business”. “This punk music will never die” – from  Invasion of the Porky Men’s “Never Die” .The UK Punk English Dogs have set the bar high for their US Metal counterparts in the challenge of the English Dogs 2014 vinyl releases.

chrismccousin@gmail.com

TWO New ENGLISH DOGS vinyl releases

English Dogs

The two different versions of the ENGLISH DOGS have new releases out, both are available on vinyl.

The UK-based “punk” versions, led by original vocalist Wakey, have released “We did, We Do, We Always fucking did”.

The US-based “metal/crossover” version with  original core members Gizz Butt, Adey Bailey and Andrew “Pinch” Pinching have released the thing with two heads.

According to a review in Vive Le Rock magazine, The UK version has a stab at the US version with “Death to the Dogs” on their release.

An interview with Pinch has him saying that “The thing with two heads is the missing link between To the Ends of the Earth and  Forward into Battle”.

It’s kinda exciting and disappointing at the same time.  I’ve always liked both versions of the band. Various reformations have come and gone since the intitial breakup of the metal/crossover version.  The reformation in the mid nineties with the promising line up of Wakey, Gizz, and Pinch bore the disappointing “Bow to None” album. It pisses me off a bit when bands tarnish their legacies with schoolyard  argument type behaviour. I thought each version had staked out their “territory” and had a mutual understanding and respect for their differing styles. Maybe, maybe not.

I’ve just forked out for a copy of “We did, We Do, We Always fucking did”. When it gets shipped out I’ll review it, then I’ll order a copy of “The thing with two heads” and review it. Then we’ll stack ‘em up together and see who wins the English Dogs Sonic Reducer Vinyl Only Blog 2014 vinyl release competition.

chrismccousin@gmail.com

BURNING LOVE- SONGS FOR BURNING LOVERS

SONGS FOR BURNING LOVERS

Righto. I know I’m way behind the times with this one, again. As I say, I get ‘em when I get ‘em. Found out about this kinda by accident. Not being as linked in as I used to be, things filter through at different rates on the radar.

Anyway,  me and a mate were having a browse in Resist Records recently and it was playing. Both our ears pricked up independently , after a while my mate asks what was playing. “Burning Love’s first album”. I looked  back through the  racks until I found it.

Haven’t heard anything like this in ages. Got it home and kept playing it for about a week straight. I could slot in superlatives and comparisons but at the end – This is hardcore that kicks arse and ROCKS.  It rocks, it rolls, it punks, it hardcores. Look, maybe I’m just getting carried away and it’s simply great just fuckin’ rock ‘n roll! Throaty vocals, filthy guitars, and It’s all pretty much full tilt until the end of side two. Get to the end of side one and “miserable sound” shows they’re not afraid of turning out a (fuckin’ good) chunky  metal riff either, which it’s kind of built up to by this stage.   It fades out. Turn it over, and it fades back in -  pretty neat. The momentum continues on side two........ Great fun. I challenge you to listen to it and see if you can restrain yourself from  bobbing your head to it.

Great vinyl package to boot. Soundwise there’s plenty of oomph. Love the fade in from side one to side two. Cover – wise simple and effective. There’s a lyric sheet (and some of the lyrics are great) – “Ignore the doctor’s orders and this is what I get”, (Gain). This one’s one Blue vinyl as well. 

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - LIVE FROM KCRW

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS

LIVE FROM KCRW 

Double Vinyl LP

OK, this was released last year, I know.

 I’ve only just got a copy....

Recorded at the end of 2013 at the end of a world tour for Push the Sky away, this captures a performance for California’s KCRW  “No rehearsals, no overdubs. This is the result”.  The result is prett damn good. Not only does it serve as a kind of alternate version of the aforementioned “Push the Sky Away”, it represents a snapshot of NC&TBS extensive back catalogue.  There’s  4 songs from “Push the Sky Away”;  The opener “Higgs Bosun Blues”, “Wide Lovely Eyes”, “Mermaids”, and “Push the Sky Away”. They benefit, as do all the songs here, from the stripped back sound courtesy of a truncated Bad Seeds. There’s plenty of room for the songs to breathe. There’s a lightness to all the songs that gives them a new dimension.

Nick himself is the consummate performer, and humours the audience after the first two songs when he asks ”What else?” someone asks for “Nick the stripper, another asks for “Up jumped the Devil”. Then they’re into “Stranger than Kindness”  from ”Your Funeral My Trial”, For this listener, a highlight. While Warren Ellis is no Blixa Bargeld, his wonderfully airy guitar captures the essence of the song marvellously, and is perfect in this context.

“The Mercy Seat” is lightened up a little here (if that’s possible). “Wide lively eyes” and “Mermaids” retain their beauty and mystery as captured on “Push the Sky Away”. “God is in the house” is lent some extra humour in this instance courtesy of Nick. “Jack The Ripper” is rambunctious as ever, the band all clamouring for attention in their own way. The whole band is tight and cohesive; there’s a real bond evident with the band. Good to see Barry Adamson back in the fold, he fits in seamlessly with the others,  (Ellis, Percussionist Jim Sclavunos, and Bass player Martyn Casey), and joins in with their enthusiasm. Along with Nick, they’re all having a great time.

Live from KCRW was released on CD and double LP, as well as a digital download. The album will be rereleased in a forthcoming digital deluxe bundle of Push the Sky Away. The double LP features two exclusive tracks, "Into My Arms" and "God is in the House", which were excluded from previous radio broadcasts of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' KCRW session.

Package wise, this is a winner. Obviously the extra tracks are a bonus. Nick’s obviously sensed he may be on to something with his vinyl releases; although he’s always treated vinyl lovers well, he’s canny and astute enough with his business sense to take advantage of the niche market. The cover itself is suitably suave, quality cardboard on the gatefold, the artwork of which isn’t overstated . The vinyl itself is good quality heavy stuff. The sound itself is fabulous. There’s a real depth and warmth to  the songs and the recording. Minor gripe if any is the absence of an inner sleeve such, but the vinyl is housed in nice gold-tinged matt sleeves .  Download code included.

        A1

1.	"Higgs Boson Blues"
2.	"Far from Me"
3.	"Stranger Than Kindness"   A2
4.	"The Mercy Seat"
5.	"And No More Shall We Part"
6.	"Wide Lovely Eyes"
7.	"Mermaids"   B1
8.	"People Ain't No Good"
9.	"Into My Arms"
10.	"God is in the House"
11.	"Push the Sky Away"   B2
12.	"Jack the Ripper"

VINYL OBSCURITY - EPISODE #2

XTRAVERTS

SO MUCH HATE

Bin Liner Records (1997)

Reissue of late 70’s UK punk by Xtraverts from Wycombe UK.

Not as obscure  as I’d  thought. I’d never heard of these guys before I got this record though. I got this for a tenner “on spec” at a record fair. This is Pistols/’77 (inspired) stuff that goes some way to bridging the gap between the ‘70’s stuff and the UK82 stuff perhaps.  Their facebook page says  “Xtraverts were noted as one of the very first Punk Rock bands, established in 1976 in England”.  These songs were  recorded in 1978 -79  , but never released until 1997 – I think. Apparently  “So much hate” was released in 1978 by Detour records, but I can’t qualify that, and I don’t know if it’s true.

This comprises all the XTRAVERTS recorded output, sound quality varies throughout. Some of the strongest and best recorded songs commence this record – Police State (single version) and I hate you   (“pick on skinheads punks and teds”)

Other highlights include “Who sent the boys”  (didn’t they hate the cops!) “Speed”, which kicks off side two (which The Damned  circa ’79 would have been proud to call their own) “Blank generation” (it appears on side two in it’s “single format”, along with Police State),  and “Dehydration Pill”. All in all great stuff, and it retains anger, energy and melody throughout.

Apparently they were very influential, and left a legacy of Xtaverts graffiti in their home town of Wycombe , as illustrated by the back cover.

Package wise, OK, I guess. front cover is a  B&W collage of the band. Back cover features graffiti pic and song/band info. No insert. Sound quality varies, which is reasonable for its era and multiple recording sessions. A great record, and a great document of a band that perhaps didn’t get the exposure they deserved. They have reformed though, and are planning gigs.