Nowadays, a band playing primarily covers of sixties tunes would be regarded as a bit of a cruise ship act. But back in 1975/6 it was very difficult to actually find the original records by, for example The Kinks.One really had to seek them out. There was no reissue culture at all, and no iTunes (good), so it was nigh on impossible to own these songs, or even more so, to see a group play them live with a bit of balls.
What puts the Count Bishops above the standard modern saturday night pub act (on between the Karaoke and the quiz) is their punky rock attitude and passionate delivery.By 1975 this attitude had all but disappeared; time had slowed down, and the mid sixties seemed like an eternity ago. These Pub Rock groups were essential for reintroducing something real and meaningful back into the pompous Rock scene, populated by the untouchable elite of the monsters of the post-woodstock generation......fucking awful. Rock'n'Roll had grown out of perspective; putting it into a stadium separated it from its true size......a small beer stained sweaty room in the back of a pub is where this primal music belongs....and that include Led Zeppelin too.....but they're shit and the Count Bishops aren't and never will be.
Tracklist:
A1 I Need You 2:22
A2 Stay Free 3:08
A3 Down In The Bottom 2:52
A4 Talk To You 3:45
A5 Shake Your Moneymaker 2:31
A6 Down The Road Apiece 2:51
B1 Baby You're Wrong 2:44
B2 Don't Start Crying Now 2:05
B3 Someone's Got My Number 2:33
B4 Good Guys Don't Wear White 2:47
B5 You're In My Way 3:11
B6 Taste & Try 2:33
6 comments:
Enjoyed the perspective. Beyond your own Kinks it must've been exponentially rarer to come across a U.S. 7" or LP, hence the inclusion here of the Standells' "Good Guys Don't Wear White".
I think few persons had heard of the Standells outside of Lenny Kaye's Nuggets compilation in the uk in 1977.Same goes for many of those US sixities punk bands.They were certainly never played on the radio. I do remember John Peel playing a Shadows Of Knight track in 1976 however, but you'd never be able to buy a copy.
Great album musically, but Dave Tice's growl takes a bit of getting used to.
I preferred the Mike Spencer era,'Speedball' is an absolute classic.. the link between pub rock and punk for sure.Their rare 1977 album ('Good Gear') when they were between lead singers Spencer & Tice is also worth investigating.
Thanx a lot!
I remember listening to this, Eddie & The Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood in 1977, and I thought they were almost as good as Dr. Felgood. I saw EATHR here in Sweden 4-5 years ago btw. "Do Anything You Wanna Do!" Yeah well, that was then and this is now...
indeed jorg, a rather exciting combo,if a badly dressed one,so if they smartened up their image,they could have competed with Dr Feelgood...although EATHR were almost as bad,until they bought some Ramones jackets....sadly we will never see Barry in action ever again outside of the existence of a pub rock Valhalla.
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