Disc of the day
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
Features Disc of the day
Dr Feelgood
Down By The Jetty
(UA, 1975)
"Get your hair cut!" demand lean, mean Oil City bluesboys.
In the music scene of 1975, R&B believers Dr Feelgood's declaration that their first album was in Mono was met with confusion from some longhaired, mellow quarters. But simplifying and cutting down on fat were central ideas to these proto-punk pub rock legends, who came out of Canvey Island, looked like a group formed by Inspector Regan from The Sweeney and were named for the song by New Orleans' handsome brute Piano Red. Like a more malignant, Essex version of the early Rolling Stones, they reimagined US jukebox music with soulful The More I Give, the New Orleans nearly-ska Twenty Yards Behind and the speedy Bo Diddley of I Don't Mind, while standouts include the no-messing Roxette and the breakneck, hunted All Through The City, which is actually faster than the live version on the Stupidity LP (with its lyrics "Watch the towers burning... the sky is full of aeroplanes" it sounds so sinister post-9/11). It's advisable to check live film of the band, too, where rhythm-lead guitarist Wilko Johnson jerks and stares his way across the stage while wolfish vocalist Lee Brilleaux growls, glowers and blows his gob iron. Wilko left the Feelgoods rather pointlessly in 1977, though they'd have their biggest chart success after he'd gone. Roll on Oil City Confidential, Julien Temple's film about this most amazing of groups.
Ian Harrison
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 6:00 AM GMT 10/03/2009
Further Listening
Dr Feelgood – Stupidity (UA, 1976)
The 101ers – Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Andalucia, 1981)
The Godfathers – Hit By Hit (Corporate Image, 1986)
Previous Disc of the day
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Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
6:00 AM GMT 18/03/2010
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Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River
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9:54 AM GMT 17/03/2010
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The The - Soul Mining
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6:00 AM GMT 16/03/2010
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Various Artists - Axe Attack Vol II
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2:32 AM GMT 12/03/2010
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The Pop Group - Y
For connoisseurs of pop-as-rupture-in-the-space/time-continuum
6:00 AM GMT 11/03/2010
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Only discovered this album when the deluxe edition came out a few years back - it is absolutely magnificent. One of my most played CDs. Blistering punky Rhythm 'n' blues. Good call Ian Harrison!
Posted by Filthy Mc Nasty at 1:58 PM GMT 10/03/2009 Report Abuse
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Yes top marks to Ian for this about Canvey Islands finest suited and booted R&B merchants Dr. Feelgood. Generally relegated to a footnote of the ‘70s - slipping into the gap left after the pub rock boom of the early to mid seventies went crashing into the bug eyed lunacy of punk – Dr Feelgood are in fact one of the great lost rock’n’roll treasures of the era, due in no small part to their late great, intense and seriously seedy lead vocalist – (who can forget the magnificently grubby white suit) - Lee Brilleaux (whose sneering aggression and ‘wanna punch up?’ demeanour was certainly picked up on by many a punk outfit), and of course the, frankly, demented antics of guitarist/songwriter Wilko Johnson, all greyhound out of a trap careering wildly across the stage and wielding his guitar like an offensive weapon. Add a rhythm section of Figure and Sparko who could melt your legs and you get a pretty much indispensable reason of just why you should care about Dr Feelgood and why they mattered. The greatest local band in the world and I look forwrd to a seven page feature in the MOJO when Julien Temple's film is released!
Posted by alan reid at 11:27 AM GMT 11/03/2009 Report Abuse
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Back in March last year I said I look forwrd to a seven page feature in the MOJO when Julien Temple's film Oil City Confidential is released, well you have stretched to six pages with some great pics so well done guys!
Posted by Alan reid at 8:26 PM GMT 27/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Back in March last year I said I look forwrd to a seven page feature in the MOJO when Julien Temple's film Oil City Confidential is released, well you have stretched to six pages with some great pics so well done guys!
Posted by Alan reid at 8:27 PM GMT 27/01/2010 Report Abuse
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