From deep down in the modern mausoleums of Stiff Records, the self-appointed Undertakers To The Industry, has come one of the liveliest corpses for many a full moon. Stiff? I was rock hard. Freak fanciers will recognise several of the appearing bodies: Dave Edmunds, both producing and performing; Sean Tyla, as spearhead of The Takeaways boogying hungrily for "Food," and Lemmy's Motorhead in an ambiguous "White line Fever." New rotting flesh department features "Welsh song bird" Jill Read, Elvis Costello reflecting ruefully, and marvelously, that "everything seems less than zero" to a calypso beat, a bland Magic Michael and fave rave from the grave, Wreckless Eric. (A scribbled epitaph to Jake Riviera, Stiff boss: If you got enough that buried somewhere for an album, you better dig 'em up sharpish!) Starting and finishing side one respectively, are high priest of punk producers, Nick Lowe and an uncredited "Back To Schooldaze" by one Graham Parker. Yes, Mr. Lowe, I like those "pretty chords on your records" too. Take this record and go out and dance on your favourite grave.
|