Good Vibrations--The Singles Collection--Crispy Punk Goodness From Northern Ireland

The Punk Single Collection is a nice introduction to Northern Irish Punk Rock, featuring the music released on the legendary Good Vibrations label, by Terri Hooley, who began releasing singles of local acts so they would gain the recognition they were deserving of. Maybe they are best known as the label that introduced those Derry Destroyers, The Undertones to the world. But judging by this anthology,  it was clear that there was a lot more going on in Northern Ireland at the time. This year Hooley's autobiography came out, entitled Hooleygan: Music,Mayhem, Good Vibrations. Haven't read it yet, but I imagine it will be an enlightening book.

Overall Good Vibrations PSC is a good to great collection, with a few songs a little pedestrian and undistinguished. The Undertones are represented here with Smarter Than U, which is a b-side from their Teenage Kicks ep. The Undertones are simply a fantastic group, certainly no secret to fans of classic punk, so while I'm glad they are here, the other bands are more interesting to me. I certainly would like to here more of them. Some of these bands may have only had a handful of songs of quality, but there are a few groups here that are flat out exciting.

The collection begins with Rudi's awesomely energetic Big Time. They have 2 more fine songs here, I Spy and Overcome By Fumes. I know that a compilation came out about 15 years ago of these guys, but it seems to be impossible to get a copy now. Probably the best known band here are The Outcasts, who recorded a couple full length albums back in the day. They are well represented on this anthology, with four songs here. My favorite numbers are Love You For Never and the cheeky pop of Self Conscious Over You.

There are so many bands here I'd never heard before, and half of them I hadn't heard of. Bands like The Bankrobbers who play some engaging new wavey pop on On My Mind. How about The Lids, who play a bass driven Ruts-like brand of pop on I Don't Want You. And then you have Decisions by the Pistolly sounding Bears. I wonder if there are more recordings someplace by those guys? The punk-pop of the Tearjerkers song Love Affair is terrific in a more commercial radio-ready way. The same can be said of The Moondogs Ya Don't Do Ya, the guitar sounding a little like a revved up Clean.



Additionally you have a great raucous scorcher by Victim, A Strange Thing At Night. You also get two songs by Protex who are one of the more accomplished acts here, who play an engaging style of punky pop.
Additionally you get to hear the X Dreamysts' Dance Away Lover, a good song, but the singer seems to have a Phil Lynott thing going on here. Not really a bad thing. Ruefrex's Cross The Line is one of my favorites on this collection, with guitar reminiscent of Pink Flag era Wire. They actually do have an anthology out that is readily available.



All in all, a Punk Rock delight for all your St Patrick's Day needs and more. It beats listening to The Cranberries or some other nonsense on March 17th. It just leaves me wanting to here more. I hope that more collections highlighting this scene come out because it's clear that there was a lot of great music created that most fans today are simply unaware of. The album ends where it all began, with label founder Terri Hooley himself performing a charismatically sloppy version of Sonny Bono's old chestnut Laugh At Me. Happy St Pat's to all.

Marc Carroll--World On A Wire--St Patrick's Day approaches.....can't remember my own name...

Marc Carroll is a singer songwriter from Dublin whose third album World On A Wire is the focus of this pre-St Patrick's Day post. It is a fairly introspective outing, where Carroll basically goes it alone except for the strings. Though some of the songs are somewhat overly idealistic for my tastes, overall this is an album that is a cut above most. Upon listening to it now for the fourth time it has grown on me.

I was taking a dim view until I got to song four, Together We're Strong with breezy liquid jangle guitar and melodious vocals. I would not have minded if it had been edited down a bit, but overall an excellent song.
Up until then the album had a bit of a muted lethargic feeling to me. I've gone back and softened my opinion upon further listens to this disc.

The follow up to this song is the stripped down piano and cello ballad It Isn't Always Easy.

Isn't it a wonder to find goodwill and grace
You can walk a millions miles and not even see a face
And isn't it a wonder that we ever stayed true
When it isn't always easy to know what to do...

Very nice. Hugh Jones recorded this album so I would be quite surprised if the recording was not pristine. The Dylanesque And You Are? is another poignant tune, musings on the elusiveness of fame. Talk Again is
also a pretty good tune, a brief electric folk musing.

The final song is a very traditional sounding tune, Till These Bars Break, sounding like a tune right out of the Richard Thompson playbook. Carroll appears to be quite the accomplished guitarist in a addition to being a rapidly developing songwriter. When he plays guitar, it is more than merely play by the numbers background accompaniment. Another of my favorites is the consoling solo acoustic tune, Press On. Though too much harmonica tends to get on my nerves, it's inclusion here fits pretty organically.

So all in all, not a bad introspective emotive rainy day album. Maybe not the best suited for leprechaun hats, green beer, and kissing bulldogs--perhaps an album suitable for playing more than one day a year in March.
One of these days I'll have to pick up his latest, The Dust of Rumour which has garnered some positive accolades from the critics. I understand he has a 5th album due out soon. I think Marc Carroll is definitely someone to keep your eye on. Though there are some great tunes on here already, I believe that his best work is still forthcoming.



Note:This song is from the Dust of Rumour album.

Countdown to Saint Patrick's--and Jake Burns is Drinkin' again....

Only a few more days until St Patrick's festivities, so I thought I would highlight this nifty solo nugget from the front man of the legendary Belfast punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers, Jake Burns. Yes, Drinkin' again, his worthwhile attempt at a traditional Irish album which came out in 2006. As he confesses in the liner notes, he started out with the intent of creating an "Irish" punk album. But as he quickly realized, it had been done so many times that he felt it was becoming a little passe. Secondly, the album was a collaborative effort with musicians from varied backgrounds so ultimately the album is a bit of a hybrid of genres, traditional Irish, acoustic folk, country. And it was recorded in Chicago, not Ireland. All told, one thing is certain: it is a departure from a SLF recording. Anyone who picks this CD up believing they are getting some uplifting fiery punk, think again. But listeners who are interested in a fun record full of passion and heart, like a Celtic Mekons album would do well to give this a listen. A pretty nice little record that doesn't seem to have ever been released in the States.

The album begins with a nice little uptempo version of Van Morrison's Domino. Definitely a happy party starting beginning. But this is not merely a covers album. Of the eleven songs here, seven are originals. The title song Drinkin' Again is a fun jaunty Poguesy sounding Celtic-country hybrid undercut with melancholy lyrics;

Give me rum, give me vodka,
give me brandy, give me beer
Give me the chance of some amusement
The chance of some amusement
The chance of some good cheer
Newcastle Brown, I'll drink it down
To the dregs, I'm Hell on legs
I'm drinkin' again....



More traditionally Celtic sounding yet similarly themed is Half Past Dead, about a night out on a bender and the dreading anticipation of awaking next morning. Other songs are historically themed such as the cover of
The Green Fields of France by Eric Bogle, the anti-war anti-imperialistic themed Right To Fight and the bittersweet reminiscing of V.E. Day. He sings poignantly about the Irish Diaspora of the 19th Century in Land of Opportunity. Burns is in fine voice throughout. He does justice to the traditional ballad
Cliffs of Dooneen, as well as the updated version of The Well Below The Valley. Burns adds to the tradtional canon with his excellent love lament Lancashire Rose.

Probably my favorite song here is his reworking of Belfast 14, originally from his Jake Burns and the Big Wheel from the 80's. One of his more personal songs, it sounds like it was probably an outtake from the Now Then.... sessions, one of SLF's most underrated albums and their most pop sounding album. It's about being a kid having to grow up in a war zone, without prospects and hope, and all the terrible consequences that it entails. It's a gem of a song and unusually revelatory, as after their first album the band made a decision not to make overtly political music. ( And I can't blame them for not wanting have any responsibility for any more lives being destroyed).



Overall, Drinkin' Again is a pretty decent album that accomplishes what it set out to do, make an updated version of a traditional Irish album that is both a lot of fun and delivers on an emotional level as well. And Jake Burns' personality shines through as well. If you like traditional Irish music and want to hear something a little different this could be for you. Certainly I am a little biased, as in my view Stiff Little Fingers is my favorite Irish band ever and Jake Burns is a musical hero of mine. So take that into account when you read this view.

Word on the SLF website is they are currently working on a new album. They are also touring the U.K. as we speak, so if they are playing in your area, go check out one of the great punk bands. They are absolutely great live, particularly when they play the early songs--the crowd goes crazy, everyone is shouting along with the band, and you feel the adrenalin rushing and electricity crackling back and forth between the band and the audience. Believe me, get out there and see this legendary band if you get the opportunity!!