Scootz "n" Bootz

I don't know about you but I recognised some time ago that all of my favourite records had a certain something about them in common, whatever the genre. To this day I don't know whether it's the production, the bass sound or what but they've all got that "mojo".

Imagine my surprise, then, not to mention delight, when I found Scootz "n" Bootz.

Every single album put up there has that mojo and many of my all time favourites are up there. Genre's not an issue - he's got soul, rockabilly, punk, ska, metal; there's not a bad album in sight.

You NEED to check the site out.

Oh, and he luuurves de scooters.

scootermusic80s.blogspot.com/redskins

The Redskins - Neither Washington Nor Moscow (1986)

Along with "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" by Dexy's (see below), this is one of my all-time favourite albums.

Coming from a very similar place as "Soul Rebels", "NWNM" melds the rabble rousing punk crunch of The Clash c."London's Calling" with genuine Muscle Shoals soul to a staggering effect that has in no way aged over 23 years.

Forget the extreme socialist polemic, the swagger and bile of the band, and leader Chris Dean in particular, with those awesome brass riffs and rockabilly guitar chords, just gets the adrenaline flowing every time.

I'm not doing a track-by-track on this one, they're all too good to be picked to pieces, but stand outs for me include "Kick Over The Statues", "It Can Be Done", "Keep On Keeping On" and "Hold On".

Sadly, after this the band were no more and other than a couple of singles and a live album there's nothing else out there. On the other hand it's hard to see how they could ever have beaten this record so perhaps that's a good thing.

Meantime, if you want a rush, go fetch.

http://www.myspace.com/redskinsunofficial

Blogger's Delite

The most inappropriately named person in blogbiz, Lazy's a sweet guy. All he wants is to be appreciated. And, boy, is he appreciated in this neck of the woods.

Classic reggae and dub, soul, a splash of mod and psych and some great white boy rebel rock, Lazy's got 'em all. He's got a couple of sister sites too to check out.

Like the man says, "it doesn't hurt to say thanks".

Thanks, Lazy. Stay free...

bloggersdelite.blogspot.com/time boom x de devil dead

Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (1979)

Kevin Rowland's opening salvo was a ground-breaking brass bombardment, melding classic Stax soul with punk disenchantment.

Inelegantly lumped in with the ska/mod revival of the time, Rowland's mission statement opens with the buzz and hiss of a trawl through radio stations before launching into "Burn It Down", a full-on rage against the pretentious.

"Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" maintains the pace before the slow burning "I'm Just Looking".

"Geno", a massive UK hit which celebrated the great Geno Washington, ramps it up again and then the band give a genius run-through to Chuck Wood's "Seven Days Is Too Long", a literal but masterful interpretation.

"I Couldn't Help It If I Tried", "Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply" and "Keep It" maintain the soul and feel of a speed driven all-nighter before the come-down track, "Love, Part One", Kevin's spoken word ode to, what? God? Love? Success?

Whatever, the album closes with it's second great success, "There There My Dear", returning to the themes of "Burn It Down".

Rowland ruled this band with an iron fist and went on to up the ante by sacking the lot of them and reinventing himself time and again. He's never released a bad record and we'll be seeing more of him in this space but for now

"Hey, Jimmy; for God's sake burn it down"...

www.myspace.com/dexysmidnightrunners