DELUXE EDITION DREAMLAND: UB40 – UB40 (1988)

Ub40 1988In September 2010, UB40’s debut album ‘Signing Off’ was afforded a lavish (but reasonably priced) deluxe reissue for its 30th anniversary.  In addition to the original album, a three disc set included all the non-album singles in their 12” incarnations and a DVD featuring the promo video clips and each of the band’s UK TV appearances.  A thorough job, indeed; the only thing absent was the live clip of ‘Madam Medusa’ from Frejas, 1980 as seen in Miles Copeland’s ‘Urgh! A Music War!’ concert film.

Continue reading

KNUCKLE – This Week’s Been Hell EP

knuckle epWhen done right, the two man garage-rock/garage blues set up can be absolutely thrilling.  It represents the minimum band configuration to make a noise most effectively.  Less distorted than the US’s ¡Vamanos! but more ferocious than the UK’s most excellent Brockley Forest, Huddersfield’s own Knuckle blend garage rock and blues with a touch of stoner groove – as per 2014 breakthrough act Royal Blood, but with an element of DIY sincerity those guys lost by jumping straight in with a major label release.  The results on Knuckle’s debut EP, although fairly typical of the genre, are enthralling with a broad range of sounds and styles throughout the six tracks.

Continue reading

Rush ‘Fly By Night’ blu-ray audio disc coming soon

2014 began a comprehensive Rush reissue programme with a deluxe replica repressing of the band’s 1974 debut LP.

Rush fans will be pleased to note that 2015 is set to bring a whole host of Rush reissues, when their works between 1975-1988 get the heavyweight vinyl treatment, each with a download code. ‘Fly By Night’, ‘A Farewell To Kings’ and ‘Signals’ will also be released on blu ray audio disc.

Continue reading

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT – The Temperance Movement

TemperanceAt the end of 2012 The Temperance Movement scored a support slot on the Little Angels reunion tour.  At the London show, the band’s live set had a reasonable amount of energy, but the tunes were largely marred by bad sound mixes and a frontman in a scruffy suit with a voice that sounded like it had half blown.  Still, by and large, compared with the reception given many support acts, the audience seemed enthusiastic.

Continue reading