Punkabilly nuggets – Various artists
Released 2022 by Western Star
29/04/2022 review date
Punkabilly nuggets, a compilation download only album from Western Star in the U. K ..featuring British Psychobilly Rockabilly & Garage trash band’s that have recorded at the Famous Western Star recording studio’s. I believe all self-penned number’s here ? representing track’s from the vast vault’s at Western star and hand-picked by Alan Wilson and unleashed for your pleasure !.
Review
Track 1. Weazeldust “Beam me up” I’d call this a good time rock n roll sounding track , mid paced with some cool sax and neat guitar break’s in the middle with the lyrical content bringing a tale about being basically pissed off with life’s down point’s..and just wanting to be “beamed up” to avoid the pain that life can bring !
Track 2. Triffid eaters “Blood , rust, hook’s and chain’s “ – This female led vocal number start’s off in a cool garage fuzz kinda way.. it’s a real snarling vocal too !.. she delivers a track here that brings a picture of torture and nastiness in a breakers yard. Far far away from anyone hearing ya scream for mercy..which I doubt as you’d get any anyway… a nice vicious trashy punk number !.
Track 3. Go go cult “desolation stroll” – Now this bunch of garage oik’s from the Reading area seriously deliver here with a great chunk of garage trash that start’s off with a slow voodoo beat and Nigel’s unmistakeable vocal clawing at your unsuspecting souls… it then hit’s a ferocious peak in pace and drop’s you back down onto the jungle floor and back again for another swing round the head’s of these gothic gorehounds.. a real treat that takes you wandering the wastelands of real nasty garage punk heaven.
Track 4. The Devil wrays “ Devil wrays” – A fast paced psychobilly number here from the now defunct Brighton band ( sadly ) that has some nice thumping slap bass and drum beat’s to match, that drive this track along with the growling vocal and some blistering guitar work… they were a great live band when they were around as well… crackin’ track !.
Track 5. Norm and the Nightmares “Diddley squat” – The Birmingham based band deliver a cool number here of psycho styled “Diddleyesque” rockin’ beauty!... it’s a cracker with Norm’s sense of humour coming through as ever on his lyrics. a song basically of being broke and dreaming of the opposite. As we all do !!. It has the expected Bo diddley sound , and very well done indeed but with that comical side of Norm’s persona coming through… lovely stuff !.
Track 6. Don E Sibley and the bastard son’s of Cavan “ going down south” – I like the vocal on this one , no nonsense rock n roll ..teddy boy style.. it has that late 70’s feel to it in a way..not really ground breaking but it’s ok.
Track 7. Reservoir Ted’s “Hole in the ground” – this follows nicely from the previous track but certainly pick’s up that late 70’s early 80’s teddy boy flag and fly’s it higher with a bit more oompf !!.. pretty cool number.
Track 8. Pretty Grim “ Kitchen Utensil” This starts off with a nice fuzzy punked up guitar sound and drum beats to match… but it doesn’t really seem to reach it’s full potential and actually get going properly for some reason ?!.. Paul’s vocal seems kind of lost in all honesty on this track ..sadly not my bag and I’d say the weakest track on that album. I would imagine this to sound better live tho in a sweaty back room of a pub on a drunken night out !!.
Track 9. King’s of outer space “memoirs of a haunted man “ Giggsy’s vocal is another that I’d say is pretty well recognisable , & here he delivers the good’s with a cool little bopping number showing off the class of the Bristol based band… with a lovely double bass that sit’s nicely in the background all the way through from start to finish .. infact the whole band ooze class !! & I don’t know how you’d actually put these guy’s into a genre bracket in all honesty ?... they are one of those band’s that might be to heavy in places for the purists ? (though not with this particular number) and may seem to rockin for those psychobilly fan’s that like the heavier side of it all ( again ,I do know a lot of psycho’s that love these guy’s though and I myself am included in that bracket !! ).. I’d say it can easily sit in both stables with an ease for sure .. I am led to believe that this year is their last as a band playing live ?.. this could (hopefully) be wrong ? and with any luck they will be back out there spreading their own brand of intergalactic rockin for some time to come !.
Track 10. Go go cult “New Messiah” – From start to finish this track , and band take you off into another dimension with their fast paced nasty garage punkabilly rock n roll trash !!.. A great track indeed that has the dark twisted mind’s of the Go go Cult preaching their own brand of trash to the ever growing band of followers… all hail the new messiah !.
Track 11. Triffid eaters “ Poor skinny Adam” – A song of tragedy and suicide sung with punk rock attitude and a garage trash venom.. the female vocal sit’s nicely on top of a slow paced track until the last 20 seconds or so when it all explodes into a furious punky boppin track that bring’s you a happy feeling along with hand clap’s no less !!... yes , it’s all in here and I really like the “ no bullshit” vocal that kick’s you where it hurt’s…. and it’s meant to as well !!.
Track 12. Triffid eaters “ Pride of Zombie nation” – With the jungle rhythm drums leading the way the vocalist almost drag’s you crawling through the dead zone…almost spoken / sung with pain of a zombiefied lunatic … I dig it… it’s raw and alarmingly good !
Track 13. Sam Goddard & the rock n roll trio “ Psycho science” – This is s a cool rockin psycho track with some neat guitarwork in between Sam’s vocal warning / attack on any unsuspecting fool mad enough to cross her out there !.. it’s a warning for sure of a psychobilly girl that’s gonna seek revenge if treated badly and not by finishing with ya..she’ll finish ya off with some psycho science and god damned Goddard voodoo and a method of castration that makes my toes curl at the thought of it !. Great track and I would like to hear more from the ex Cowboy and the Corpse / Optic nerves bass player.
Track 14. Don E Sibley and the bastard sons of Cavan. “Right girl,wrong time” – this track compared to the previous number by these guy’s is far more rockin’ in my opinion… with a slice of trash thrown in for good measure with the vocal sounding not too dissimilar in places to the great Cannibals Mike Spencer.. not a bad number at all.
Track 15. The Devil Wrays “Shake it” – A corker of a track here with the vocal given a nice fuzz overhaul !..a cool trashy 60’s beat feel to it all and not to far from sounding like the mighty Sonics !!.. it does make ya wanna shake it for sure !!...
Track 16. Devil wrays “ Trouble” – This track by the band goes neatly back to their psychobilly sound but also has in places that feel of the Tall boys ( I felt drawn toward “set the world on fire” for some reason ?!!..in a good way ! )... a fast paced psycho stomper that does slip back to the typical slow bit , fast bit style.. BUT at a nitro pace this rocker gives you the best of a band with growling vocals, ripsaw guitar and thumping slap bass and driving drums.. a mighty fine track !.
Track 17. Devil wrays “ Voodoo hands” – Closing the album off with 3 in a row for the Devil Wrays !.. here is a number that is a cool mid paced track that I’d say is rockin psycho played how it should be !.. vocal reminded me at times of early Lost souls ?!.. and musically in places kind of has a niteshift trio feel to it with a near neo sound ?!.. whatever it reminds me of ?..it’s a superb end to a pretty damned cool mixture of bands & track’s from the vault’s of Mr. Wilson’s Western Star label !.. A recommended ride on the punkabilly helter skelter … he’s provided the nuggets but you’ll have to get ya own chips !.
Reviewed By Tobe Wright
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