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"...Mission (Almost) Accomplished..."
Scotland’s answer to The Undertones meets The
B-52’s meets The Joe Jackson Band meets The Ramones – I remember THE REZILLOS with great affection.
A properly fun yet high-octane kick-ass three-minute
five-piece – they also packed a lyrical punch with short anthems and duet
boy/girl vocals just the right side of angry - blood on the dancehall floor
with sprinkles of comic-book/B-movie worship. The second platter was probably a
contractual thing (essentially a live version of the first) – but it also
showed that they went out dancing the snotty pogo - having a ball (or two) on
the world stage of late 70ts Punk and New Wave. Like The Undertones first
platter (also on Sire and an album I can’t be rational about either) - that
Rezillos debut is a bit of an unsung masterpiece in my book. Probably why I’m
enjoying this very cool little reissue so much.
Having said that and sung its praises - some
punters have (quite rightly) pointed out that the moniker ‘Complete Recordings’
isn’t exactly accurate. Some tracks are missing bits (possibly due to copyright
reasons after 40 years) – but for me this Cherry Red twofer is still the best
set covering their primo material so far – and the Audio rocks like a monster
too. Let’s get to the Mystery Action before somebody gets their wee timorous nut
kicked in (again)...
UK released 23 February 2018 (2 March 2018 in
the USA) - "Flying Saucer Attack: The Complete Recordings 1977-1979"
by THE REZILLOS on Cherry Red Records WCDBRED 705 (Barcode 5013929170537) is a
2CD 40-Track Anthology containing the "Can't Stand The Rezillos" LP
of 1978 and the live set "Mission Accomplished...But The Beat Goes
On" album of 1979 that followed it plus 13 Bonus Tracks of singles, B-sides
and rarities. It plays out as follows:
Disc 1 - "Can't Stand The Rezillos"
(55:11 minutes):
1. Flying Saucer Attack [Side 1]
2. No
3. Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In
Tonite
4. Top Of The Pops
5. 2000 A.D.
6. It Gets Me
7. I Can't Stand My Baby [Side 2]
8. Glad All Over
9. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures
10. I Like It
11. Getting Me Down
12. Cold Wars
13. Bad Guy Reaction
Tracks 1 to 13 are their debut album
"Can't Stand The Rezillos" - released July 1978 in the UK on Sire
Records K 56530 and in the USA on Sire SRK 6057
BONUS TRACKS:
14. I Can't Stand My Baby (7" Version)
15. I Wanna Be Your Man - Tracks 14 and 15 are
the non-album A&B-sides of their August 1977 debut UK 7" single on
Sensible Records FAB 1
16. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures (7"
Version)
17. Flying Saucer Attack (7" Version) -
Tracks 16 and 17 are the non-album A&B-sides of their December 1977 UK
7" single on Sire 6078 612
18. Top Of The Pops (7" Version)
19. 20,000 Rezillos Under The Sea - Tracks 18
and 19 are the non-album A&B-sides of their July 1978 UK 7" single on
Sire SIR 4001
20. Destination Venus
21. Mystery Action - Tracks 20 and 21 are the
non-album A&B-sides of their November 1978 UK 7" single on Sire SIR
4008. Recorded in New York and Produced by BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN and LANCE QUINN –
it peaked at No. 16 on the UK LP charts.
Disc 2 - "Mission Accomplished...But The
Beat Goes On" - Live Album Recorded 23 Dec 1978 at the Apollo Theatre,
Glasgow (53:47 minutes):
1. Top Of The Pops [Live] [Side 1]
2. Mystery Action [Live]
3. Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In
Tonite [Live]
4. Thunderbirds Are Go [Live]
5. Cold Wars [Live]
6. Teenbeat [Live]
7. No [Live]
8. Land Of A Thousand Dances [Live] [Side 2]
9. I Need You [Live]
10. Culture Shock [Live]
11. Getting Me Down [Live]
12. Ballroom Blitz [Live]
13. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures [Live]
14. Destination Venus [Live]
Tracks 1 to 14 are their second album
"Mission Accomplished...But The Beat Goes On" [Live LP] - released
April 1979 in the UK on Sire SRK 6069 (no US issue)
BONUS TRACKS:
15. Cold Wars (Live In Glasgow, 7" Mix)
16. Flying Saucer Attack (Live In Glasgow)
17. Twist And Shout (Live In Glasgow)
18. Good Sculptures (Alternative Version)
19. Getting Me Down (Alternate Version)
Tracks 15 to 17 released as a 3-track UK
7" single April 1979 on Sire Records SIR 4014
Tracks 18 and 19 first issued on the 1982
VARIOUS ARTISTS LP "Scottish Kultchur: The Barclay Towers Compilation
Album" on Supermusic SUPLP 2004
THE REZILLOS was:
EUGENE REYNOLDS and FAY FIFE – Lead Vocals
JO CALLIS [John William Callas aka Luke Warm] –
Lead Guitar and Vocals
MARK HARRIS [aka Hi-Fi Harris] – Guitar
ALISTAIR DONALDSON [aka William Mysterious] –
Bass and Saxophone
DAVE SMYTHE [aka Dr. D.K. Smythe] – Bass
SIMON BLOOMFIELD [aka Simon Templar] – Bass
ALISTAIR (Angel) PATERSON – Drums
GAIL JAMIESON [aka Gale Warning] – Backing
Vocals on "Mission Accomplished..." LP
Fans will know that in 1993 Sire Records issued
the single CD "The (Almost) Complete Rezillos..." – so named because
due to time restrictions it had "Destination Venus" from the
"Mission Accomplished..." LP missing. Not so here – so that’s good.
But in 2018 - Cherry Red Records have unfortunately clearly had licensing
problems because the Saxophone Solo that finished the "20,000 Rezillos
Under The Sea" 45-track is AWOL as are bits from the alternate of
"Good Sculptures" and the live version of "Thunderbirds Are
Go" on the "Mission Accomplished..." LP. Malcolm Dome's liner
notes don't mention this nor do the reissue credits. Personally I don’t really
find these three omissions that much of a hardship, but given the space on 2CDs
instead of one – it’s a bit of a boo-boo for sure (docked a star for that).
The Remasters are done by SIMON MURPHY at
Another Planet Music and are great – punchy as Hell – especially the live
record that seems way fiercer than I remember it (and that sing-a-long crowd
too - yes!).
The debut LP is a stunner - track after track
coming in - doing the business - then exiting without fuss or muss (beautifully
polished production by Bob Clearmountain). The brilliant one-two of Eugene
Reynolds duetting with Fay Fife on tracks like the opener "Flying Saucer
Attack" and the Dave Clark Five cover of "Glad All Over" fill
the songs with something special. Shame then that they didn't quite see
eye-to-eye and the band soon imploded on an Undertones tour in 1978 - the
"Mission Accomplished" album being something on a swan song and gift
to Scottish fans who'd loved their stuff since the first single in 1977. On
both the teenage angst of "No" (parents watching the clock as their
frisky kids head out to the clubs) and the downright comic book glee of "Somebody's
Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonite" - Reynolds and Fife sound like the
snarl of John Lydon giving it some never mind the bollocks. Their generational
voices spitting out lyrics in "2000 A.D." on a perceived hopeless
future even name-check the year we're actually in - "...it's easy to see
that 2018 will never appear...slap in the face for the human race...how will we
survive..." Well we did mate - but I’ll grant you - at the time it didn't
seem like we would.
I'm amazed at the sheer vim and vigour in
"I Can't Stand My Baby" and I still look at the green picture sleeve
on Sensible Records with a smile. The cover of Herman Hermits "I Like
It" is a hoot - but I go for the spoken finisher "Bad Guy
Reaction" every time - a fantastic kicking horse tune - those guitars
wheezing along like a runaway mare with a nosebag full of speed complete with
his manic vocals as the rocker closes with a verbal warning. And I'd forgotten
how utterly cool their cover of The Beatles "I Wanna Be Your Man" was
- a fab single track with a raw production that adds rather than detracts. The
Ska/Punk instrumental B-side "20,000 Rezillos Under The Sea" is a wee
bit of a gem too.
The live album has the home crowd baying at
their feet opening with a tight version of “Top Of The Pops” featuring Gail
Warning on duet vocals. Then quickly into the manic non-album B-side “Mystery
Action” (they way she’s acting is a mystery to me) – a musical punch that’s
still exciting after four decades. The covers of "Thunderbirds Are Go",
Chris Kenner's "Land Of 1000 Dances" and The Sweet’s brilliant
"Ballroom Blitz" (oh yeah) are the very stuff of concert fun and the
snotty little cupcake that is "Culture Shock" showed just how Power
Pop meets Punk The Rezillos were as a live entity.
So minus the glitches – I'd still say that this
is a wickedly enjoyable reissue with tasty presentation and great audio – and I
for one have been loving it to bits.
"...Don't ever try to put me down..."
- The Rezillos scream on "Bad Guy Reaction". I get the message my
borderland brothers (and gals) and will duly obey...
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