The Living End- The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating

This is the band's 6th album, which was released in 2011. The album is the follow up to White Noise and continues the heavier, slower style that White Noise pioneered.

First up, In The Morning is a dog's breakfast. The narrative good and the riffs are all solid, but it's too stop-start to ever settle into a groove and the overall arrangement reeks of throwing musical ideas at a wall without any regard for cohesion.

It's a similar story for Heatwave. The riff is crunching brilliance and there are plenty of infectious moments, but it's drowning in all the extra fluff that's been thrown at it. Too many cameos, too smart for it's own good; like the worst of Modern Artillery (ouch, that's a cheap shot!).

What a coincidence that two albums in a row feature a song called Machine Gun! The Living End's song is worlds apart from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's, from the moment it kicks off with headbanging awesomeness. From there, the Clash-esque verses are brilliant, also building nicely towards each chorus. Even sitting in my leather armchair trying to objectively chin-scratch as a write this, it is impossible to not start furiously headbanging! And it all holds together very cohesively, thank goodness.

Speaking of objectivity, it is also impossible for me regarding For Another Day. Originally, I wasn't a fan. It seemed musically bland and aimlessly drifted with vague motherhood statements for lyrics, U2 style. But the band used it as entrance music for a fantastic series of gigs, and now the association brings shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Great times.

Song For The Lonely has a nice cord progression, but that's the only nice thing I can say about it. Without any real melody, it relies on overdubs and effects to fluff up a fundamentally bland song. Somehow, the verses feel overly preachy and detached. Ride The Wave Boy also falls flat for me, but I give them credit for trying something unusual with the chorus. On the bright side, the narrative is solid and the contrast between the tension and resolution sections work well.

Halfway through the album here, this Living End fanboy is doing a bit of painful soul-searching. I don't expect the band to be trotting out the Prisoner of Society style until the end of time, bands must evolve and avoid stagnation. But the composition has been quite incoherent and, more crucially, this art-rock style gives the impression of emotional detachment. Anyway, enough of my whingeing, onto the rest of the album...

Resist is just what the doctor ordered. Up there with the classic songs Wake Up and Roll On, it is absolutely dripping with emotion. Towards the end of the song, the hollywood addons (overdubs, violins, etc) make another appearance. But this time, they compliment the song perfectly and form part of a great build-up to a grandiose ending.

Away From The City, United and Universe are pretty simple pop songs, but there's nothing wrong with that! The crunching riff-rock, 80s tribute and sci-fi disco-rock are all very well executed and enjoyable. A particular highlight is the chorus of United, which begins by restraining its energy, before it whips itself into an ever-increasing frenzy.

As for the title track, the lyrics of The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating are wonderfully introspective. But the highlight is the unusual musical style, particularly the very powerful mood that is established. For me, the vivid "storm in the desert" scene feels like blasting through a post-apocalyptic desert, Mad Max style. A great example of music as a totally immersive experience.

Favourite songs

Machine Gun, For Another Day, Resist, United, Universe, The Ending Is Just The Beginning Repeating

Worthwhile?

There's a few dud songs on this album, particularly when the songs feel emotionally detached. But when they put their hearts into it, the results are exceptional as usual. So that would be a "yes" from this here fan-boy.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy- self titled

This album (often confused with Americana Deluxe, which it is not) is BBVD's debut album. It was released in 1993.

Things get off to a flying start with Jumpin' Jack, which is a cracking instrumental-ish song. However, 10 years later, the song also appeared on their live recording, by which times their musicianship had improved greatly. The debut album version is probably quite good in its own right, but I can't help comparing it to the live recording. It's the same story for Kings of Swing.

BBVD's cover of 13 Women has not been upstaged by any later albums, therefore the version on this album is a little-known treasure. The menacing mood is wonderfully intensive, thanks to a style something like slow-burn psychobilly. The prowling guitar, tortured swirling horns and driving groove make for a fantastic take on the Bill Haley hit. Also, I find the absurd premise of the song most amusing: "so a nuclear bomb went off last night", which is quickly glossed over as the song ponders the social dynamics of being the only man inhabiting a town full of women!

Compared to later albums, the arrangements are quite understated. Cruel Spell and Beggars Blues are the obvious examples which come to mind, but it also applies to the more upbeat songs. Machine Gun is similar to vintage BBVD fare, yet the instrumentals are much sparser than usual. I think it works very well. The same applies to the lyrics- simple, yet evocative. Tying this song together is an overall structure which which ebbs and flows very nicely. Great stuff.

The ending, So Long Good Bye, works well during a live show, but I think it's an awkward inclusion on a studio album.

Favourite songs

13 Women, Cruel Spell, Machine Gun

Worthwhile?

The understated approach of this debut album certainly has its charms. However, there's only a small minority of great songs and it is mostly overshadowed by later albums. In the end, I'll say yes it is worthwhile, almost purely for the cover of 13 Women.

Ska Daddyz- self titled

This album was released in 1998. Other than that, I know very little about the band! In face, this isn't actually the album art of the version I have. Strangely, the cover art on the copy that I own is nowhere to be found on the internet.

Kicking things off is the instrumental Ska Daddyz Anthem. It establishes straight away that this is a high-energy punk-ska band with the added depth of a mob of very skilled lunatics on trumpets, organs, etc. This, in my book, is a recipe for the perfect band!

I'm not a fan of the recording quality, though. The usual story is that rock engineers mixing ska bands end up struggling with horns or keyboards. Yet strangely, the opposite is true here. The drums and bass lack any bottom end punch and often sound clipped. The distortion guitar often sounds muffled, the cymbals lack sparkle and the whole thing can sound very flat at times (e.g. compressed choruses). Things aren't as bad for the softer songs, however these also lack any envelopment due to the instruments somehow sounding isolated from each other.

Although Lets Get Together technically has lyrics, personally I think of it as a wonderfully layered instrumental that just happens to occasionally have lyrics. And it's up there with Skazz at their finest. It's hard to explain, but the horn section has this vibe of tongue-in-cheek James Bond, jumping around the stage busting mock spy moves.

Holiday hits all the right notes in the verses, but chorus hooks somehow just don't bite. On the other hand, the different style of the chorus does inject some useful variety into the song. Not that things are getting monotonous, that's impossible with the fantastic organ part and all the other craziness going on in the background. But it does get better. Society is a very similar song, topped off with the fantastic chorus it deserves.

Get Up is not just a great ska song, I believe it is accessible enough to be a great pop song. The horn line is infectious, and the feelgood lyrics are wonderful. As useful though, the key ingredient is the frenetic energy, which it has in spades.

Giving us a breather is the ballad You're Mine, which uses a style which has a very high risk of turning tacky! Somehow though, they managed to avoid this (in my humble opinion!) and the result is an oddball classic. It's all tied together nicely with a gentle chorus which also injects some authentic emotion.

Rude Boy is another high-energy romp, similar to Get Up. At their core, these songs are pretty generic 3rd wave punk-ska songs. However, the genius is the plethora of instruments which all hover on the edge of chaos but somehow hold it together. The combination of energy, risk and skill makes for great listening.

On the other hand, Get A Grip is pretty clunky, with some really awkward sections and transitions. But, either as a guilty pleasure or as tongue-in-cheek, I really like the over-the-top nature of it.

The Eagles could have never imagined Hotel California being turned on its head like this! And it is brilliant, one of my all-time favourite covers. Turning the chorus melody into a maximum-attack punk-ska riff is pure genius. And Hotel California is very nicely suited to reggae verses (as The Cat Empire have also shown). To top it all off, the ending slowly whips itself into a punk-rock frenzy with the added drama of a horn section going off their nut! Epic.

Favourite songs

Ska Daddyz Anthem, Lets Get Together, Get Up, You're Mine, Rude Boy, Hotel California, Society

Worthwhile?

Totally. This obscure (even by ska standards!) album is a gem.

Various- Verve Remixed

Released in 2002, this is the first in the series of eight compilations.

But it's not for me. This style of electronica isn't something that naturally appeals to me, so it was always going to be an uphill battle for this album.

The reason I bought it was Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby, thanks to it's quirky twist using drum'n'bass'n'horn (is it trombone or French horn? I'm not sure). Even without the jazz reference, I really enjoy this as an instrumental song in its own right. And the classic lyrics on top fit nicely and are the icing on the cake.

On the other hand, Feelin' Good is just the awkward shoehorning of sampled lyrics onto a generic electronica template. It's tacky feels like nothing more than a blatant name-dropping of the brilliant original.

See-line Woman features jazz flute! Yes!! It's also nicely different to the rest of the album, thanks to the combination of the gypsy-jazz beat with work-song influence. While it all works together very nicely, unfortunately I couldn't maintain 10 minutes worth of attention to it.

To prevent any more of my whingeing, I'll end the review here. Overall, the style is ok as "end of the night" background music for a swanky bar, but it's never something I'd actively listen to.

Favourite songs

Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby

Would I buy it again?

No.

Kitty Daisy & Lewis- self titled

This is the debut album from the band. It was released in 2009.

... although you could be forgiven for thinking it was released over 50 years before that! Going Up The Country, for example, is very nearly Fats Domino reincarnated. The simple, wholesome fun has a special appeal, perhaps now more than ever.

The Fats Domino influence also carries over to the recording quality, unfortunately. I'm sorry for ripping on a home-made recording, but it suffers from several flaws: no bottom end, boomy double-bass, lots of distortion (especially the vocals) and dulled high-pitched sounds. However... although I'd prefer a cleaner sound, thankfully the genre of the music means that it doesn't detract much from the overall enjoyment.

Buggin' Blues is a bit more serious lyrically, but somehow I can't really take it seriously. The music, as per the whole album really, is toe-tapping fun.

On the other hand, Polly Put The Kettle On and Honolulu Rock-A Roll-A brings the lyrics back to pure simplicity. It's a wonderful place to be. And both back this up with wonderfully catchy melodies.

I Got My Mojo Working is also fun. Sorry, for not having anything new to say here, but it's true! While there are subtle shifts in genre between songs, the theme stays very similar. So although this review is getting quite repetitive, the album itself is remains fresh and interesting throughout.

Special mention goes to Mohair Sam for it's brilliant rock'n'roll groove. And to Say You'll Be Mine for the ol' time wholesome fun.

Which pretty much sums up the album. It's a fantastic collection of simple, feelgood tunes. What else can I say?!

Favourite songs

Going Up The Country, Polly Put The Kettle On, Honolulu Rock-A Roll-A, I Got My Mojo Working, Mean Son Of A Gun, Hillbilly Music, Mohair Sam, Say You'll Be Mine

Worthwhile?

Yes! As music seeks to constantly better itself with through complication, who would have thought that such a simplistic and dated approach could be so enjoyable. (sorry for going all philosophical!)

Various- Metalliska

The compilation was released in 2000. However the title is a bit misleading: there's only one Metallica song, and the style of many songs is more punk than ska. A more correct title would be "punk-ska bands play hard rock covers", but I guess that's not quite as catchy!

Although I do support the basic premise (more on that later), The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' version of Ain't Talkin' Bout Love shows what happens when it goes wrong. Sadly, it's just a bad cover of a metal song, with some token ska awkwardly thrown in at the end.

On the other hand, Motorbreath: by MU330 brings the worlds together perfectly, resulting in a unique offbeat style with dashings of The Clash at their gritty best. Although I'm not familiar with Metallica's original version, it works perfectly here, in particular the majestic horn line. The gutteral vocals are another highlight. This song has introduced me to the band and further investigation is definitely required. Uncouth. Brilliant

Kiss Me Deadly could be any Reel Big Fish song, really. In fact, I think it's their single "The Kids Don't Like It" with a few tweaks. But, as a fan of the band, that's totally fine by me.

Cherry Pie by Nicotine needs more ska...

Given that the original We're Not Gonna Take It was already ridiculously over-the-top, it's hard to see how a cover can top it. However, Less Than Jake's punk cover also perfectly captures the clueless brat attitude. It's (tongue-in-cheek) anger over musical substance, but it's still good for a chuckle.

The lyrics of AC/DC's Big Balls are comedy gold. It's all about the LOLs, so this cover also does the job (*cough* although Loin Groin's version is better). I was actually surprised to read it's by The Pietasters, it sounds nothing like them. The silly ending is a nice touch, though.

The song Iron Maiden perfectly represents the premise of this compilation: heavy metal self-righteous anger juxtaposed with the whimsical ska style. Big D and the Kids Table have nailed it. It's so vehement. Yet so impossible to take seriously! I really dig it.

The Slackers slow things down for a wonderful dub version of Wanted Dead Or Alive. The menacing yet understated groove works perfectly and gives the song a great mood. Very classy.

Speaking of classy, The Porkers do class with a capital "k"! However, their strength lies in hi-octane rock-ska with an infectious energy. On paper, Kiss and The Porkers are a match made in heaven. So Kickstart My Heart is, of course, brilliant. Musically, this cover actually has got more going on than the original. The action comes thick and fast from every direction.

The Final Countdown is a favourite of mine for playing a game of "Here's a song you know, how long until you can work out what song it is?" with unsuspecting friends! The cover is a complete cheese-fest, but that's the appeal. Having said that, Furillo do get things seriously cooking at the end, so there is also some genuine headbanging to be enjoyed.

Unfortunately, by the time Skif Dank's You Gave Love A Bad Name comes along, I'm getting a bit over the whole routine of garage punk-ska bands thrashing something out with some token horns and offbeat guitar sections. So in it's defence, maybe if it were earlier in the album, I would have been kinder to it.

Ballroom Blitz by Peacocks has a really interesting rockabilly influence. Finally, Regatta 69's softer style of Talk Dirty To Me is nicely refreshing. It reminds me a lot of Buck-O-Nine and the chorus is wonderfully catchy.

Favourite songs

Motorbreath (MU330), Kiss Me Deadly (Reel Big Fish), We're Not Gonna Take It (Less Than Jake), Iron Maiden (Big D and the Kids Table), Wanted Dead Or Alive (The Slackers), Kickstart My Heart (The Porkers), The Final Countdown (Furrillo), Talk Dirty To Me (Regatta 69)

Worthwhile?

It's a very silly album. So, of course, the answer is yes!