Page 95 - Classic Rock (February 2020)

Rising Sun. By 1976’s Save The in the US chart. Enter superfan poignant farewell single The album doesn’t quite stick in Nottingham, featured Jimmy
World they’re torn between (and soon to be superstar) Saturday Gigs. to the New Orleans blueprint Page joined by Charlie Watts,
glam and metal, but certain David Bowie, who wrote All The Neophyte or not, these tracks – although there is a fine version Jack Bruce, Paul Jones, Ian
that they want naked women Young Dudes for them while belong in any collection. of St James’ Infirmary – and Stewart and Ruby Turner. It’s
on the cover. 1978’s try-hard producing their breakthrough A golden age and then some. instead lives in the night space generally old-school stuff –
No Good Woman was cobbled fifth album of the same name. QQQQQQQQQQ of that city, with country songs representatives of a generation
together with Johnson hugging While it’s probably even less Ian Fortnam such as Lou sitting next to of rock stars who were made by
the exit door. Their Tyne was likely that there’s a new spoken-word excursions like the blues, taking a dip in the
fogging over, but the birth of generation of kids gagging to Michael The Heat Of The New Orleans primordial source of their sound
that shriek has to be hailed as buy a two-LP set of Ian Hunter- Moorcock & The Night and The Effects of Entropy. and success – although swing
a landmark. driven, lads-rocking 70s glam Deep Fix It’s an eclectic and oddly gets a nod in the cover of Neal
All QQQQQQQQQQ brilliance in the 21st century than Live At The Terminal Cafe warm collection that doesn’t Hefti’s Splanky.
Chris Roberts it is for a Classic Rock reader to not PURPLE really sound like anything else, And so we get the familiar
already know the story of Bowie Sci-fi novelist/Hawkwind except possibly Raymond trucking-down-the-dirt-track
Mott The Hoople ‘saving’ Mott, let’s suspend collaborator goes New Orleans. Chandler and The Mekons in of When It All Comes Down, the
The Golden Age Of disbelief and see how much bang Michael a philosophical mood. You revelling, raucous Got My Mojo
Rock ‘N’ Roll MADFISH any such mythical creatures Moorcock has could, if you were in the mood, Working and the relentless,
The glam Clash at their might get for their buck. been around call it country and noir, which is club-footed stomp of Willie
very best. The Golden Age Of Rock ‘N’ the block so as good a description as any for Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man,
Perpetuating Roll’s 20-song track list writes many times, he this set of urban swamp tunes. while Ruby Turner brings the
the grand itself. Side one comprises five pretty much is the block. He QQQQQQQQQQ plaster off the ceiling with Bring
tradition of from Dudes (including the single started out writing Sexton Blake David Quantick It On Home. The only complaint
ignoring the version of its epochal title track), stories, and went on to write is that the sleeve information is
band’s first followed on side two by the some of the most inventive and Jimmy Page a bit perfunctory. Surely there
four Guy Stevens-produced A and B of Honaloochie Boogie influential sci-fi of the 20th & Friends was room somewhere to name-
albums for Island Records, this (the seven-inch where Hunter century, as well as the Tribute To Alexis Korner check the members of the
inarguably brilliant double vinyl proved he could fly comfortably astonishing Mother London and STORE FOR MUSIC wonderfully named Alexis Light
collection of Mott’s finest CBS- solo post-Bowie). Six more from other non-SF, and has been 1984 tribute to late bluesman Orchestra, who put in a fine
era recordings is the ideal entry the incomparable Mott album a long-time collaborator with and broadcaster, now available shift on brass? As for Page,
point for any young dude of take us deep into side three Hawkwind. The next logical on CD, 25 years on. despite getting his own Jimmy
a curious disposition. where Roll Away The Stone departure for the author, then, Intended not as Page Jam, he plays within
After a grim five-year grind concludes guitarist Mick was surely to record a cajun a wake but himself, with no Dazed And
of much work for little reward, Ralphs’s tenure. Ariel Bender album in Paris. Which is what a “celebration Confused-style histrionics.
Mott were all for kicking their arrives to riff a quintet from The he’s done, with musical of the fact that Probably not what Korner
less-than-burgeoning career Hoople (and Foxy Foxy), before collaborator Martin Stone Alexis was here would have wanted.
into touch after 1971’s Brain Mick Ronson closes proceedings (Mighty Baby, Savoy Brown) in the first place”, this concert, QQQQQQQQQQ
Capers album ‘peaked’ at No.208 with the dazzling closing solo of and a host of other musicians. live at the Club Palais Ballroom David Stubbs

Muse

Origin Of Muse – Super Deluxe Edition WARNERS

Space-rocking maximalists revisit their roots
with mammoth multi-disc archive set.

emember the innocent time at the turn rough demos recorded in 1996 and
of the millennium when Muse were 1997, when the embryonic Devon
Ra baby-faced power trio who specialised trio were just emerging from their
in heartbroken post-grunge confessionals rather Nirvana-loving long-hair phase.
than planet-sized future-metal prog-punk Matt Bellamy’s sky-scraping
operas about genocidal alien overlords? This musical ambitions are only dimly
mammoth box sex, featuring four coloured discernible in Pixies-infused ear-
vinyl albums and nine CDs, is a handsomely bashers like Balloonatic, a ragged
packaged and mostly excellent excavation of blueprint for Twin, and Crazy Days,
this period. But with a price tag north of £100, which later evolved into Yes Please. But
Origin Of Muse will blow a super-massive black more fully rounded, melodic creations
hole in your savings, so it really needs to be like Good Time and the Radiohead-
a majestic musical banquet. tinged Boredom hint at grander
Thankfully, there is plenty to savour here, horizons beyond suburban indie-rock
including expanded versions of Muse’s first two convention. A more rocky, guitar-
albums: Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry. It’s hard centric prototype of Plug In Baby, with an entirely prosaic, but a full-length anniversary live run-
to argue with crisply remastered evergreen different lyric, is the most intriguing curio here. through of Origin Of Symmetry from 2011 is
anthems including the vaguely Mediterranean Further engaging rare cuts scattered across much closer to the stadium-rocking maximalist
oompah-chanson Muscle Museum, the Rage these discs include agreeably gnarly alternative Muse of today. That said, even the most ardent
Against The Morricone widescreen melodrama takes of Recess and Uno, plus pared-down collector will struggle through an entire CD of
Uno, and the rocket-powered roller-coaster thrill acoustic versions of Cave and Muscle Museum, instrumental demos. The killer-vs-filler ratio is
ride Plug In Baby. But serious fan interest will rare examples of Bellamy favouring fragile high here, but then again so is the price.
inevitably focus on the 40 tracks of previously understatement. A brace of Radio 1 concert QQQQQQQQQQ
unreleased material, including an entire disc of broadcasts from 20 years ago sound tinny and Stephen Dalton
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