Review by Paul Sabin for MPM
This four-disc boxset follows the formative years of the Quireboys. No nonsense brit rock is order of the day here, with added tinges of southern, whiskey fuelled blues, a dash of Irish madness and a whole lot of fun in store here.
Disc one `A Bit Of What You Fancy’ hits you straight between the eyes as `7 O’clock’ struts its dirty bar room blues riffs along to Spike’s gritty vocal.
The swagger of `Hey You’, dripping with tasty slide guitar playing makes its mark as does `Sex Party’ which stands up as a singalong crowd anthem.
The fifteen tracks found here firmly underline how no messing rock n roll stirs the soul and that’s why this album reached number two in the UK album charts when it came out and scored four top forty hits. The bad boy charm of Spike and his distinctive voice and striking similarities to The Faces sound got this rock wrecking ball rolling.
Disc two `Bitter Sweet & Twisted’ which followed three years after their debut album, arrived in a world where the music scene had evolved (some would say not for the better).
West coast American acts were now dominating the charts and there was seemingly no place for the ballsy rock penned by Spike and guitarist Guy Bailey.
All the same for those in the know there are some great tracks to be found here. The piano led `King Of New York’ is a classy departure for the band, whilst `Debbie’ goes in totally the opposite direction as its sleazy rock makes its mark.
The crunchy rocker, `Tramps And Thieves’ resides here and shows a band that’s still out to party but that now has a more mature blues influence as the track breaks down into a rolling piano before more slide guitar and upbeat rhythms pick the song up and drag it kicking and screaming back home. Maybe if the album had been released just a year earlier it could have received the welcome it so richly deserved.
Disc three consists of demos and outtakes lifted from the sessions around when the first two records were made. In the twenty tracks found within, refreshing versions of `7 O’clock’, `Roses And Rings’ and a meaty `Go Home’ make this a superb addition to any Quireboys fan collection.
Disc four is a seventeen-track romp into a world where Spike and the boys excel, and that is playing live! This is actually an embellished version of the 1990 release `Live Around The World’.
You can smell the sweat and booze as the lovable rogue that is Spike delivers the goods and excites the crowd as the truly great frontman that he is. Its loud, its not always tidy but its good time rock n roll at its very best. Wailing harmonicas, freight train guitar rhythms and a bouncing upright piano make this a winning combination that was witnessed by a massive Tokyo crowd at the time when the band was at its absolute best.
This package of discs, along with some brilliant sleeve notes written by Spike (which are worth their weight in gold alone), makes fine way to showcase the first part of the band’s rollercoaster history. As Spike now ushers in a new era of the Quireboys, I’m quite sure there’s plenty more gems to come from these rock n roll gypsies.
Coming in March, a new 4CD set exploring the first, hugely successful phase of Quireboys’ career. Featuring 2 albums, B-sides, versions, demos, and concert recordings, including the live album Recorded Around The World. Sleevenotes by the one and only Spike!
