Bang - Best of Bang (Hardrock US 1971-74 Incl. Unreleased Tracks)

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Bang is an American hard rock/heavy metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, active briefly in the early 1970s and again since 2014. The group was formed by drummer Tony Diorio, bassist/singer Frank Ferrara, and guitarist Frank Gilcken and released three albums on Capitol Records, scoring one minor hit single with "Questions", which reached #90 on the Billboard Hot 100. They were strongly influenced by Black Sabbath, and are considered forerunners to the doom metal genre. 

The group briefly reformed in the early 2000s and recorded 2 more CDs worth of music. In 2004 the concept album "Death Of A Country" was released on CD and LP. This album was recorded in 1971 and was intended to be released as the band's first record, but was shelved by Capitol Records because they did not feel that putting out a "heavy concept album" as the band's debut would be commercially viable. Later that year, their self-titled sophomore record was released and became their official debut instead.

On January 6, 2014 Bang announced their reunion. Original drummer and lyricist Tony Diorio continues to contribute lyrics, while Matt Calvarese performed drums live.

On August 15, 2017, Bang released their autobiography entitled "The BANG Story: From the Basement to the Bright Lights," written with Lawrence Knorr. The book was published by Sunbury Press. 

As the saying goes, many are called but only a few are chosen, and that certainly applies to Bang's disappointing career in the big picture of early-'70s hard rock and heavy metal. Briefly hyped as top contenders fighting for scene supremacy, and once praised as America's answer to Black Sabbath, the power trio quickly saw its promise squandered, instead, due to their own inexperience and overbearing managerial intervention that diluted Bang's original musical vision and derailed their bid for success within a few short years.

Bang's story began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with high school friends Frank Ferrara (vocals/bass) and Frankie Glicken (guitar, vocals). Aged just 16 and soon-to-be dropouts, the pair linked up with experienced drummer and lyricist Tony Diorio (their senior by nearly a decade) in the fall of 1969, and set about rehearsing covers and original material inspired by rising heavy rock groups like Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, and Led Zeppelin. Early shows by what was then called the Magic Band also featured a proper lead singer and several different keyboard players, but only the core trio was willing and able to endure the ensuing 18 months of basement woodshedding, while composing an ambitious conceptual suite entitled Death of a Country. 

When the newly renamed Bang finally emerged from this subterranean apprenticeship in early 1971, their naïve self-assurance knew no bounds; so a friendly tip was all it took to send them off to Florida, where they talked themselves into an opening slot for the Faces and Deep Purple in Orlando, and impressed the concert booker enough for him to take a chance on managing them. Thanks to his connections, Bang spent the entire summer performing all over the eastern seaboard and then repaired to Miami's Criteria Studios in August to record the aforementioned Death of a Country album, confident it would land them the major-label contract they so coveted. 

They were right about that first part, at least, since Capitol Records indeed agreed to sign Bang to a four-album deal, but then refused to release their independent recording, which, in fairness, revealed a band still honing its heavy rock chops with a lot of cynical flower child nonsense (Death of a Country would only see the light of day some 40 years later, as part of Rise Above's career-spanning Bang box set).

Luckily, Bang's next trip into the studio did in fact result in their eponymous Capitol debut, which was unveiled to the buying public in February 1972. Filled with virtually all-new material and boasting a much more direct and modern hard rock style (bye-bye psychedelia), its songs were clearly indebted to primary heroes Black Sabbath, but also stood up in their own right. The LP's first single, "Questions," steadily climbed into the Billboard Hot 100, but stalled at number 90, around the same time that Capitol was coincidentally undergoing an internal overhaul, leaving Bang no other option than to get to work on their sophomore album. 

Sadly, the recording of the Mother/Bow to the King LP saw drummer Tony Diorio, first sidelined by session musicians, then ejected from Bang due to external pressures that also forced the group to take some of their songs in more commercial directions. 

Adding insult to injury, the album's chosen single was a sonically uncharacteristic cover of the Guess Who B-side, "No Sugar Tonight," which alienated existing fans and went nowhere on the radio, losing whatever interest Capitol's new regime still had in Bang's future. 

In a show of good faith (to each other, anyway), the band's two Franks decided to bring back ousted drummer Diorio as their new manager and secured more studio time in 1973 to record a new album to be named simply Music. 

Sadly, though their label had clearly already turned its back on them, Bang proceeded to disfigure their initial musical vision of their own volition, with a series of concise power pop tunes, hardly touching on hard rock at all, and ultimately sounding more like Big Star than Black Sabbath. 

As such, the end results weren't necessarily bad -- just unexpected -- and the gambit simply didn't work, in any case; Bang's touring options dried up and Capitol's patience ran out following a final single recording that was never actually released. Bang's career went out, not with a, well, bang, but with a barely audible sigh.

♦ Frank Ferrara - vocals, bass
♦ Frank Gilcken - guitar, harmony vocals
♦ Tony Diorio - drums, lyrics

01. Death of A Country 10:06 [Unreleased US 1971]
02. No Trespassing 05:10 [Unreleased US 1971]
03. My Window 04:47 [Unreleased US 1971]
04. Lions . . .Christians 03:58 [US 1971]
05. The Queen 05:24 [US 1971]
06. Our Home 03:26 [US 1971]
07. Questions 03:46 [US 1971]
08. Redman 04:52 [US 1971]
09. Mother 04:23 [US 1972]
10. Humble 04:43 [US 1972]
11. Keep On 03:38 [US 1972]
12. Idealist Realist 04:30 [US 1972]
13. Feel the Hurt 05:18 [US 1972]
14. Windfair 03:07 [US 1973]
15. Don't Need Nobody 03:03 [US 1973]
16. Exactly Who I Am 03:39 [US 1973]
17. Slow Down 02:38 [Single US 1974]
18. Feels Nice 02:57 [Single US 1974]

Part 1: Bang

Part 2: Bang

Part 3: Bang

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Part 1: Bang

Part 2: Bang

Part 3: Bang

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Part 1: Bang

Part 2: Bang

Part 3: Bang

Various Artist - Mainstream Records US 1966-70

Size: 361 MB
Bitrate: 320
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

Between 1967 and 1970, New York’s Mainstream label, a respected imprint known principally for its high quality jazz and soundtrack catalogue, recorded and released over two dozen full-length rock albums. “All Kinds Of Highs: A Mainstream Pop-Psych Compendium 1966-70” collects the best moments from these records, along with selected highlights from Mainstream’s singles inventory of the same period.

It was still an era where there was no guarantee that even a significant hit single would grant an artist the luxury of a long-playing disc. Yet, in an assiduous move, company president and A&R chief Bob Shad single-handedly traversed the nation to assemble a roster of unknown rock bands, have them quickly record LPs in the styles of the moment, and then throw it all up at the proverbial ceiling, to see what would stick. 

At the time, and for some years after, Shad’s rock’n’roll splurge was viewed, somewhat cynically, as emblematic of the industry’s gross exploitation of the baby-booming psychedelic milieu. As popular music got more self-consciously cerebral and the Rolling Stone mindset took over, the rock album had become a sacred totem, an instrument of the “serious” artist. Which no doubt precluded any of the Mainstream acts getting taken seriously.

I always did, however. Back in the 80s, a Mainstream album, when you were lucky enough to spot one in the vinyl hostelries of London, was a fascinating curio. Intriguingly cryptic names such as the Bohemian Vendetta or Tangerine Zoo, emblazoned upon garish pop-art sleeves, stood out in the racks. My friend Tom (later in Th’ Faith Healers and Quickspace Supersport) and I vied with each other to “collect the set”, as it were, but truthfully, at the time, the Mainstream psychedelic albums seemed too few and far between, and I was frankly too broke. 

It wasn’t until I later moved to the US that I caught up on classics from the Tiffany Shade, Jelly Bean Bandits and Growing Concern and also started acquiring some of the numerous non-LP singles on Mainstream and its subsidiary Brent – many of which, by Fever Tree, Paraphernalia, the Country Gentlemen and suchlike, are true gems. It always struck me that Bob Shad was a kind of unwitting patron of pop-psychedelia, or at least a chronicler of American rock at a grass roots level. 

He had a knack for frequently choosing groups that had something a little out of the ordinary, whether it be in songwriting chops, instrumental abilities, or just a unique slant, that to revisionist ears is a most appealing aspect of the label’s rock legacy. Mainstream artists in this era touch equally on Anglophile pop, folk-rock, world music, country and vocal harmony, in often thrilling manner. 

It also occurred to me as I collected Mainstream releases that, while each album had merit, there were always tracks that stood out. Using the “Nuggets” precept, it made sense to gather all these strongest moments together. Thus we have “All Kinds Of Highs”, which focuses squarely and unapologetically on the pop-psych end of the spectrum, eschewing the hard rock or horn rock stylings of later Mainstream acts such as Last Nikle, Josefus etc. That can be someone else’s compilation – in the meantime, revel in the glorious, groovy miscellany assembled here.

In retrospect, the relentless outpouring of records in the mid-to-late 1960s is nothing short of astounding by today's standards. Groups were forming at lightning speed and constantly cutting singles and albums released by major record companies, as well as small independent labels. The music biz attitude of the time can very well be summed up as such: "Hey, let's throw this tune against the wall, and if it sticks, if it's a hit, then perfect! If it flops, so what? There's plenty more where this came from." Both Top 40 AM radio and the emerging underground FM stations were only too happy to play the records, and the rapid turnover of 'product' was downright exhilarating for the listener.

With the explosion of folk-rock, garage and psychedelia that followed the British invasion, one American indie label that attempted to capitalize on the many new bands appearing on the scene was the New York City-based Mainstream Records, previously responsible for putting out jazz albums. 

Mainstream signed groups ignored by major labels like Columbia, Capitol and RCA, or other independent outfits such as Elektra.

Future hard-rock guitarist Ted Nugent and his band, the Yardbirds-influenced Amboy Dukes, found themselves on Mainstream, and were rewarded with the hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind," which kicks off this new 2CD compilation. It's the best-known number on here, since the other groups on the label (The Fever Tree, The Fun + Games Commission, The Jelly Bean Bandits and The Superfine Dandelion among them) never achieved a similar level of commercial success. 

The competition during this period was intense, and talented Mainstream bands like these basically slipped through the cracks, only to be re-discovered by collectors years later. The variety and top-notch quality of the psychedelic pop, garage-raunch, and all-around fuzz-filled freakiness on this collection is, to use the era's lingo, a total trip!

Disc 1:
01. The Amboy Dukes - Journey to the Center of the Mind 3:16
02. The Orient Express - For a Moment 2:03
03. The Country Gentlemen - Saturday Night 1:55
04. Stone Circus - Mr. Grey 3:05
05. Ellie Pop - Caught in the Rain 2:33
06. The Tangerine Zoo - Nature's Children 3:49
07. Fever Tree - Girl, Oh Girl (Don't Push Me) 2:34
08. The Tiffany Shade - An Older Man 3:03
09. The Six Pents - Please Come Home 2:16
10. Bohemian Vendetta - Riddles & Fairytales (45 Edit) 2:40
11. The Underground - Get Him Out of Your Mind 2:40
12. The Art of Lovin' - You'll Walk Away 2:24
13. The Grammy Fones - Now He's Here 2:15
14. Jelly Bean Bandits - Generation 2:55
15. The Superfine Dandelion - Crazy Town (Move on Little Children) 2:24
16. The Orphans - Twenty Light Years Away 6:10
17. The Growing Concern - Edge of Time 4:30
18. The Fun and Games - Someone Must Have Lied 2:37
19. The Tangerine Zoo - Can't You See 3:49
20. The Wrongh Black Bag - I Don't Know Why 2:20
21. The Underground - Easy 2:47
22. The Tiffany Shade - One Good Reason 2:22
23. The Scarlet Letter - Timekeeper 3:13
24. The Art of Lovin' - You've Got the Power 2:57
25. Ellie Pop - Can't Be Love 2:34
26. Jelly Bean Bandits - Tapestries 2:24

Disc 2:
01. Fever Tree - I Can Beat Your Drum 2:01
02. The Tangerine Zoo - Trip to the Zoo (45 Edit) 2:44
03. Ellie Pop - Seven North Frederick 2:21
04. The Art of Lovin' - Good Times 2:28
05. The Tiffany Shade - A Quiet Revolution 2:03
06. The Scarlet Letter - Mary Maiden 2:57
07. Bohemian Vendetta - All Kinds of Highs 3:39
08. The Amboy Dukes - Baby Please Don't Go (45 Edit) 2:41
09. The Underground - Take Me Back 2:33
10. The Six Pents - Imitation Situation ("4/4-6/8 Time") 2:34
11. The Off-Set - You're a Drag 2:06
12. The Growing Concern - Sit Down I Think I Love You 2:24
13. Jelly Bean Bandits - Neon River 2:35
14. The Orient Express - A Little Star 2:23
15. The Tangerine Zoo - Another Morning 2:46
16. Stone Circus - Sara Wells 3:06
17. The Superfine Dandelion - Day and Night 2:47
18. The Underground - Satisfyin' Sunday 2:35
19. The Art of Lovin' - Paul's Circus 3:12
20. The Fun and Games - Today - Tomorrow 2:33
21. The Growing Concern - All I Really Want 2:20
22. Paraphernalia - Sunny Days (And Good Good Living) 2:37
23. The Tiffany Shade - Would You Take My Mind Out for a Walk 2:19
24. Maxx - 200 Years 2:42
25. The Six Pents - Tinkle Talk 2:19
26. Freeport - I Need Your Lovin' 2:44

Part 1: Mainstream Records
Part 2: Mainstream Records
Part 3: Mainstream Records
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Part 1: Mainstream Records
Part 2: Mainstream Records
Part 3: Mainstream Records
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Part 1: Mainstream Records
Part 2: Mainstream Records
Part 3: Mainstream Records

Elvin Bishop - Juke Joint Jump (US 1975)

Size: 100MB
Bitrate: 320
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

Elvin Richard Bishopnal member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of that group in 2015 and the Blues Hall of Fame in his own right in 2016.

Bishop was born in Glendale, California, the son of Mylda (Kleege) and Elvin Bishop, Sr. He grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma when he was 10. There he attended Will Rogers High School, winning a full scholarship to the University of Chicago as a National Merit Scholar. He moved to Chicago in 1960 to attend the university, where he majored in physics.

Elvin Bishop Poster US 1969

In 1963 Bishop met harmonica player Paul Butterfield in the neighborhood of Hyde Park and joined Butterfield's blues band, and remained with them for five years. Bishop was originally Butterfield's only guitarist, but was later joined by Mike Bloomfield, who largely took over the lead guitar role for the band's classic first two albums. After Bloomfield departed, the Butterfield Band's third album, The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw, took its name from Bishop's nickname and his renewed role as lead guitarist. Bishop recorded a fourth album with Butterfield, his last with the band, in 1968.

During his time with the Butterfield Blues Band, Bishop met blues guitarist Louis Meyers at a show. Bishop persuaded Meyers to trade his Gibson ES-345 for Bishop's Telecaster. Bishop liked the Gibson so much he never gave it back and has used it throughout his career. Bishop has nicknamed his Gibson ES-345 "Red Dog," a name he got from a roadie for the Allman Brothers Band.

In 1968 he went solo and formed the Elvin Bishop Group, also performing with Bloomfield and Al Kooper on their album titled The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper. The group signed with Fillmore Records, which was owned by Bill Graham, who also owned the Fillmore music venues.

Bishop sat in with the Grateful Dead on June 8, 1969, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. He opened the second set with the lengthy blues jam "Turn on Your Lovelight" without Pigpen or Jerry. He played two more songs with the Dead, "The Things I Used to Do" and "Who's Lovin' You Tonight".

In March 1971, The Elvin Bishop Group and The Allman Brothers Band co-billed a series of concerts at the Fillmore East. Bishop joined The Allman Brothers Band onstage for a rendition of his own song, "Drunken-Hearted Boy." Over the years, Bishop has recorded with many other blues artists, such as John Lee Hooker, and with Zydeco artist Clifton Chenier. In late 1975, he played guitar for a couple of tracks on Bo Diddley's The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll album and, in 1995, he toured with B.B. King.

Bishop made an impression on album-oriented rock FM radio stations with "Travelin' Shoes" in 1975 but, a year later, in 1976, Bishop released his most memorable single, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," which peaked at #3 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (and #34 in the UK charts). The recording featured vocalist Mickey Thomas and drummer Donny Baldwin who both later joined Jefferson Starship.

Bishop feels that the limitations of his voice have helped his songwriting.

During the 1960s and 1970s he recorded for the Fillmore, Epic and Capricorn labels.

01. Juke Joint Jump 5:32
02. Calling All Cows 4:30
03. Rollin' Home 4:57
04. Wide River 5:54
05. Sure Feels Good 2:48
06. Arkansas Line 3:22
07. Hold On 3:42
08. Crawling King Snake 3:51
09. Do Nobody Wrong 4:50

1. Elvin Bishop
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2. Elvin Bishop
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3. Elvin Bishop

The Butterfield Blues Band at the Fillmore January 1967.

Various Artist - Vertigo Annual Album UK 1970 (Vertigo Label Bands)

Size: 248 MB
Bitrate: 320
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Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included
Source: Japan SHM-CD Remaster

The title of this double label sampler leads one to believe that there were plans for an annual release, but Vertigo never got any further than 1970. Contrary to the 'Heads together' sampler, this one contains previously released material only and so serves quite succeedingly as an introduction to Vertigo's miracles. 

The contents are chosen with taste: almost every track is among the best from the respective album and therefore this sampler comes recommended for anyone who wants to start to explore what the fuzz is all about.

Red foliage surely is a favourite of Keef the album designer. This time a naked lady on a dotted hobby-horse fronts the landscape. A small boy dressed in parade uniform plays the drum and looks at her. Quite striking.

The lettering is chosen in accordance to the 'annual' idea and could have been taken from any children's annual of the times.

Inside the horse's head is displayed in a coloured negative photograph and also proudly quotes underground magazine 'it': Vertigo is the least pretentiously and most happily married of the 'progressive' labels to emerge from 'neath the wings of the large record companies. 

One of those indispensable samplers, with so much going for it - label design, musical quality, rare tracks, top audio and alluring cover pics - it has become a collectors item by own merits. One cut each from the sixteen first albums realeased by the label. Most represented here didn't sell a lot back then and the originals can sometimes be hard to find or afford. I haven't had or heard all of those so I can't compare, but get the impression they picked the better or best from each. 

Some compilations have at least one downer regarding track choice or audio. On here I can't find one thing less than marvelous. From the happy-go-luckys Fairfield Parlour "In My Box" and Magna Carta "Going My Way" over the heavy Sabbath, Juicy Lucy and Uriah Heep cuts to the jazzier Nucleus, Colosseum and May Blitz it's all tophole. 

Only bad thing is I can't use it as background music when doing chores at home. The beauty entices me and sooner or later I get stuck in front of the speakers, forgetting everything about cleaning or whatever.

Vertigo Records was the late 60s progressive rock arm of the Philips Records empire. 

It is still in existence today as part of Mercury, but it is the early UK releases with "swirl" or "spiral" labels that are most sought after by collectors. 

Probably the most well known are the first four Black Sabbath LPs, but the list of artists who appeared on this label is long and varied including such diverse acts as Status Quo, Rod Stewart and Kraftwerk.  

01. Colosseum - Elegy  03.10
02. Rod Stewart - Handbags And Gladrags 04.25
03. Jimmy Campbell - Half Baked  04.42
04. May Blitz - I Don't Know  04.50
05. Juicy Lucy - Mississippi Woman  03.49
06. Fairfield Parlour - In My Box  01.59
07. Magna Carta - Goin' My Way (Road Song)  02.55
08. Affinity - Three Sisters  05.00
09. Black Sabbath - Behind The Wall Of Sleep  03.41
10. Gracious - Introduction  05.55
11. Cressida - To Play Your Little Game  03.21
12. Nucleus - Elastic Rock  04.05
13. Manfred Mann Chapter Three - One Way Glass  03.35
14. Bob Downes - No Time Like The Present  03.04
15. Dr. Strangely Strange - Summer Breeze  03.41
16. Uriah Heep - Gypsy  06.56

Bonus Tracks:
17. Catapilla - Changes  12.05
18. Gravy Train - Think Of Life  05.10
19. Jade Warrior - May Queen  05.24
20. Mike Absalom - Frightened Of The Dark  03.25
21. Ramases - Life Child  06.39
22. Patto - Give It All Away  04.10

Part 1: Vertigo Annual 1
Part 2: Vertigo Annual 2
Part 3: Verigo Annual 3
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Part 1: Vertigo Annual 1
Part 2: Vertigo Annual 2
Part 3: Vertigo Annual 3
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Part 1: Vertigo Annual 1
Part 2: Vertigo Annual 2
Part 3: Vertigo Annual 3

Bullet Proof Lovers - Shot Through The Heart (Power Rock/Punk US 2017)

Size: 88 MB
Bitrate: 320
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

In 2015, singer songwriter and power pop champion Kurt Baker capitalised on his escalating popularity in Europe by teaming up with a bunch of Spanish garage rock and bar band heroes…and LINK: Bullet Proof Lovers was born. Not so much out of necessity, but from fun, and the resulting mini-album (which had a belated US release in 2016) saw Baker tackling some of his punkiest tendencies since his days with The Leftovers.

The Lovers’ proper first album very much picks up where that mini-album left off and there’s no hiding Bullet Proof Lovers’ key interests. “I was born in the gutter…with an electrified fever” spits Baker during the first verse of ‘Ain’t No Joke’, a track that gets across the band’s desire for making their audiences sweat. This fusion of pop-punk and garage rock results in a near-perfect couple of minutes – an ideal up to anything from the previous recording. Baker’s gift for hooks is at the forefront and given the faster backdrop than his solo career so often affords, his performance bristles with life. 

He’s almost left in the dust by guitarists Luiyi Costa and Juan Irazu, though, whose two man guitar assault combines sharp riffing with a greasy punk ‘n’ roll solo that really cuts through the main melody. The rather self-explanatory ‘All I Wanna Do’ melds a Spinal Tap theory of having “a good time all the time” to more punky finery, without losing too much of that rock ‘n’ roll spirit, while ‘I’m Your Toy’ delivers more of the same on the surface, though without sounding too much like a retread. 

The power pop feel of Baker’s solo work is a touch more to the fore and perhaps a little more than on those other tracks, gives an indication of how this full-length has just a touch more variety than you’d perhaps expect. In terms of chorus, this is an album highlight, while musically, the band shows off both speed and panache, with a love of The Knack and Johnny Thunders in equal measure. The addition of a rollocking rock ‘n’ roll piano is a huge plus; Kurt’s long-time friend Kris Rodgers plays up a storm…even if his contributions are very low in the mix.

Lead single ‘I Am My Radio’ is both a celebration of a love of music, as well as a demonstration of brilliantly punchy power pop, placing Bullet Proof Lovers a couple of steps closer to the overlooked Lashes. Riff-wise, things are in full force, throwing out melodies that are somewhere between The Breakdowns, Hollywood Teasze and Radio Days. 

If you’re already familiar with Bullet Proof Lovers, you’ll find nothing new here, but the presence of an understated organ and a shredded rock ‘n’ roll solo combined with a killer hook come together to make it prime BPL fare. ‘On Overdrive’, meanwhile, churns out some classic muted riffs, with everyone excelling at a power pop/post punk crossover – the kind that takes its main thrust from the likes of old Undertones tunes and Joe Jackson’s classic ‘Got The Time’. In and out in just over two minutes, there’s no flab…just power and passion. 

Elsewhere, ‘Can’t Let Go’ makes great use of chopping riffs and an excessively fuzzy lead sound that catches the ear straight away, but the inclusion of gang vocals and a huge pre-chorus takes everything to the next level. Throughout the number, there are suggestions that the bass is furiously pumping, but an aggressive drum part and a wall of guitars seem set to leave the strongest impression. This could easily be a leftover from the previous BPL release – the band are sticking to strictly familiar territory – but it’s none the worse for that.

For those looking for something more melodic, the mid-pace of ‘One Last Night‘ should please with influences from bubble gum rock and power pop, as Baker (re)tells a tale of a relationship about to come to an end. With huge chords, a variety of surprisingly melodic soloing and a band steadily working through their own take on influences from The Scruffs, Nerves and Pezband, it’s got a great pedigree…and a chorus so infectious, you’ll be hitting the repeat button fairly swiftly. 

‘Take It Or Leave It’ falls squarely between the two main musical camps, promising hefty rock ‘n’ roll during its opening riff – with yet more piano – before falling away to reveal the kind of hooky melodicism that sat at the heart of most of Baker’s own ‘Play It Cool‘ LP. While there’s an underlying feeling that the guitarists are happiest when tearing through a riff or six at maximum speed, this number has just enough crunch within its retro pop to please the riff junkies, while showing off Baker’s traditional power pop chops. 

Having already shown an “all killer, no filler” aesthetic, ‘Radioactive Love’ closes the record with yet more pop-punk sharpness and a two guitar assault that never lets up from the start. Spiky vocals are bolstered by cheeky harmonies, while the rhythm section of Joseba Arza (drums) and Gonzalo Ibanez lock into one of the album’s fiercest grooves and – for one last time – a retro guitar adds a scorching lead break. Just for once, Bullet Proof Lovers don’t quite hit the mark when it comes to the chorus, but with speed, enthusiasm and sheer guts, they’ve got everything else on their side.

It’s fair to say, if you’ve ever had any interest in either Kurt Baker, classic punk pop or high octane new wave rock, this release has all the bases covered. Twelve songs that buzz past in the blink of an eye, ‘Shot Through The Heart’ is set to pierce through the ears of all lovers of retro, high-speed rock in all corners of the US, Spain and beyond.

Hear it…love it.

Bullet Proof Lovers bleed, sweat, and shred big hooks, loud guitars, a thundering rhythm section, and pop sensibility, ravaged with elements of Fred "Sonic" Smith, Primal Scream, The Hellacopters, and The Hives... Bullet Proof Lovers is a throwback to a time when it wasn't a sin to make fun music for people to play loud. Whether it's Cheap Trick influenced rock n' roll, thundering arena pop, or a vintage Kurt Baker power ballad, the hooks keep on coming.

Finally – a band that looks like a band.  I’m not sure about you, dear reader, but I’m slightly peeved at the number of bands that look as if Mommy has forced them into their best clothes to go to Kenny and Britney’s wedding reception.  You can hear the reluctant bassist moaning “ahw Mom…” as he’s forced to wear those lovely beige slacks she picked out for him.  It’s not right, I tell you.  That’s not to say The Bullet Proof Lovers look like they’ve picked up their stage gear from a dumpster behind a goodwill store, but at least they look like they should be toting guitars and not knocking on doors asking people if they’ve heard the good news about Jesus.

They sound like a rock and roll band too.  “Shot Through The Heart” (OK, who played the opening few bars of “You Give Love a Bad Name” in their head when they heard the title?) is a great rock and roll record with its loud pedal pressed down all the way. The tempo drops just once (but not much) on the almost Tom Petty-ish “One Last Night”, other than that, it’s head’s down, no nonsense ramalama from soup to nuts.  Caution – playing this album in your car will result in you driving really fast.

Imagine if the Ramones had stayed in school a bit longer and concentrated harder in music class.  Or if DeeDee was a huge Cheap Trick fan.  Get the picture?  These boys have done their homework, and combined pop smarts with a bit of ye olde punke rocke, but someone grabbed their dad’s Raspberries albums along the way, resulting in a healthy dose of melody to temper those loud, Steve-Jones-Is-God geetars.  If you ever dug the Hives’ tuneful garage rock, you really should check this out.

The band deliver 12 tunes in 36 minutes on “Shot Through the Heart” and as the songs crash into one another (in a most appealing manner) there’s no time for ballads, concepts, or any of that nonsense.  Once you get beyond the rather overdone “radio flipping through channels” opening of “I Am My Radio”, it’s good news all the way. The songs are all too short, too fast and over-caffeinated.  Really over-caffeinated.  But these are good things!  You want big choruses?  They’re happy to oblige – “Take it or Leave It” and “All I Want” will have you tapping your Cuban Heels vigorously before too long.

The Bullet Proof Lovers look like they belong in a barroom and sound like the Runaways’ kid brothers.  A good combination, I’m sure you’ll agree.

• Kurt Baker: Vocals 
• Luiyi Costa: Guitars, b. vocals 
• Juan Irazu: Guitars, b. vocals 
• Gonzalo Ibañez: Bass 
• Joseba Arza: Drums 

01. I Am My Radio 03:31
02. Ain't No Joke 02:49
03. Not Your Toy 02:10
04. Heart Of Stone 03:15
05. Knock Down The Door 02:41
06. One Last Night 04:39
07. Drive It Outta Control 03:12
08. Can't Let Go 02:46
09. Take It Or Leave It 03:01
10. On Overdrive 02:16
11. All I Want 03:24
12. Radioactive Love 02:36

1. Bullet Proof Lovers
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2. Bullet Proof Lovers
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3. Bullet Proof Lovers