Brian James and his early reprobate band mates Captain, Rat and Mr Vanain first knocked the first coconut off the Punk shy in 1976 with the blistering single ‘New Rose’. A song that is rightly regarded as a Punk classic and still gets played when either The Damned or Brian James take to the boards. Twenty Eight years after it’s original French release the album, along with a couple of bonus tracks gets a second airing. Opener ‘The Twist’ is unmistakably James as the song seers with an overflowing Damned riff. The vocals have a reserved gentle rasp that edges towards Thunders rather than Vanain. The dirty Dolls needle vibe of ‘Cut Throat’ is a basic smear of early Indie Punk while ‘Slow It Down’ rips the lid off and tips it’s simplistic R’N’R contents onto the grateful carpet. Both ‘Another Time, Another Crime’ and ‘I Said No’ resonate with shredding familiarity as James throws out riff after riff. The mid-paced instrumental cut ‘Bibbly Bubbly Paced ‘ crackles along before an atmospheric and darkly charming ‘Pretty Lil Girl’ flits into the unsafe alley shadows. The loose garage independent rocker soundtrack flows like a lazy pool through the relaxed ‘Ain’t That A Shame’. ‘Prime Time Blues’ ricochets off egg box covered walls while ‘You Try’ chugs along with asthmatic vocals. The Western kissing ‘Cut Across Shorty’ is followed by the album-closing body-blow of ‘Polka Dot Shot’. The roots and essence of (classic) Punk Rock are evident in Brian James’s work and the man himself and this re-release is a worthy addition to any record collection.
BRIAN JAMES
Re-released Self Titled Debut
Easy action Records
8/10