Eddie & the Hot Rods - "Teenage Depression" (Island Records, 1976)

Like the Count Bishops, Little Bob Story or the Gorillas, Eddie & the Hot Rods were the links between the tough rhythm & blues explosion of pub rock and the super speed rebellious attacks of punk rock. If you ask, for me the best combination on rock n’ roll! With one foot stompin’ strongly on the Pretty Things' or even the Rolling Stones' early days and the other on the American garage punk forefathers (the Sonics, ? & the Mysterians) - the Hotrods created for three at least years a fuel injected rock n’ roll that had not many rivals or emulators!

On their debut LP “Teenage Depression” one year before the official arrival of British punk movement (1976) with the Pistols, the Clash and all the others, combined the Who’s and the Pretties’ tough enuff riffs and rhythms with a teenage angst that many were about to adopt some months later. Their taste on rock n’ roll through what choose to cover here, says exactly what the influences were for these punks.

Joe Tex’s “Show Me”, Sam Cooke’s “Shake” and of course the Who’s “The kids are alright” makes them look to our eyes like mods that lost their paths!

The homonym track of the album is the absolute punk track! Loud & snotty, anguished to the max with a “No Future” trademark written all over it, again 12 months or so before Johnny Rotten and co.

The ultimate outsiders’ Long Play that came outta Britain during the whole 70s decade! Nevermind the Sex Pistols, here’s Eddie & the Hot Rods!

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Teenage Depression

Motörhead - "The Dave Edmunds Tracks" (Excerpt from "On Parole" Reissue, 1997 - EMI)

This is not an official release. I borrowed these Dave Edmunds produced tunes from the 1997’s re-issue of “On Parole”.

But let’s take things from the start. Almost all Motörhead fans agreed to the fact that the best ever line-up was Mk2. The one that had Lemmy, “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor. I was surprised when I finally came to conclusion that MANY of the fans had a blur on this and think of the aforementioned personnel as the original… If you are one of these, let me tell you this – WRONG!

The original line-up of Motörhead had except of course for Lemmy, the psychedelic punk legend of the Pink Fairies, Larry Wallis on guitars and Lucas Fox on the traps. “On Parole” was actually the first Motörhead recording and it was planned to be released by United Artists. For many reasons (chickened?) the company put it on naphthalene and after band’s success in the late 70s, hit the streets in 1979 just to cash in.

What it had inside its grooves, were all the known debut’s tracks but on a different approach. And that’s the interesting part of the story! I’m sure you all know about Rockfield Studios on Wales and the man behind them, Dave Edmunds.

Dave Edmunds except for a wide known roots rock n’ roll artist (perhaps the last true of an era) was also and excellent producer. He produced among others the Flamin Groovies, the Stray Cats and Ducks Deluxe, giving the original 50s or 60s touch all these bands needed. So what the hell happened with Motörhead?

Lemmy and co. picked him up and cut together four demos of the well known now “On Parole”, City Kids”, “Motörhead” plus Motown’s (!) classic “Leavin’ Here”.

Well, this is your only chance to catch up Motörhead stripped to the bone (more..?), steeped on rhythm & blues, much boozier than ever with an end result sounding like the BEST PUB ROCK BAND IN THE WORLD! Something like Ducks Deluxe on speed! The noise’s still here but you really need to hear this and understand what I’m trying to tell. Even if the tracks are already familiar and many times heard by you, here have something how shall i put it...? Original. You have the sense that Chuck Berry sew there and played all the licks! You think that this thing captured on Memphis Tennessee and SUN studios instead of the island. To these ears these 4 blasts, remain the best recordings of the wild beast under the sulfurous mark of Motörhead! A devastating session that deserves every bit of the legend around it!  
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The Dave Edmunds Tracks

Suzi Quatro - "Can The Can" (RAK Records, 1973)

When it comes for Suzi Quatro, forget every other girl that tried to rock n' roll.
And that's a perfect debut album. Actually this one must be one of the superior debuts ever. Glam in the hooligan way of Slade, with more attention to ripped jeans than glitter clothes and chock full of dynamites! I must admit that i fell for this record immediately - just by staring at it. I still think of the front sleeve as one of the coolest in rock n' roll! Take a look at the gang, d'you really think these dudes (including Suzi) had anything in common with other (great) glam groups but lame on the looks, like the Sweet par example? I don't know why this fucker still counts as "glam" but anyway...
A true Detroit rock n' roll band, working on a formula that simply couldn't go wrong (Slade meets the Stones and then hit the gas!). From the fire-burner openers of "48 Crash" and "Glycerine Queen" to "Skin Tight Skin" and the EXCELLENT covers on "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Shakin All Over", Suzi and the gang just rips and never looks back! But don't be fooled, this thing here has no failed melody, no failed note and no failed attitude throughout its existence!
The sexiest piece of rock n' roll ever buried in a vinyl's furrow (OK i got too far here, i mean in the glam years and add to the the picture Marc Bolan too) and yes as much as cliche that is, without Suzi - No Joan Jett and no Runaways at all!
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 Can The Can

PS: Once i had the pleasure to interview her by email... So cool, so sexy and so down to earth after all these years!

The Runaways - "The Best of The Runaways" (Mercury, 1987)

During their heyday, the Runaways treated like shit. Most of the so-called "rock writers", dismissed them as a commercial trick. Thankfully time was on their side and today the band has won the fans admiration as one of the very first all female bands that rocked and most important, rolled the world!
That's a very old CD. To tell you the truth i was anxious to see if this plastic thing still plays on a CD player. The date on the back cover says "1987", and my marked signature ( i used to stain all my records with my name and the date bought them) "1992"... This must be one of the first if not the first ever official conveyance of the Runaways old vinyl catalog to a digital format.
Even though since the first years of the 00s i completed with all their records my collection, this thing still gives me fond memories. It was one of the first 10 CDs of mine (for sure) and of course it played countless times on my parents home stereo at FULL VOLUME!
I'm not going to to write here the Runaways story. There is plenty of better information on the net plus a new movie on 'em with the collaboration of most Runaways members (Joan, Cherrie, Lita). I didn't see it yet but i will on the first chance. Along with the Ramones and the Pistols, Runaways were my first darlings on rock n' roll. For a teenage boy, girls with leather jackets, skin tight jeans and guitars was a blast! To tell you the truth still is. I was from the beginning a Joan Jett guy, but i stole many posters from my metalhead friends with Lita Ford in enormous SEXY outfits! Imagine "Pictures of Lily" by the Who but replace the name "Lily" with "Lita" and you'll get the picture for what Ford did to my teenage libido!
Anyway, this is a good place for starters i think. I mean after this, hunted down and get all of the Runaways material, so this must be a good place indeed.
Hats off to Kim Fowley for picking them up, promote them this way (a jailbait sleazy adolescent fantasy) and make more boys in a Prog / Disco age turn their heads on rock n' roll! And YES, sex is a good reason for someone to like Rock n' Roll!

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 The Best Of..

R.I.P. Sandy West 

http://therunaways.com/

http://www.runawaysmovie.com/

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - "Album" (Original Release, 1983 - Blackheart Records)

Avoid immediately cliches like "one of the first female rockers", "good but childish" or "godmother of punk". All of those stupid, easy phrases had nothing to do with Joan Jett!
If rock n' roll to be played in its purest stripped down form it's childish, well that's the main reason liking it!
Joan's one of the few still out there preaching for rock n' roll the way this devil's thing should be preached! A glam-y approach on the Stones and AC/DC with the snarl of punk rock and the hip shake of an early Elvis is what Joan Jett & the Blackhearts always were and thank god still are!
"Album" had the sad fortune to be the follower of "I Love Rock N Roll" LP and as you can easily guess lacks on glamour but kicks ass when it comes for the music! Arguably the best and strongest Blackhearts LP! I believe that the band was relaxed by success instead of anxiety and throughout this burner, quite simply the Blackhearts really tear into a manic and well straitlaced rock n' roll - indicating how GOOOOOD they were!
Don't try (to) find here "I Love Rock N Roll"s or "I Hate Myself For Loving You"s....
What you get it's a astonishing "Fake Friends", two excellent covers on Stones' "Star Star" (one of my very fave Stones toons ever!) and Sly's "Everyday People" or a killer a stripped re-edition of the Runaways "I Love Playin with Fire"... That are the standouts but as i said, this is a well wound up record from start to finish!
Don't be fooled, nix journalist of Rolling Stone or Billboard is smarter than Kim Fowley! And Joan Jett's one more reason for thanking this maverick for what he did for or better on rock n roll!
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Album