This re-issue of the Rezillos first album was an Ebay acquisition last week. I saw the band in their prime in Durham, and it was a great night out. The singles have always brought a smile to my face when I've heard them over the years, but this is a first listen to this album.
And it's great fun - a collection of short snappy, lightweight songs, with a couple of absolute bangers in there. Hit single Top Of The Pops stands out, as does opener Flying Saucer Attack, with I Can't Stand My Baby, a solid punk thrash worthy of note. (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures has a strange appeal, and Cold Wars is a favourite, too.
There are some questionable pieces - Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight really doesn't work for me, and there are two cover versions - a decent version of Dave Clark's Glad All Over, which I'm sure was a live crowd pleaser, but doesn't work on disc, while Freddie and the Dreamers' I Like It, really shouldn't work, but strangely does. As a bonus to the original release, there's the fantastic single Destination Venus, as well as the entirety of the live album Mission Accomplished, which is mostly live versions of the studio album, with a poor version of The Sweet's Ballroom Blitz as a crown rouser. I guess you had to be there.
Some bands are there for the moment, to give the punters a great night out. The Rezillos were that. It doesn't always translate to great studio albums, although there's enough to enjoy on this album.
3* - a few great songs, from a band who were fantastic live
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