Album Review: Andy McCoy - "Jukebox Junkie"

 

Oh-ho, what have we here then? It's been a while since I heard any new material from Finland's very own rock 'n' roll sheriff but with new offerings from Nasty Suicide/Stenfors, Sami Yaffa and of course Michael Monroe landing on our review desk in the last 12 months, the prospect of some new material from Andy McCoy, even if it's just a covers album, is always something that's gonna put a smile back on my face.

The key to a good covers album on the evidence of some of the ones we've reviewed in the last few years here at Nite Songs is either a) pick a suitably eclectic selection of songs that not everyone listening is likely to be familiar with (see the Hellacopters' Head Off or the Wildhearts' Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before for examples) or just simply kick loose and sound like you're having an absolute blast doing it (see the Skids' Songs From A Haunted Ballroom last year). And I'm happy to report that Jukebox Junkie delivers on both of these fronts - McCoy is clearly a man with an eclectic taste in music and this album dashes from reggae (an energetic run through Toots & The Maytals' 54-46 Is My Number and a dubbed-up version of Phil Lynott's Solo In Soho) through country (Miss Tennessee and a gentle take on Don Williams' Shot Full Of Love packing a killer McCoy trademark solo), rockabilly (Wanda Jackson's Funnel Of Love) new wave (a cover of Squeeze's Take Me I'm Yours which works way better than it has any right to plus Bowie/Iggy's China Girl and proof that the Divinyls were so much more than that just one song with a cover of Back To The Wall), punk (a suitably apocalyptic sounding version of the UK Subs' Countdown) and classic rock 'n' roll (well executed takes on Ronnie Wood's reefer ode I Can Feel The Fire and Chris Spedding's evergreen Motorbikin'). Throughout, the sheriff and his posse for this particular record sound as if they're having an absolute blast - the only slight miss is their cover of the Climax Blues Band's Couldn't Get It Right which is okay but suffers a bit by not being quite as good as the Fun Lovin' Criminals' take on it a few years back as the little-too-clean vocals just don't quite suit the sleazy nature of the track. Overall though, despite there being 14 tracks on here, this particular joyride feels as if it's over way too soon.

Quite simply, Jukebox Junkie is an album to cheer you up after a long day and then cost you way too much money tracking down the original versions of these songs. Like I said earlier, pretty much everything a good covers album should be then and all the better for it. 

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garbage Days Revisited #67: Jason & The Scorchers - "Still Standing" (1986)

Image
  "And though you are so far away, ten thousand miles of sorrow/This prison cannot, will not kill our blessed free tomorrow"  - Jason & The Scorchers  - Good Things Come To Those Who Wait Like a lot of Britrockers my age, it's probably Ginger Wildheart 's fault that I became a Jason & The Scorchers fan. They're a band who the G-man has never made any secret of his admiration for and the Wildhearts even covered the Scorchers classic White Lies  as a B-side to Anthem  many years ago. Most people who've heard them will happily tell you that the group's 1983 EP Fervor  and their 1985 debut full length*  Lost & Found  are classics of the cowpunk genre, the perfect missing link between Johnny Cash and the Ramones and you can add me to that list as well. The follow-up, 1986's Still Standing though? Now that one seems to be a bit more divisive. And that's why it's the one we're covering here on Garbage Days Revisited... (* - well, sort
Read more

Album Review: Steve Vincent - "Recovered From My Past"

Image
  Best known as the frontman of Brit sleaze perennials Paradise Alley, this is the first solo album from Steve Vincent. I have to be honest, Steve's day job band are one of those who I've heard of but don't recall hearing anything by but the general signs here appeared to be promising with a guest list including the Wildhearts' Danny McCormack, ex-Dolls and current Mike Monroe guitarist Steve Conte and McCormack's old Main Grains bandmate (along with several others) Ben Marsden. The first thing to be aware of here though is that if you're expecting a Soho sleaze by numbers affair then you might just be in for a bit of a surprise. If anything, Recovered From My Past  sails closer to the shores of power pop or the vintage strain of '80s Brit-glam (the Babysitters, Soho Roses, Torme, Marionette etc) with a healthy dash of early Hanoi Rocks in there as well. Certainly the harmonica honking likes of Yesterday's Man , Last Train To Babylon  and Can't Bring
Read more

Album Review: The Wannabes - "Monster Beach"

Image
The Wannabes are the musical brainchild of Nottingham resident Wayne Zenith and from looking at the guy's  Bandcamp page , I think it's fair to say he's a somewhat prolific feller with over 50 releases under various incarnations on there. Musically, as the title and artwork probably suggest, it's pretty straightforward Ramones style three-chord headbanger territory (including a competent cover of Rockaway Beach ) with a touch of the Cramps' gleefully sicko gorehound tendencies as songs with titles such as I Was There At The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stuff Cindy In The Incinerator  suggest. There's a few little tricks in there to ensure this doesn't fall into one trick pony territory though with the keyboards over the top actually adding a bit of a '60s Nuggets  style feel to some of the songs especially opener Somehow  which even has an extended piano-led break in the middle - brave move but it works. The more moody mid-paced Drag You Down  (whic
Read more