Album Review: The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - "All The Covers (And More)"

 

Covers albums are an odd beast and the prospect of a 40 track one would've been a cause for me to shudder in certain circumstances. However, given that the band behind this are Nite Songs faves the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs, a quick cursory glance at the tracklisting will tell you that we're on safe ground.

Hand on heart, quite a few of the tracks are already available on previous Cheetahs albums but it still doesn't make their takes on the Saints' Know Your Product and the Dictators' Faster And Louder any less fun. There's the odd mis-step in here - their speeded up take on the Dogs D'Amour's Debauchery ends up sounding more like Queen's Stone Cold Crazy. But the good stuff here far outweighs the bad with the group teaming up with none other than Cherie Currie for a good run through the Runaways' Cherry Bomb and the group adding a much needed dose of extra urgency to Motley Crue's Livewire to remind you that the Crue actually had a few bangers in their arsenal before they basically turned into a cartoon version of themselves. Elsewhere, the likes of the Flamin' Groovies (Slow Death), the Dead Boys (Sonic Reducer, Ain't Nothin' To Do), the MC5 (Rocket Reducer, Looking At You) and Hanoi Rocks (Café Avenue, Taxi Driver) see the glam-punk side of things covered while takes on Iron Maiden's Sanctuary and Aerosmith's Draw The Line show off the group's heavier side. There's the odd hidden gem in there as well with the Boys' Kamikaze and Smack's Criminal both getting a good run through.

Although I wouldn't call it an essential purchase especially if you've got a good few of these tracks already, All The Covers (And More) is an enjoyable enough two and a bit hours of knockabout fun which'll pass the time nicely. Certainly worth a listen for any glam, punk and scuzz fans out there who like the Cheetahs or indeed any of the bands covered on this albun.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Garbage Days Revisited #101: The Outcasts - "Blood And Thunder" (1982)

Image
  "The running's over, time to pray..."  - The Outcasts  - Nowhere Left To Run Part of the Belfast '78 class of punk rock that also spawned Stiff Little Fingers , the Undertones, Rudi and several others, the Outcasts were late developers who, after an inconsistent start, matured into a brutally vicious punk band once they hit their stride. The group were originally signed to the infamous Good Vibrations label run by Terry Hooley (along with the likes of Rudi, Protex, Victim, the Moondogs and several others who never quite managed to break through to the big time) when they were still in school, the group would put out a series of singles and an album, Self-Conscious Over You  which was a solid effort but did sound a bit like the work of a youth club band who'd just been given a record deal. They were clearly aiming for the SLF style wall of sound but ultimately came across as a much weedier Undertones. After this, they would take a lengthy break and reassess thing
Read more

The Nite Songs Singles Bar February 2021

Image
  Well it seems oddly apt that we're visiting the Singles Bar the day before Valentine's Day for February, doesn't it? Pull up a stool, order a drink and who knows, you might just get lucky tonight. Let's take a peek and see what joys lie within this month... Definitely the most anticipated release of this month is a new single from Rich Ragany & The Digressions   ahead of their second album due in the spring and I'm pleased to report that Marionette  (🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑) is another good offering from Rags and co with a driving verse merging into a big soaring chorus. In a just world, of course, it would be a chorus that would be being bellowed from stadium rafters by hordes of adoring fans rather than this group being a well-respected cult outfit but who knows, on this evidence, they may yet change that. Either way though, this is a fine effort and well worth your attention. Bandcamp link here . It's a generally acknowledged fact that Frank Turner  is one of rock &
Read more

Album Review: New Rocket Union - "Twin Cities Breakdown"

Image
  Hailing, as the album title suggests, from Minneapolis, New Rocket Union are back-to-basics garage rock duo. But just let me reassure you that if that description is bringing back bad memories of the White Stripes' tediousness, this is a much more fired up and feral take on the genre, crashing through 11 tracks in just under 24 minutes and hardly pausing for breath on its way. Similar to Winnebago Deal if they'd been raised on the Ramones rather than Black Flag, New Rocket Union crash through the likes of Waitin' For You  and Upside Down  in a gleefully clumsy race-to-the-finish cavalcade of guitars and drums. There's the odd twist thrown into the formula like the way Outta Sight  adds a touch of Elvis style rockabilly into the equation, the Dead Boys style fury of Dirty Little Lies or Outta Mind  which brings the Streetwalkin' Cheetahs' no-nonsense chug to mind but mostly this is unapologetically simple four-to-the-floor garage punk. And that's the rub -
Read more