Something strikes me a bit uneasy about old school punk bands releasing live albums; they generally don’t sound too great in my experience. But maybe I’m just too used to Ryan Greene-esque super productions.
UK SUBS are no doubt a band that has influenced many over the years, but you can’t help but feel that they’re suffering from TOM JONES-itus; i.e. they don’t know when to lay it to rest. As harsh as that may sound, the evidence, being this album, suggests that they are beyond their best nowadays. Even though they’re a band from back when punk was raw and in your face, the general out of tune, boozy, shouted vocals can surely only appeal to people who are still stuck in the same time warp.
The music I have to say does sound pretty tight, but it is only fairly basic three chord stuff anyway. It’s a shame it’s so quiet in the mix though, with the vocals drowning pretty much everything else out. Throughout the 15 tracks I swear I can hear the same riffs and melodies repeated several times but I suppose it was a winning formula for the band for so many years. What should get a mention though is the detailed history of the band in the liner notes; it made for an interesting read while listening to the album. I’m sure for any fan of the band from back in the day it would be a good trip down memory lane, or for people like myself, it provides a history lesson of the life of a well respected and influential band.
I can’t say this is my thing at all, but I’m sure it would be one for any SUB’s fans collection as it covers a wide back catalogue and has the general rawness of what punk used to sound like. I say ‘used’ intentionally; the genre has moved on dramatically in the last twenty five years and the old school influenced bands of now (ala Hell Cat Records roster) just sound so much more refreshing than this, even though this is the real McCoy.
www.invisiblehands.co.uk
Mike