When you see someone as knowledgeable about music as Ralph J Rivera casting superlatives around about a new release you generally sit up and take notice. And then if you have a blog, you send him a message asking if he'll tell everyone else how good it is.
Over to Ralph...
So when Mister Mick Fletcher asks you if you wanna review the new album by one of your all-time favourite bands - You just don't say no! I have literally been in love with Ms. Beki Bond since 1981! I had an awesome picture of her with blue spiked hair hanging in my bedroom for years.
I hopefully don't need to go into the history of this original UK82 band for you guys. They put out a couple of amazing albums and a string of hit 45's that you should know by now. "Last Rockers" is to this day one of the greatest Punk songs ever written and not only have I covered it in pretty much every band I was in but also MR. Rikk Agnew so that's all you need to know about their past.
Around 2000 Beki rejoined the band she founded as a teenager and has been blazing a trail of new releases and most recently a string of EP's that all led up to THIS! 2020 finally sees the release of "The Battle Of Britain". An album that's been teased and hyped since 2019. SO IS IT ANY GOOD?
Let me say this - As a lifelong fan I can honestly say this is THE BEST RECORD Vice Squad has ever released in their career! How many UK82 bands can you think of that can claim that? All the EP hit songs are here PLUS 7 new jams never heard before. My only disappointment was they didn't include the 2020 version of "Beautiful Toy" which is my favourite new Vice Squad song. But I've rambled on enough. If you know this band,,used to listen to them or even never heard them before - HIT THAT DOWNLOAD LINK and wrap your head around some of the best Punk Rock out these days with a singer that just goes BEYOND greatness!
This is the title track, Battle Of Britain...
Miss Bond hits the right notes for me too! Rock on Becki!
ReplyDelete