![]() Whereas many punk bands increasingly relied on speed, Killing Joke had – and still have – a darker, more stomping, tribal sound, bleak and apocalyptic, perfect for an era in which nuclear war was a frighteningly real threat. It’s impossible to overemphasise Killing Joke’s influence on music – particularly industrial music – since their inception in London’s Notting Hill in 1978, and their influence continues to this day. So these were two worlds I couldn’t reconcile, but songs like Change made me see how they could fit together.” I was into punk music, so I’d see bands like the Germs and Black Flag. ![]() I was a delivery boy, so I heard it a lot in my car. I grew up in LA and used to work in South Central, so Parliament and a lot of funk music was there. “I think it’s one of the top 10 influential albums of all time. All of the songs on that first album are brilliant,” says Faith No More’s Billy Gould. But there were great songs throughout: from the deftly funky Midnight Cruiser to the soul ballad Dirty Work, the latter beautifully sung by the soon-to-be-axed David Palmer. This much is evident in their debut album’s two hit singles: the first, Do It Again, with a Latin rhythm and a melodic glow at odds with its lyrics about a loser beaten down by life the second, Reelin’ In The Years, a breezy rock’n’roll number with killer lead guitar from Elliott Randall.Ībsent from this album was the jazzy vibe that came to define the band in later years. From the get-go, the Dan were the coolest band in America. But they did it with the most sophisticated and highbrow music ever recorded by a major rock group. To sell 40 million albums, as the Dan have, is no mean feat. Of all the smartasses that ever made a career out of rock’n’roll, such as Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren and 10cc, none played it smarter than Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the co-leaders of Steely Dan. ![]() If you’re only familiar with Aerosmith’s version of Train…, beware: Motörhead’s rendition will kill your lawn. In their place are White Line Fever and Keep Us On The Road, as well as a cover of Train Kept A-Rollin’. The album is basically a re-recording of On Parole, minus Fools and Leaving Here. Carroll offered them a smidgeon of studio time, ostensibly to record a single, but the band cranked out an entire album with the support of producer John ‘Speedy’ Keen, a former member of Thunderclap Newman who had also worked as a chauffeur for The Who’s Pete Townshend.Ĭarroll’s faith in Lemmy paid off and Motörhead actually charted, reaching the heady heights of Number 43 in the UK (albeit for one week only). ![]() Motörhead was born out of a painful period for the band, and it shows: they were on their uppers and on the verge of splitting, until Lemmy became acquainted with Ted Carroll of Chiswick Records. Lemmy’s vocals sound much more gruff and aggressive, and newly appointed guitarist ‘Fast’ Eddie Clarke’s playing is positively maniacal. Their debut proper, Motörhead, was a much tougher beast. No Parole’s eventual release more or less coincided with the release date of Bomber, and it paled by comparison. No Parole was shelved until October 1979, by which time Motörhead (Chiswick, August 1977) and Overkill (Bronze, May 1979) had already come out. Drummer Fox wasn’t in the frame for long either, being swiftly succeeded by Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor. Edmunds didn’t last long in the production chair he was replaced by Fritz ‘Deep Fat’ Fryer, who had made his name as guitarist with 60s chart-toppers The Four Pennies. ![]()
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