Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81

by Anthony Strutt

published: 9 / 5 / 2007

Label: Island Records
Format: CD

intro

Excellent fourth album from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club which finds them returning to the distortion of their roots

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Robert Been, Nick Jago and Peter Hayes-have returned with their fourth album, ‘Baby 81’, and with Nick, who temporarily left the band in 2005 at the time their third album ‘Howl’ was recorded, back on drums. As albums go this is a return to form. I never lost hope in the band but, whereas ‘Howl’ owed a spiritual debt to Bob Dylan, this is back to the Jesus and Mary Chain friendly sound that they made their name with on their first two CDs, ‘Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’(2001) and ‘Take Them On Your Own’(2003). ‘Took Out A Loan’ opens this fine CD convincingly, and, a dirty-sounding rock'n'roll number, finds the band making an easy return to their raw roots.'Berlin' has a rolling rhythm to it and sounds like a mid 7O's Stones number. 'Weapon of Choice', the first single, is more in the territory of 'Howl'. It starts off acoustically and then develops into a rock'n'roll number. The soul searching 'Windows' has a piano intro and sounds like an eerie solo George Harrison or John Lennon number. The ballsy 'Cold Wind' could also have been a Lennon number. 'Not What You Wanted' has a psychedelic feel, while '666 Conducer' really shouldn't be on the album as it is already the B side of the 'Weapon of Choice', but it is a fine song, slightly harder than the material on 'Howl', but again with a Dylan-like groove. 'All You Do is Talk' has a long post rock intro and a gospel style vocal with a hard rocking, but mellow rhythm. It could very possibly become a modern day indie anthem. 'Lein on Your Dreams' is another dirty-sounding hard rocking number, while 'Need Some Air' is full on rock and roll with full on guitars. ' Killing the Light' is slow and bluesey rock, but distorted Jesus and Mary Chain guitars emerge out of it before its end.'American X' starts slowly and, long and drawn out with tortured lyrics, is beautifully delivered with more dirty-sounding guitars. This is what the band do best. 'Am I Only' begins as an acoustic Dylan/Lennon number, before it gets more moody and much more darker. The UK only bonus track, 'The Likes of You' is a dirge-like, muddy number which sounds like it was recorded at a jam session.

Track Listing:-

1 Took Out A Loan
2 Berlin
3 Weapon Of Choice
4 Windows
5 Cold Wind
6 Not What You Wanted
7 666 Conducer
8 All You Do Is Talk
9 Lien On Your Dreams
10 Need Some Air
11 Killing The Light
12 American X
13 Am I Only
14 Not What You Wanted (Acoustic)

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/BRMCOfficial/
http://blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/
https://twitter.com/brmcofficial

Label Links:-

http://www.islandrecords.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/islandrecordsuk/
https://www.youtube.com/user/islandrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/IslandRecordsUK/
https://instagram.com/islandrecordsuk/

live reviews

Rock City, Nottingham, 29/3/2013

Anthony Strutt enjoys a intense set of rock and roll from San Francisco trio the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to promote their seventh album 'Specter at the Feast' at Rock City in Nottingham

Brixton Academy, London, 11/12/2010

Octagon, Sheffield University, 4/11/2003