Gallon Drunk - Live at Klub 007

  by Helen Tipping

published: 23 / 1 / 2009

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I've never been too keen on live albums. I think it was early exposure to some truly dreadful bootlegs at a relatively young age. I've also found that they don't play well in the car for some reason, which is where I do a lot of my listening to music. So it was with trepidation that I put the CD in the cup holder of my computer and plugged in my headphones. I hadn't listened to Gallon Drunk for a very long time, not since the early 90s when I worked in a record shop and got to play whatever I wanted, much to the misery of the goths that worked in the clothing part of the shop. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I still like them., although I was not too keen on the opening track, 'The Rotten Mile', mainly due to the height of the saxophone in the mix giving it a sound somewhere between jazz and Madness. I found this, mixed with Gallon Drunk's Doors-style keyboards, a bit off putting. After this initial disappointment, however, the album improved greatly for me, with the psychedelic keyboards sound now joined by a guitar sound reminiscent of the early Birthday Party. Recorded at Klub 007 in Strahov, Czech Republic early in 2008 this is one of the better live albums I've heard in a while. The noise of the audience isn't too instrusive and the sound overall is a good quality, but then these days that's easily achieved. Guitarist and vocalist James Johnston has been employed by Nick Cave to play in the Bad Seeds for the past four years, and you can really see that Gallon Drunk's sound would appeal to Cave. Yes, it has touches of early Birthday Party and the Doors, but over all it's still an original and exciting sound that shows that the band haven't lost any enthusiasm even though they've been going for 18 years. Perhaps it's because all the members of the bands play with other musicians, then come back together to create their own style and bring those influences with them, which keeps them fresh.

Track Listing:-

1 The Rotten Mile
2 Some Cast Fire
3 Down At The Harbour
4 Running Out Of Time
5 Put The Bolt In The Door
6 Just One More
7 Bad Servant
8 You Should Be Ashamed
9 Push The Boat Out
10 All HAnds Lost At Sea
11 Give Me Back What´s Mine
12 Two Wings Mambo

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