Kick in the Eye - Rock and Roll Revisited

  by Helen Tipping

published: 6 / 9 / 2007

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Review

Kick In The Eye have departed from the lo-fi, poppy Jesus and Mary Chain sounds of previous album 'Starliner' to make Rock and Roll Revisited. As trades descriptions go, that's a pretty accurate title. It's an album of 50's style rock and roll, but with an occasional nod to T-Rex and the Beach Boys. Lyrically it's very much typical rock and roll content - relationship strife and angst - and the sound is much clearer. First track 'Burnsided' is a classic dumping song, but sung in a very upbeat rocking style, whilst 'Stop Messin' My Heart Around' is about not being able to leave someone you really want. 'All Night Long', in a similar style, is about being fancied by the wrong guy. Just as you wonder if they can really do anything else with rock n roll comes 'Too Many Women Blues' which is just what it says on the tin, and much slower and more bluesy than the three preceding tracks. It all takes me back to listening to my Dad's Buddy Holly records. 'Hurricane' brings out Marc Bolan style vocals, even down to the oooeeeeooos. 'Graveyard Waltz' changes again, with itsn plucking guitar style edging towards C&W, and continuing on with this theme in 'My Home on the Fraser' which sounds like The Alabama 3 moving to Canada! They are clearly having a good time with this album. I particularly liked 'Too Many Women Blues' and 'My Home on the Fraser', though I have to say that overall I preferred 'Starliner'. They call it an exploration of the roots of rock and roll and it's clearly about Kick in the Eye collecting together a number of their songs, old and new, that are influenced by old style American music and exploring their relationship to that music. Rock and roll is the foundation of much of today's music, and their love for it shines through.

Track Listing:-