m
e
r
c
h
a
n
d
i
s
e
CD - 'Been There, Done That...'
Release date: 4th SEPTEMBER 2006
e-Order @ Voiceprint:
£10.99
Track Listings
- Why Should I Care? - Download it here
- Go Drive It
- Gotta Give It Up
- Belgian Tom's Hat-trick
- You Are My Drug
- Hole In The Head
- You Should Have Been There
- All I Want (is all I see)
- All This Time
- Really Happy Now
- Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
- Look What She's Doing
- Stop
- Born To Be Wild
They say that to play the blues you must experience the blues. Surely the same rule applies to rock music. You can’t play really good rock music unless you’ve taken the knocks and setbacks of the rock n roll lifestyle and lived to tell the tale. Eddie & The Hot Rods have certainly had more than their fair share of hard times yet they have bounced right back with this remarkable album Been There, Done That which sits alongside the excellent Better Late Than Never and their recently released live DVD which showcases the bands stunning live performance.
The sleeve notes of Been There, Done That clearly sets out their objective; A studio album which is Eddie & The Hot Rods through and through but relevant to 2006.
In producing such a fine album they have pushed the boundaries out still further, exploring rock styles and sounds which just a few years ago you would not have thought possible from these fine musicians.
There are plenty of real gems on this album, I will list mine but there will no doubt be many Hot Rod fans out there who, when listening to Been There, Done That will have their own favourites. All fourteen tracks have something to offer…
The album opens with a real stunner Why Should I Care. The first ten seconds of gentle guitar intro only serve to lull the listener into a false sense of security. After twenty seconds all three guitars with Masters voice sailing out over the airwaves herald the driving drum beat which hammers the song all the way home. Cobwebs well and truly blown away.
The band has learnt to harness their power on Been There, Done That; at times it is on a tight rein at other times it is unleashed unfettered and you’re back into a white knuckle ride.
The only other musician to play on the album alongside the Hot Rods is the mysterious Robert (Molecatcher) Venables who plays harmonica on three tracks, the first being Gotta Give It Up a sleazy rhythm and blues number reminiscent of a US Southern States style and then you have to wait for 3 mins 20 seconds to hear this excellent harp sound which tops off the song.
Up comes a dramatic hell for leather instrumental in Belgian Toms Hat Trick. This is a real riot of sound which typifies the mixing of the album in as much that all instruments can be clearly discerned from each other and throughout the album it is apparent that there are no slackers in this band.
Hole In The Head also features the Molecatchers harp, the sound slithers around Barrie Masters vocals
You Should Have Been There opens with a triumphant guitar fanfare, Masters vocals asks for the forgiveness of his woman, the upbeat sound suggests that he is successful.
Yeah Yeah Yeah a straight up and down Eddie & the Hot Rods number "We're having a good Time/Walking a fine line…Look out you might fall".
Look What She’s Doing could be written about a love affair with a vampire. Another upbeat song to boogie along with or play the steering wheel bongos to.
Stop really is different, a slowww ballad. What Barrie Masters singing a ballad? Yes and very well too, the bass guitar underpins the song along with Molecatchers harp and contributions from the band ticking over in second gear.
Eddie & The Hot Rods have a reputation for throwing in one or two cover tracks this album is no different closing with Born To Be Wild. Here the band play right on the limit of control, just like a top racing driver pushing his machine to the edge of its endurance. They drive this number along, listening you begin to wonder how they will bring it to a conclusion, then one of the guys in the band lets out a great screaming wail sounding like someone’s just lit up the brakes and it grudging grinds to a close.
The sleeve notes state that the album is dedicated to the memory of Peter (the meat) Brown a guy who gave all he had to give to provide us listeners with music we often take so readily for granted. Pete is an unsung hero known only by relatively small group of fans, yet he influenced and inspired many who saw his performances particularly in his home town of Harlow. Pete typifies many who have also lived the rock and roll lifestyle; Nought to infinity in only half a lifetime.
What of Eddie & The Hot Rods? They play with great power, they deserve more glory, no one listening to Been There, Done That could disagree.
Dave "Chilli" Palmer