Rocket From The Crypt - My Blues Away 7" - Clear Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

The last stop on Rocket From The Crypt's 2013 UK tour was on December 7th in Dublin.  It wrapped up their tour and also wrapped up the Hits The Monkey Islands tour 7" series.  The final band covered was The Boomtown Rats.  This was another band that I was not at all familiar with, so until I searched out and fired up the original, I didn't really have much to compare Rocket's version to.

While the The Boomtown Rats' version of "My Blues Away" is a harmonica tinged stomper; Rocket From The Crypt's take is a little more robust.  They keep the descending honky tonk guitar riff, but add on a generous amount of cowboy bar style piano banging.  The horns are more sparse here than on any other 7" in the set, but when they kick in, it really adds emphasis.  Parts remind me a little of "Killy Kill," but this is another song that really stands out in Rocket's catalog of covers.

That wraps up the series, sadly.  Being able to see Rocket From The Crypt again this past year was a real treat.  They are the best live band that has ever walked the planet.  The extra bonus of six new 7"s only makes this reunion even better.  I know no one in the band has confirmed or denied the possibility of a new album, but after these six cover songs I want to hear new music from Rocket From The Crypt more than ever.

Rocket From The Crypt - My Blues Away:
https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760058%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-5sv4g

The Boomtown Rats - My Blues Away:
https://myspace.com/theboomtownrats/music/song/my-blues-away-39831338-42231391

Rocket From The Crypt - Shy Fly 7" - Green Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

Here we are on part 5 of the Hits The Monkey Island tour 7" series.  This one was originally sold at Rocket From The Crypt's December 6th 2013 show in London.  The band that Rocket tackled this time out was Status Quo and the song is "Shy Fly."  Status Quo is another band I'm not particularly familiar with, though having listened to their version of "Shy Fly" I'll say that aside from the Buzzcocks, they've got the best of the originals that Rocket has decided to cover.

The Rocket From The Crypt version is a mid temp song.  It alternates between big crunchy chords and single note guitar lead riffs.  There's an odd start/stop thing going on in the verse that holds back the momentum of the song a bit, but once they hit that chorus...look out.  It's a huge piano and horn driven chorus that really makes the song.  It lacks some of the vaguely psychedelic notes that the original version of the song has, but the Rocket version is significantly louder, fuller and more powerful.

All in all, another great 7".  We've only got 1 more tour date and one last 7" to go to wrap up the series, but that will have to wait until Monday.

Rocket From The Crypt - Shy Fly:
https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760050%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-YxjTP

Status Quo - Shy Fly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlt8jryWf0Y

Rocket From The Crypt - Spinning Round 7" - Yellow Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

Number 4 in the Rocket From The Crypt Hits The Monkey Islands tour 7" bundle is from their December 4th, 2013 show in Leeds.  For this town, they covered local band Red Lorry Yellow Lorry; a band that I admittedly have never even heard of prior to Rocket deciding to cover them.  I checked out the original version of their song on YouTube and I was surprised.  It's pretty forward thinking for something released in 1985.  I don't know that I'll start hunting down their records or anything, but it was OK.

The Rocket version is another scorcher. "Spinning Round" starts off with some octave banging, but the song is held down by dueling lead guitar interplay.  It's the kind of thing that reminds me of what the band was doing on "Back In The State" or perhaps some of the RFTC era b-sides.  As has become the band's trademark the horns that they've worked into the bridge sound great and it's nice to hear Speedo tossing in closing "woo" for good measure.

Another great 7" and at this point, four 7"s in, I'm really feeling the need for a new Rocket full length.  The band obviously still had it, now they just need to give more of it to the world.

Rocket From The Crypt - Spinning Round:

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760055%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-hu7Va

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Spinning Round:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZCJIwGkkz8

Rocket From The Crypt - Baker Street 7" - Blue Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

The 3rd 7" in the Rocket From The Crypt UK tour set was sold at the band's December 3rd (which is my birthday, by the way) 2013 show in Glasgow. For this 7" they chose to cover the song "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty.  I have to admit, that name and the song title didn't really jar any memories.  Even when I put the Rocket From The Crypt version on the turntable, I wasn't sure that I had heard this song before.  However, I looked up the original right before writing this review and it all came flooding back to me.  Ugh this song.  The cheese-ball saxophone is the sort of thing 1970's nightmares were built on.  I'm sure the main reason I know it is from infomercials for bad compilation albums I saw as a kid.

I will say that the Rocket From The Crypt version manages to pay homage to this pretty terrible song, but elevate it to something worthy of Rocket.  They speed up the the song for starters and while that horn riff still has the flavor of the theme song of a 1970's cop show,it's much more powerful and loud than the original. The verse is also brightened up quite a bit.  Rather than retreat into minimalist whispering like the original.  Rocket keeps it rocking and turns the verse into something that actually reminds me of the Night Marchers song "Roll On" a bit.  Also, I'm pretty positive that nowhere in the original does Gerry Raffery shout "Jackin' off on Baker Street."

Despite the original being one of those terrifying songs of the past, I actually really like the Rocket From The Crypt version.  It's pretty remarkable how they can keep the basic theme of the original and turn it into something so much better. I guess that's why they're the best band in the world.

Rocket From The Crypt - Baker Street:
https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760535%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-pkvZF

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7--mbE05A4I

Rocket From The Crypt - In League With Satan - Orange Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

The 2nd of the Rocket From The Crypt UK tour 7"s was originally sold on December 2nd, 2013.  It was released in conjunction with the band's show in Newcastle.  For this cover song, the Newcastle band that they chose was Venom.  I can't say that I listen to much Venom, really.  I've linked to the original at the end of this review, but it's not like I am intimately familiar with their version of the song.  It's kind of evil, you see.

The Rocket From The Crypt version of the song is quite stellar.  Like the original it's got pounding George Of The Jungle style drumming, distorted vocals and a really driving verse.  They bring in the horns to accent the chorus in trademark RFTC fashion. We also get some "Killy Kill" style "woo woos" for good measure, not to mention the nasty guitar solo tossed in the middle.

"In League With Satan" is another outstanding addition to the Rocket from the Crypt catalog,  It leans towards the aggressive side of Rocket songs, but they keep the song lighthearted enough that it still sounds like a party.  Just an evil party this time out.

Rocket From The Crypt - In League With Satan:

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760051%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-9RGln

Venom - In League With Satan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5wUr4Lut4A

Rocket From The Crypt - Love is Lies 7" - Red Vinyl (/400)

Swami (2013)

When Rocket From The Crypt went over to England for a 6 date tour this past December,  they produced a batch of limited 7"s to sell.  The songs on these 7"s are cover songs of bands from each of the 6 cities on the tour.  At each stop the band sold 100 7"s specific to that city.  The leftovers of this pressing then were bundled together and sold at recent US Rocket From The Crypt shows this past March & April.  Only 7 cities really had a shot at the bundles, but it's my understanding that these were all but gone by the 5th show.  I was very lucky that I was at stop #4 and I got to the show extra early so I could be 1st in line at the merch table.

The first of these 7"s was made for the band's December 1st show in Manchester.  For this record they did a take on the Buzzcocks' "Love Is Lies."  Rocket's version starts off like the original, with solo acoustic guitar kicking things off.  Drums & bass are added to the mix.  On the 2nd verse we get some electric lead guitar coming into the background to complement the up and down sing-song vocals.  The verses and choruses just keep getting louder and louder, each time adding more instruments to the mix and by the time the horns kick in this song is just firing on all cylinders.

It's much fuller and louder than the Buzzcocks' version, but still keeps all of the sensibilities of the original.  The acoustic guitar really makes this song stand out and I can't think of much in the Rocket catalog that's constructed like this song.  It's a really great cover version and one of my favorites of the series.  It is such pure joy to be listening to and writing about new Rocket From The Crypt records.  Even if they're cover songs, there's nothing better than a new 7" from Rocket From the Crypt on the turntable.

Rocket From The Crypt - Love Is Lies:

https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/120760053%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-2TsIK

Buzzcocks - Love Is Lies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF5SqJePJpA