QUIREBOYS

QUIREBOYS
BITTER SWEET & TWISTED (1992)
320 KBPS

The Quireboys are one of those bands that just sort of stick with you throughout your life. There is nothing fancy or special about their sound. They just happen to be one of the best British imports to cross the pond in decades...no kidding. Their debut album "A Bit Of What You Fancy" is great. It is almost great to a fault. It was very polished sounding and lacked the spontanaety that this band displays when they play live. "Bitter Sweet & Twisted" shows the Quireboys strength as a loose Stonesey influenced rock band. And it shows their muscle as they shine on some of the prettiest ballads you'll hear anywhere. This album kicks off with Tramps And Thieves, a song that shows what I described above. They really are a strong act in songs like this. Other songs that kick with similar force are My Saint Jude, Don't Bite The Hand, and Ain't Love Blind. They really do show their Stones influence in each of these songs. The guitar fills, basic rock and roll beat, and swagger of lead singer Spike really take you back a few years. Other great upbeat cuts on this one include Can't Park Here, White Trash Blues, Debbie, and their flawless cover of Brother Louie. Louie in particular stands out. They don't try to show off or try to make the song better than the original. Rather they make the song their own and it truly sounds like it could have been theirs. On the other hand, you have some wonderful ballads here. Last Time is a beautiful ballad with a nice string arrangement. The words and music go well together. Another strong ballad is Hates To Please. If you only heard the music here, you'd swear you were hearing some early Eagles music complete with some good ol' pedal steel in the background. And last but not least, you've got King Of New York. It is such a crime that this song has never made it into a mafia movie at some point. It is romantic and has that cinematic flair. It is of course during these ballads that obvious comparisons are made between lead vocalist Spike and Rod Stewart. Stewart's musical influence is less prevalant on this album than their first, but is never more present than in Hates To Please. Other cuts included here that are enjoyable are the bluesy Ode To You (Baby Just Walk), and the excellent stand out song Take No Revenge. Revenge showcases some very exceptional piano playing by the band's keyboardist Chris Johnstone. The only complaint I have of this album is the song Wild,Wild,Wild. I thought this song was decent musically, but the lyrics seem pointless to me. But thirteen out of fourteen is one hell of a lot better than most bands could do. If you enjoy 70's style rock and roll, you'll love this album. It reminds you of the days when bands wrote and recorded albums to showcase as a whole rather than a song here and there for radio as seems to be the trend and has been for far too long. The Quireboys are not the Stones. Nor are they Rod Stewart or the Faces. They are however one hell of a rock and roll band that doesn't leave you disappointed. Give this one a spin and turn your friends on to it.

1. Tramps And Thieves
2. White Trash Blues
3. Can't Park Here
4. King Of New York
5. Don't Bite The Hand
6. Last Time
7. Debbie
8. Brother Louie
9. Ode To You (Baby Just Walk)
10. Hates To Please
11. My Saint Jude
12. Take No Revenge
13. Wild, Wild, Wild
14. Ain't Love Blind