DOGS DIFFERENT (1979)
REMASTER
320 KBPS
French rock & roll is usually heaped with ridicule, deservedly so for the most part though things are constantly getting better. There are exceptions of course like Jacques Dutronc, Little Bob Story, The Roadrunners and a few more. Add to that list the tough and melodic post-punk/new wave/power pop group the Dogs. Their debut record from 1979, Different, is a little gem of a record full of spiky guitars, frantic tempos, and solid songcraft. The disc sounds like a lost Only Ones record; singer Dominique Laboubee has a world weariness in both his voice and his lyrics similar to that of Peter Perrett. At the band's best, on tracks like "Stranger Than Me," "A Different Me," the aching ballad "The Greatest Gift," and the Buddy Holly-esque "(I'm Gonna Learn To) Live With It," they almost reach the heady level of the Only Ones or the Real Kids. The only thing holding them back is too much restraint and cleanliness in the production of the record. Still the record deserves to be heard by fans of classic post-punk songcraft and power pop hooks. It's a perfect rejoinder to anyone who says the French can't rock. The album was reissued in 2003 with a raft of bonus tracks, including three songs from their 1977 Charlie Was a Good Boy single and five tracks from the 1978 EP Go Where You Wanna Go. The songs from 1977 lack the studio polish of the album and are really good, especially the pounding "19." The EP tracks are closer in sound to the album but possess a touch more energy and verve; the songs are on par as well. "Go Where You Want to Go" is a stately rocker that calls to mind mid-period Flamin' Groovies and features some of the band's best guitar work. "You're Gonna Loose Me" sounds like a lost Heartbreakers song with some very Thunders-like guitar. These tracks are a perfect addition to an already great album.
1. A Different Me
2. Gotta Tell Her
3. Words
4. More from You
5. I'm Real
6. Stranger Than Me
7. (I'm Gonna Learn To) Live With It
8. Nobody But Me
9. Terminal State
10. Fortune Teller
11. The Greatest Gift
12. Lonesome Hearts
13. Sally's Eyes
Bonus Tracks
14. No Way
15. 19
16. Charlie Was a Good Boy
17. Teenage Fever
18. Go Where You Want to Go
19. Here Comes My Baby
20. My Life
21. You're Gonna Loose Me
2. Gotta Tell Her
3. Words
4. More from You
5. I'm Real
6. Stranger Than Me
7. (I'm Gonna Learn To) Live With It
8. Nobody But Me
9. Terminal State
10. Fortune Teller
11. The Greatest Gift
12. Lonesome Hearts
13. Sally's Eyes
Bonus Tracks
14. No Way
15. 19
16. Charlie Was a Good Boy
17. Teenage Fever
18. Go Where You Want to Go
19. Here Comes My Baby
20. My Life
21. You're Gonna Loose Me
6 comments:
Dominique death, in october 2002, was a pretty sad news for all the group fans.
je ne connaissais absolument pas, je trouve ça vachement bien
merci Mr Moodswings
altos
Content que ça te plaise.
Les Dogs sont la preuve que le rock français n'était pas aussi honteux que ce qu'on a bien voulu nous faire croire pendant des années.
Putain de complexe d'infériorité !
cependant on a une kyrielle de grosses daubes à l' actif du pays qui nous loge , comme d' autres pays d' ailleurs
Certes. Mais, c'est bien connu, l'herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs...
Il y a aussi que nous avions une meilleure connaissance de ce qui sort en France, bon ou mauvais, alors que le filtre de l'international jouait pour le reste.
D'un point de vue extérieur a vous autres françois, je dirais que la faute revient à Michel Drucker.
Vos médias généralistes, bien que n'hésitant jamais à s'auto congratuler de l'exception culturelle francaise, ont la tête dans le q depuis la mort de Claude Francois. La différence peut-ètre avec vos voisins anglais c'est que certains groupes de rock, font une transition plus ou moins aisée dans le "mainstream media".
Pendant ce temps la marionette de Cabrel nous rabache que c'était mieux avant, alors qu'il y plein d'artistes qui ne demandent qu'un peu d'exposition.
Je pourrais aussi mentioner un certain nombrilisme, qui a fait que de nombreux grands artistes francophones mais pas francais, Vigneault par exemple, sont peu connus chez vous.
Anyway, I feel like I'm starting to ramble so I'll end here.
Merci Mr.Moodswings. :)
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