A return to form? Mond back in the fold? Do you think those two things have anything in common? I do.....After The Upstarts released Reason Why, you could hear the demise of The Angelic Upstarts....listen to Last Tango In Moscow, Power of The Press and Blood on The Terraces and tell me that they did not have the same range and power that Mond had a hand in on their earlier relesases. Not to say that there were moments on each of the later albums...Here and there you'd get a small sample size. Of note would be: One More Day, Brigton Bomb, Pride of Our Passion. Even better yet, check out the album Lost and Found for more Mond guitar genius....You see, I always cheer on the underdog and Mond is one of the those. Someone that really never get's his due. Just like Dave Gregg of DOA, Guy Days of 999, Del from PATTB....Good tasteful players that make a band better. Same goes for Decca. On the albums that he played on, his playing just made The Upstarts soooo much better. Sticks belonged in the Rejects, Decca belonged in The Upstarts. Two different bands, two different approaches. Well on this release you have Decca, Mond, Mensi and a few others helping out. This album is probably my fourth favorite Upstarts release. This came and went without a wimper. Too bad. This album is damn good. Enjoy folks.Ken
Those that know appreciate Del Test-Tube. In 2000 I spent a weekend in Muswell Hill with Dickie Hammond (Leatherface/Angelic Upstarts) auditioning for vocalist of his band The Jones (aka Fatty Jones). One afternoon as we sat on the front top deck of a London bus from Muswell Hill (with a magnificent view of the city) Dickie raved about Dels' playing and said one of his favourite albums was Peter & TTT Babies' "Mating Sounds of South American Frogs" ('tis a corker!)
ReplyDeleteBeing a Brightonian and having spent some great nights with les Test-tubes, including standing in for Del for a 15 minute jam of 'September' at a private party, I didn't need much prodding to agree whole-heartedly.
Del Strangefish is God! An equal to Ben 'Johnny Takeaway' Corrigan, high praise in my (admittedly worthless) book.
Thanks for the comment. Yep Del is one hell of a player. I had the luxury of spending 3 months on the road with The Test Tubes in 1998 and I completely agree about his playing. Great guy too!
ReplyDeleteKen
Me again :)
ReplyDeleteDel's a cool fella indeed...he's got a great dry wit and deadpan delivery that cracks me up. Pete has it as well but Del is the master of the smiling, sarky ribbing.
All this Test Tubes talk as got me wanting a Merrydown :)
Yep I am well aware of Del's wit as well as Walnut (Del's brother) funny guys. Same goes for Peter. Hopefully they will be over in the US in 2012 as they are working on a new single. If you talk to Del, tell him Kenny from The Forgotten said hi, he will have a good laugh on that one.
ReplyDeleteKen