REVIEW: Various Artists, Men In Plaid (Bullseye)
- Bill Holmes
Bullseye follows up last year's excellent Klaatu tribute with another winner, once again featuring a Who's Who of Contemporary Pop Bands. Rollermaniacs, having seen their heroes suffer the torture of VH-1's Behind The Music, can now revel in a newly issued Greatest Hits collection and this enthusiastic homage. But even if you hated the Rollers -- and I just KNOW many of you did -- you'll be surprised at how many great songs are buried beneath the plaid exterior. Maybe "S-S-S-Saturday Night" doesn't carry the same cultural weight as "My G-G-G-Generation" to you, but for millions of fans across the world, The Bay City Rollers were their Beatles.
To say that The Flashcubes launch this record like a rocket would be an understatement; Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin rip into "Wouldn't You Like It" like Keith Richards and Mick Taylor circa "Brown Sugar". Although no one else blows the roof off quite like that opening track, there are several other solid contributions. Gary "Pig" Gold sounds like he's been a closet Gripweed for years; this "Rock And Roll Love Letter" can stand proudly alongside The Records' version. There are TWO versions of "Saturday Night"; Anton Barbeau adds his trademark left-of-the-dial approach while The Dipsomaniacs attack the song with a fever pitch. Tom Davis and Jeremy handle the mellower cuts equally well, while the appropriately named Squires Of The Subterrain dial in from the basement.
Other standouts include Ed James' one-man-band take on "You Make Me Believe In Magic"; this performance will have people running to the store for HIS record. And both Reptopia and Fudge chose to take some liberties with the bubblegum pop songs, and their arrangements result in two of the standout cuts. Of course, not every cut bears repeated listening -- for me, The Bobbies' version of "Let's Go" was devoid of energy -- but beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
Men In Plaid features a solid collection of bands who treat the songs with some reverence, but also have a lot of fun with them. That's the way music used to be in the Rollers days. Some of these bands are old enough to remember, but the others probably had to be told. And the little girls still understand. ( http://www.bullseyecanada.com )
