Review Summary: Rock and roll party till ya puke.
Bobby Gillespie have always been fan of Stones, Gram Parsons, Faces and New York Dolls but he never managed to record the successful album in his idols' style. Instead, Primal Scream greatest albums relied on electronica, dance and noise while their attempts to record rock and roll album were not so widely appreciated.
This time he and his musical compadres headed to studio and tried again. But, although their albums like this weren't so popular, the pressure was off. Why not? They delivered one immortable "Screamadelica", and excellent "Vanishing Point" and "Xtrmntr", they earned enough money, why they should be bothered with proving anything to anyone. F*ck all, it is not sin making music you personally love to hear.
The album kicks off with "Country Girl", and with minor changes, hold this fast, furious, funny, and simply entertaining direction. It is nothing groundbreaking, nothing epochal, just couple of musicians having good time, but never indulging themselves. So anyone who love electric guitars, rock and roll and have a good time would hardly ignore album like this.
Then goes "Nitty Gritty" in my opinion, less successful than "Country Girl". Tracks four and five, "When A Bomb Drops" and "Little Death", suggests that Primals would have sound fresher in proto psychedelic style. "Little Death" is a perfect hallucinogenic chill-out, before another high octane ride of good old sweet rock and roll.
I believe that it would be better to listen to this album on LP, because fifth and tenth song are significantly different from the rest of the album. Standout tracks include "Country Girl", "Dolls (Sweet Rock and Roll)", "Hell's Coming Down", and "Sometimes I feel So Lonely". The latter song is a perfect hangover ballad, the party's over. Great ending.
Bobby goes too far with rock and roll cliches. He didn't bother with writing original lyrics, so he was borrowing from others. I can tell you where he lacked inspiration, that's where he mentions junkies, Jesus, priests, blood, guns or simply cites others ("What can a poor boy do?") Also, his singing is too careless. I understand that this is party album and you can't sing it like primadonna, but he had to have a bit more empathy for material.
But mostly album is successful because Primals rocked convincingly. I believe them that music like this is something they can't live without.
