Review Summary: WE ARE BAD NEWS!
“2, 3, 4! WE ARE THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE ROCK-APOCALYPSE, LEADERS AND SAVOIRS OF THE WILD RIDE TO OBLIVION AND ECTASY...”
This line explains what Bad News is about :Heavy metal thrashin posers – but in a good way. Without the outrageous stunt it wouldn't be a great comedy album, let alone just a great album. Created for an episode in the british television show 'The Comic Strip', Bad News were a spoof rock band consisting of three of the stars of the British show 'The Young Ones' (Adrian Edmondson as Vim Fuego on Lead Guitar, Nigel Planer as Den Dennis on Rhythm Guitar and Rik Mayall as Colin Grigson on bass) and also apart of 'The Comic Strip' Peter Richardson as Spider Webb on drums. Their self titled album was released three times, starting off at six tracks to the 2004 re-release being twenty two tracks.
And yes, they were before Spinal Tap.
The first stand out track on the album is the first track 'Hey Hey Bad News'. Its an 'all out' hard rock song with a solid guitar riff and based around the words Hey Hey Bad News - although the audience hasn't seemed to understand correctly and instead chants out 'F*** Off Bad News' when Vim Fuego gives them there cue to sing. The song is great and a joy to listen to, even Fuego's horrible guitar solo enlightens it. The next track 'We Haven't Recorded Anything Yet!' is the first time we hear the band's first argument on the process of recording their album along with other tracks like 'Excalibur', 'The Contract, 'What Are You Going to Wear For Top of the Pops?', 'Bad Dreams' and nearly every sketched track on the album which display their horrible and angry antics they have with each other, saying the most stupid and hilarous things which are quite amusing. Throughout the twenty two tracks, nine are, well – actual songs. The greatest of them, is the un-original but still original cover of Queen's masterpiece 'Bohemian Rhapsody', which there are two takes of : Take 1 being “Nothing really matters, Anyone can see” part which is ruined by Vim Fuego playing the wrong chord and swearing like a drunken teenager and take two being the real deal, but shortened to nearly four minutes and played in a heavy metal style. Funny enough, Brian May the guitarist for Queen, produced the song and parts of the album. The song is immaculately horrible. Really, your laugh box should be close to going kablooey.
For the bad, there are only a few let down tracks such as 'Double Entendre' which is pretty much the band cracking up while being interviewed by two french interviewers obviously played by two members of the band. It may sound funny, but because the band are laughing at what they do, it's a skip-worthy track. Another track 'A.G.M.' is not so disapointing but seems to be a waste on the album. There are only a few good moments in the track and surely it could have been shortened from its four minutes mark to around two minutes to make it a great track.
Another bad point is the laughs wear off after a while. You may still find them funny, though you may not show it in your face. Unlike other albums, first listen is the best. For the best experience, if you like what you hear listen to it all the way through. You'll know its the end when Spider yells 'I'm Spider Webb, hahaha' and the music fades.
Bad News self titled album is an enjoyable ride similar to an experience of a blind man listening to the television. You can't see it, but you can hear it, and its good that way. Without it, you can't imagine the way you like to see the band arguing and practising their outrageously mental songs and skits. And without that, you won't see Vim Fuego belching his heart out to 'Mama! I just killed a man!'
