Music Monday - CD Review - The End of the Beginning

I've got to do this one and I also imagine the majority of my blog readers will ask "Who are they ?" Well I'll start with a brief history Eddie and the Hot Rods were a Pub Rock group formed by four friends in Cavney Island in Essex in 1975. They were the group who almost made it but should have.
Although they are officially classified as Pub Rock mainly because they only perform in small venues they have been classed as everything including Rock & Roll, Punk, New Wave, Power Pop, etc.
Their current website is Eddie and the Hot Rods
In the seventies they got associated with the Punk movement mainly because a unknown at the time group called "The Sex Pistols" were their backing group. The two groups went their seperate ways following a much publicised violent bust up. In reality the groups main musical influences were The Who, The Kinks and Dr Feelgood.
The line up in the group has changed many times over the years and of the origional line up only lead singer Barrie Masters remains today. Although this album was released in 1993 it is a collection of the groups main recordings (plus a few others) from the 1976 to 1979 the groups best period.
As well as Masters the group at that time was made up of Drummer Steve Nicol, and Guitarists Graeme Douglas, Paul Gray & Dave Higgs.
And yes before anyone asks the obvious "Who was Eddie ?" I will tell you Eddie was actually a Dummy that the group used to kick around the stage as a novelty in the early days, he was disgarded in the 1970's when the joke wore thin.

On to the Album although it contains some fantastic stuff the group did not have a lot of massive hit singles, I don't know why.
These are the Tracks all 20 of them :-

1. Do Anything you Wanna Do - What a start this takes me back, this is the Rods biggest hit reached number 9 in the UK charts and was dubbed as the "Teen Anthem".

2. Quit this Town - This is a protest song about the policies of Towns influenced by of the Thatcher government of the time, the town in question was Basildon if you were interested. Great music though.

3. Telephone Girl - A bit controversial at the time when Masters actually sang the Telephone number of a girl he had met on a night out in Hammersmith. I wonder how many calls she got and whether she still has the same number (8389524 if anyone was asking).

4. Teenage Depression - "Spending all my money and its going up my nose" doesn't leave the subject of this song hard to guess. I suppose all the big names have a song about drugs. Was a Album title track and a single that reached the charts.

5. The Kids are Alright - Performed live at The Marquess this is a awesome version of The Who classic song.

6. Get Out of Denver - Well Bob Seger wrote this song but its Masters who reckons he is the only person on the planet to be able to sing it at 200 beats per minute. You've got to hear it to believe it.

7. Till the night is Gone -Great song explaining to the world that New Wave is just Old Wave played faster and having fun. You can tell the influence of The Who with this one.

8. Schoolgirl Love - Was recorded as a B side for one of the Groups singles but probably turned out better than the group imagined.

9. Hard Drivin Man - Recorded live at The Rainbow Theatre this is one borrowed from J. Geils Band. Superb version though.

10. On the Run - Another live song from The Rainbow gig, not my favorite song on the album, goes on a bit.

11. The Power and the Glory - More great stuff from the boys.

12. Ignore Them - This song was wrote following a Gig in Brusseles about an exchange of views with the local Police ended in something more physical. Brilliant song produced all because a hotel porter wouldn't keep the bar open all night.

13. Life on the Line - This was the title track of another Rods album.

14. Circles - Should have been a single simple as that.

15. Take it or Leave it - The Hot Rods play their own brand of music and the title of this song is a message to the world, I'll take it.

16. Echoes - Classic Hot Rods in "One flew over the Cuckoos nest" fashion.

17. We sing the Cross - The group even slow it down for this one, they were good even without vocals.

18. The Beginning of the End - I always place this Rock song in my all time top ten its up there with the best ever, I just love it.

19. Gloria - Live Version of a Van Morrison song.

20. (I Can't get no) Satisfaction - Why not finish with a Rolling Stones Classic.

My Conclusion Fantastic Album for people into Rock Music and I'll give it 9 out of 10.
My advice if you can find it buy this album.