Time! Gentlemen! Pub Rock Rhythm ‘N Grooves – Classic Cuts & Rarities 1974-1982 was released in March by Strawberry Records through Cherry Red. It is a 3CD collection of 72 tracks with around four hours of gems from the Pub Rock Era.
By the 1970s Rock had evolved into that boring, over-blown genre we know as Prog-Rock. Against this self-indulgence of the bands at the time a few like minded musicians gathered in the pubs around North London and started to keep the faith by playing Rock’N’Roll, and classic R&B. Pub-Rock may not have lasted as long as a genre, and extending this collection into the 80s may be seen by some stretching it a bit. Most consider that Pub Rock was a bit of a pre-cursor to Punk, and when the Punks started playing in the pubs they slowly replaced the Pub Rockers.
I have to admit that there are a lot of bands in this collection that I have not heard of before playing the CDs. But I wasn’t disappointed by what I heard. Names appearing that were familiar to me:
- The Stranglers
- Dr Feelgood
- The Motors
- Graham Parker & The Rumour
- Elvis Costello
- Mickey Jupp
- Dave Edmunds
- Wilko Johnson
- Nick Lowe
- Squeeze
- Brinsley Schwarz
There is also the inclusion of some tracks that I was surprised to see. Rory Gallagher with Juke Box Annie, Joe Jackson and Sunday Papers, Splodgenessabounds begging for Two Pints Of Lager & A Packet Of Crisps Please, and most definitely out of place, New Rose by The Damned, considered by just about everyone to be the first Punk single to be released.
If you are looking to relive your days of taking in a live band with your pint you won’t go far wrong here. If you never got the chance to experience Pub Rock you could start right here. You can smell the beer, and the cigarettes. You can imagine the sticky beer soaked carpet and the haze caused by the fag smoke as you listen to the rocking music, and your feet will thank you for the chance to tap out the rhythm’s to each song.
You can hear some tracks from the collection in The Groove Yard visit 156
For a full track listing and other information go to the Cherry Red Records website.