Back in the mists of 1980, your then very youthful whippersnapper of a reviewer picked up his first copy of former UK weekly rock paper "Sounds". It was the beginning of a lengthy obsession that would later lead to the same callow youth getting taken on as a contributor and help shape the course of Madchester and Nirvana's early career amongst other events that the dear old NME now decides to take sole credit for.
But that very first "Sounds" was entirely indicative of the paper's direction back at the dawn on the '80s. The front cover featured Iron Maiden's Paul DiAnno and inside were features on the rising stars of the NWOBHM (that's the New Wave of British Heavy Metal - don't they teach you anything at school these days?) such as Saxon and The Tygers of Pan Tang, while future "Sun" columnist Garry Bushell waxed lyrical about The Cockney Rejects. Again.
You may well wonder why I'm subjecting you to this irreverent history lesson by this stage, but there's good reason for it, I assure you. Because, frankly UK/ American sextet MEDICINE HAT look AND sound like they could have stepped out of that very issue of "Sounds". To such a degree it's scary.
The CD's back cover features a black and white photo of six, hard-looking, long-haired and/or baldy geezers looking moody, while the live shots of the band feature a proliferation of Motorhead T-shirts. As Bushell, Barton and co were once liable to say: "Woarrgh! These muthas rock!" Or words to that effect, anyway.
And then you listen to the songs. Bloody hell. "Old Time Rock And Roll" actually begins with the scratchy sound of a 7" single being cued up and , just in case you ain't got the message, continues with lyrics like: "Today's music ain't got the same soul, I need that old time rock'n'roll." You don't say. Crikey, roll over Mick Jagger and tell Status Quo the news.
Actually, if you can get over the shock, "Old Time Rock'n'Roll" is actually really good in that totally non-embarrassed, heads-down-no-nonsense-boogie kinda way that I thought went out when Whistle Test dropped the Old Grey bit. It's about as fashionable as an outside bog and bloody proud of it. So there.
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The two live B-sides are taken from the de rigeur live album the band have out called (ooh! cunning!) "Medicine Hat Live" and demonstrate that ver Hat are a dynamite live proposition. The way vocalist Mark Jackson bellows "Good evening!" to introduce "Cold-Hearted Woman" is pure Spinal Tap, but the song itself is fine, hoary fun, especially if you ever liked Ian Gillan. Actually, if anything, the closing cover of Steve Earle's "Copperhead Road" is even better, especially as Jackson's excellent, gravel-encrusted tonsils are ideal for tackling Earle's moonshine-soaked tale of skullduggery, while the band really dig into the tune itself.
It's easy to slag a band like Medicine Hat. They're geezers who won't see thier thirtieth birthdays again and know exactly what they like and see no reason to deviate from that course. Having said that, it's abundantly clear they love what they do and are bloody good at it too. I might even nip down the front if they ever play my local Dog & Ferret, God help me.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll get back to thinking about the NWOBHM again. Anyone fancy swapping Samson's first single for a Twisted Sister 12" picture disc? Hey, why are you running away? Come back...I said you could keep Saxon's debut album!
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