The Corpse Grinders - The Legend of the Corpse Grinders

The Corpse Grinders
The Legend of the Corpse Grinders
New Rose
99p + £2 p&p
Filed between and Alice Cooper 'Killer' and The Corpse Grinders 'Valley Of Fear'



Given the band's links back to the New York Dolls I'm surprised that I went this long without ever hearing The Corpse Grinders (and just to make sure, I bought their 1982 LP 'Valley Of Fear' at the same time).

The most immediate thought: was Rick Rivets mimicking Johnny Thunders' guitar style or was it his style first from when he was an original Doll? There's nothing in this LP to elevate the Corpse Grinders to anything other than a footnote but it's decent enough Dolls-esque trash.

Lords of the New Church - self-titled

Lords of the New Church
Self-titled
Illegal Records ILP009
£1.04 + £2 p&p
Filed between Lords of the New Church - self-titled and Lords of the New Church 'Method To My Madness'



Oops. Ah yes, forgot I already had this one. I got a little carried away placing bids on various LPs one seller had listed; was outbid on most but this was one of two LPs that eventually came my way. But at least it has a different cover to my other copy.

The Last of the Teenage Idols – Satellite Head Gone Soft

The Last of the Teenage Idols

Satellite Head Gone Soft

Razor RAZ47
99p + P&P

Filed between David Kusworth 'Bounty Hunters' and John Lennon 'Walls And Bridges'.

A classic case of a band that you either know or you don't, and if in the former group you probably have happy memories of them!

Formed after the demise of his previous group the Babysitters by London legend Buttz, The Last Of The Teenage Idols were regulars at the Marquee roughly between 1987 and 1992 (in fact bassist Shuff still lurks around the area). This, their one album, is guaranteed to raise a smile and in 'Gina', carried forward from the Babysitters era (though they never recorded it as far as I know) you have a hit that never was.

Vain - No Respect

Vain

No Respect
Island ILPS 9938
£1

For Vain, 1989 was just a little too late (likewise The Throbs in 1991). In both cases the lack of an LA connection may have had an impact too but the difference with San Francisco's Vain was that unlike the New York-based Throbs, their album wasn't largely awful.

Soho Roses – So Alone

Soho Roses

So Alone

Trash Can Records TWAT002
£5.50 + P&P
Filed between Soho Roses 'Whatever Happened To ...' and Bruce Springsteen ‘Born To Run’.

A truly fine slab of glam-trash-punk perfection. 'Nuff said. 

Soho Roses – Whatever Happened To ...

Soho Roses

Whatever Happened To ...
Trash Can Records TWAT001

£4.45 + £2.99 p&p
Filed between Patti Smith ‘Easter’ and Bruce Springsteen ‘Born To Run’

Frequently referenced over on Glamrock Aftershock (probably only second to Gunfire Dance), Soho Roses were the band we modelled our own outfit, the Rockit Dolls, on. Indeed as a nod to this EP's closing track 'Crazy 'Bout Me', we wrote 'I Love Me (Who Do You Love?)'.

The sleeve is pure class, Paul Blitz reclining with a bottle of Thunderbird in his varnished grasp - two more bottles lay strewn on the floor along with a can of Shockwaves Hard Rock hairspray (seriously, nothing else worked as well before CFCs were banned in aerosols), a full ashtray, party ribbons and a book on Marilyn Monroe.

The band's second release, 'So Alone' (the first record of theirs I heard) was their finest song, but this EP is a valued (re)addition to the collection.

The Dogs D'Amour - In The Dynamite Jet Saloon

The Dogs D'Amour
In The Dynamite Jet Saloon
China 837 368-1
99p + £3.00 p&p
Filed between The Dogs D'Amour 'The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album' and The Dogs D'Amour 'A Graveyard Of Empty Bottles'

Recently re-recorded by Tyla in the form of the MMX release, with a re-jigged the track listing omitting the likes of 'Medicine Man' and 'Debauchery' in favour of other songs from the era such as 'Heroine' (at least the fourth time he's recorded that) and 'Swingin' The Bottle'. A seemingly popular pastime these days (L.A. Guns were the first band I recall doing this with 'Re-Cocked And Loaded'; and it's gone beyond glam rock, as the Wonderstuff have also re-recorded 20th 'anniversary' editions of their first two albums).

To say the new version is a travesty would be a huge understatement. But given the scarcity of the original,  supply and demand has spoken. Avoid it though and seek out the 1989 version ... the production is a little weedy in places and also makes the album sound very much of its time but for me that's no problem at all as they were happy times indeed!

The Dogs D’Amour - The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album

The Dogs D’Amour
The (Un)Authorised Bootleg Album

China WOL7
99p (+£3.50 p&p)
Filed between The Damned 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel' and The Dogs D'Amour 'In The Dynamite Jet Saloon'

I’m fairly certain this is a bootleg copy as the artwork is slightly off-centre (which I had spotted before bidding but thought ‘pah ...’.) These were awash at record fairs around 1990 when ‘Satellite Kid’ broke through, and there was clearly some level of agreement amongst stall holders as they all had it at £12 a pop.

I definitely harbour regrets at selling my (genuine) original copy of this, as it was fully signed by the band including a doodle of me by Tyla. A daft decision. At that signing session someone offered me £100 for the then pre-signed album. I had only taken the sleeve with me so was able to turn down the offer. I can’t recall what I finally sold the album for but it was far less than £100 – probably closer to £20.

The Dogs D’Amour - A Graveyard of Empty Bottles

The Dogs D’Amour
A Graveyard of Empty Bottles
China 839 074-0
1989 limited edition 10" (#6577)

99p (+£2.50 p&p)
Filed between The Damned 'The Light At The End Of The Tunnel' and The Fabulous Poodles (eponymous).

Criminally all the ‘classic’ era Dogs D’Amour albums remain out of print (be careful with 'In The Dynamite Jet Saloon' as that's been re-recorded - more on that another time), and their CD versions can command silly money. Vinyl editions though, with a little patience and a degree of luck, can still be picked up at decent prices. Although not quite the ‘acoustic’ album it claims to be, it includes the definitive version of ‘Errol Flynn’ (ignore its later appearance as a title track) and was arguably their last essential release.