Rezillos: C/D

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Well, obviously classic. I went to see them last night, and when I told Dr C I was going he told me I had to post about it here. The odd moment was when I told Anna F that I was going, and realised that their heyday was finished with by the time she was born, i.e. 1979.

Anyway, their debut, Can't Stand The Rezillos, has as many great tunes as almost any album ever, and few can match it for fun. I wasn't sure if they'd still be tremendous fun after all these years or a middle-aged embarrassment. Fortunately, the former. Faye Fife and Eugene Reynolds don't look like kids, but they still look great, Faye in a tight PVC dress, Eugene in leather and raybans. They sounded as energetic and punchy as ever, and pretty tight. Faye's voice has probably strengthened. They did a few new songs (they have a new album coming out soon) and they were very good too, but it was the old classics that everyone, including me, adored. They ended with Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight, with everyone shouting along enthusiastically. One of the most enjoyable gigs I've been to in many years.

Another bonus: the last few gigs I've been to, and the last few times I've been clubbing, I've been the oldest person there. This of course was an old crowd: I felt normal.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 February 2003 12:36 (twenty-two years ago)

i love my baby cz she does good sculptures yeah

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 2 February 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah good sculpxtures, wow! great band. 1 good album, hit it & quit...to bad they made the reunion move, oh well, i guess it's harmless.

― forbidden or obsolete (24 hour troubleshooter), Sunday, 2 February 2003 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

The live album was great too! Apparently they have reunited to cash in on being in the soundtrack to some big movie except I can't remember which one.

I just dug out those two great albums to play again. 2000AD is on at present, my favourite of theirs that they didn't do. They didn't do any covers either, which was a shame.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 February 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

no covers?! hey you said they did "head kicked in", that's a cover (fleetwood mac aka earl vince & the valiants)

― forbidden or obsolete (24 hour troubleshooter), Sunday, 2 February 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, you're quite right. I hadn't known it was a cover! I find it quite hard to imagine how it sounded from Fleetwood Mac. Does it sound like Albatross or Rumours?

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 February 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah it's old F.Mac - the Peter Green/Jeremy Spencer fronted lineup. so closer to "Albatross" than "Rumours" tho it doesn't sound anything like that either. J.Spencer was a fan of '50s r'n'r & this was one of his pastiches of greaser style...it's the b-side of the great Peter Green song "Man of the World" (Immediate, circa 1968[?])

― forbidden or obsolete (24 hour troubleshooter), Sunday, 2 February 2003 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Wonderful band -- got the reissue in 1992 that combined Can't Stand with the live album and "Destination Venus" (wunnerful song, could well be my favorite of theirs), complete with short liner notes from J. Mascis for whatever reason. Ned = envious.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 2 February 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

they did "Destination Venus"? Wow! I love that song, or at least the Man or Astro-man? cover version.

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 2 February 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Rezillos are classic, I don't think you really even have to make much of a case for it. One of my favorite concert moments ever was getting onstage with Man or Astro-man? to sing "Destination Venus" because I was the only person in attendance who knew where the original came from.

― Bobby D Gray (bedhead), Sunday, 2 February 2003 17:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I bought that twofer, Ned. I couldn't resist it at £5, especially as my tapes of the albums were a bit ropey. That's what I grabbed to play again - it has nearly everything you need by them.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 February 2003 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

t or f: the brit b-52's?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Sunday, 2 February 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought they were Scottish? I can see the parallels, though the Rezillos rocked way harder, had more of a punk edge almost

― Bobby D Gray (bedhead), Sunday, 2 February 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Scottish yes, which is British. They were a punk act certainly, and lacked that use of irony as an excuse for making rubbish records, especially since they had no need for an excuse.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 2 February 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd say the Rezillos borrowed more from the Ramones and Blondie and Chinn & Chapman than the B-52s. Though, of course they did have the guy/girl lead vocalist thing going on. That first Rezillos record is incredible! And Fay Fife has one of my favorite voices. Search: "It Gets Me", "Top of the Pops", "I Can't Stand My Baby".

"I am...UNCOOL."

The Revillos were more Cramps/B52s-influenced and not nearly as good.

― Arthur (Arthur), Sunday, 2 February 2003 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha! Glad you enjoyed it, Martin. I only checked my e-mail late yesterday - but thanks for the details ,although I wouldn't have been able to make it anyway. Fay sounds k-hornXOR (still).

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 3 February 2003 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

They were J. Mascis's favourite band, on Sire anyway, maybe ever actually.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 3 February 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Did they play "No!"? Was anyone in the place not old enough? Was Jo Callis in the band?

― Tim (Tim), Monday, 3 February 2003 12:51 (twenty-two years ago)

They showed 'Top of the Pops' on Top of the Pops 2 last week at some point. It roXed.

― alext (alext), Monday, 3 February 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

A great, great band! I also liked the revillos single ("Motorbike Beat") the in-joke ov Fay Fife's name has not been mentioned yet - she was from Fife, so, "ahm fae Fife" haha. I've seen this comp CD a couple of times , but I haven't bought it yet. If I see it this week, I will.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Monday, 3 February 2003 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes to No, Tim. All the crowd knew the songs and shouted along. And yes to Callis, I believe - I wouldn't know, but apparently.

I thought Fay still looked hot, yes, but this is confused by her looking quite a lot like my first post-marriage girlfriend. Actually, how does that confuse things? Yes, she was hot.

(I didn't mention that support was from Goldblade, who weren't at all bad, in a sub-Clash way.)

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 3 February 2003 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ultra-classic. Day-glo pop art new wave, sort of the UK version of the B-52s. Also classic for giving a name to Flying Saucer Attack.

― Chris Barrus (xibalba), Monday, 3 February 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I was sort of underwhelmed by them, if I recall even "Sculptures" has a bad guitar solo.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 3 February 2003 22:35 (twenty-two years ago)

classic. I don't think they're THAT good. But I'd feel like shit calling his happy-jumpy pop a dud. Can't Stand The Rezillos is certainly a fine bit of pogo-pop.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 4 February 2003 02:35 (twenty-two years ago)

ten years pass...

RIP William Mysterious

I note that not many people seem to like the Rezillos on here :(

― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Friday, 21 June 2013 09:22 (twelve years ago)

RIP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wE4jJfg2Q

― Tim, Friday, 21 June 2013 09:40 (twelve years ago)

You would be wrong, xpost.

― Mark G, Friday, 21 June 2013 11:13 (twelve years ago)

I LOVE The Rezillos, RIP.

― sleeve, Friday, 21 June 2013 14:07 (twelve years ago)

Oh man, after years of loving Rezillos/Revillos via vinyl as an American, I went nuts when all of their British TV appearances started showing up on youtube. What an insanely colorful, visual, fun band!

― New Authentic Everybootsy Collins (Dan Peterson), Friday, 21 June 2013 14:16 (twelve years ago)

RIP. They were so fun live.

― curmudgeon, Friday, 21 June 2013 14:25 (twelve years ago)

Mr Mysterious was in *Silly Wizard too, which is uh surprising!

(*where's Marcello when you need him?)

― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Friday, 21 June 2013 14:31 (twelve years ago)

I think tons of people love the Rezillos but there's not much to say about them other than "yup, they were brilliant".

Sad about William Mysterious - he wrote this song - one of the best on their album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpztI6gWYvw

― everything, Friday, 21 June 2013 19:31 (twelve years ago)

Here is is on saxophone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvT2ziG1Amk

― everything, Friday, 21 June 2013 19:34 (twelve years ago)

I'm a lover, too. Now would be the time to release something like their BBC sessions.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 21 June 2013 21:54 (twelve years ago)

And their early 45s! Unless they're available somewhere I'm unaware of.

RIP

― ORK OUT (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Saturday, 22 June 2013 03:54 (twelve years ago)

is there more than one? I only know the early version of "Cant Stand My Baby", which I have and which is awesome.

― sleeve, Saturday, 22 June 2013 04:16 (twelve years ago)

My Baby Does Good Sculptures b/w Flying Saucer Attack
I Can't Stand My Baby b/w I Wanna Be Your Man
Top of the Pops b/w 20,000 Rezillos Under the Sea

I think most of these are different than the album versions and aren't included on Can't Stand the Rezillos.

― ORK OUT (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Saturday, 22 June 2013 05:41 (twelve years ago)

The CD of Can't Stand the Rezillos, that is. And I Wanna be Your Man and 20,000 Rezillos didn't make it at all if memory serves.

― ORK OUT (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Saturday, 22 June 2013 05:43 (twelve years ago)

still processing the Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight Fleetwood Mac Shocker

― nerve_pylon, Saturday, 22 June 2013 06:04 (twelve years ago)

Yes, it's awesame. And then he joined the children of god, go figure...

― Mark G, Saturday, 22 June 2013 14:07 (twelve years ago)

three years pass...

There was a new Rezillos album in 2015?! I missed this news entirely, and I'm not too keen on the tunes honestly...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vLFHu1ise4

― Snorting and all (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 5 January 2017 22:24 (eight years ago)

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