I Have Never Heard These Bands That Start With The Letter R

Marc Riley - as in "Not related to Lisa Riley" and "Lard" fame, The Fall blah blah.. "Cure by choice"

- grrrrrrrreat (one-sided) album, ripe for reissue someone!

Favorite songs from them (of the ones I've listened to): "Comedy", "Return", and "No. 3". And the b-side "Depression", which is more whimsical than the rest. "All the rascals in the jungle say that it's so good to be alive and living in the Depression, it's so good for the soul." Etc., etc., etc. (The lyrics are my own interpretation.)

xpost!

Anyway, Deluxe is also correct. Ha.

Reducers -- New England hard rocking pop band. Had a number of albums, most very good. Great songs like "Let's Go," "Bums I Used to Know."

Phil Rambow -- had a cut on some live new wave/punk collection. Never liked it. Singer/songwriter with electric band.

Raw Power -- shitty Italian hardcore band that was a faddy micro-favorite for about 6 months on the scene sometime around the late Eighties. Had one album, can't remember a single song on it except the style.

Raw Power -- Italian first-Die-Kreuzen-album-style shriek-core metal, not as good as the Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers, probably, but close!

Reducers - Connecticut Xgau-rock band. (I.e.: I think he liked them.)

Robert Rental & The Normal - Well, the Normal did "Warm Leatherette" before Grace Jones, obvious. I have no idea who Robert is, though.

Marc Riley With The Creepers - Fall spinoff band. Never heard 'em.

But Rad is his last name!

*PSSSSSSSSHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH*

"Juanita and Jua-a-a-a-a-a-an..."

Reluctant Stereotypes did indeed have Paul King as their singer. But on the early stuff it's Martyn Bates, later of Eyeless in Gaza!

The Reducers [Rave On, 1984]
A glorified demo, so the sound could be crisper, but Tom Trombley compensates by sending out a flat, tough beat as pure if not as magical as Charlie Watts himself. And the material is there: "Out of Step" and (in a less theoretical vein) "Black Plastic Shoes" might qualify as theme songs for a band given to voicing the discontents of fairly ordinary nonmetropolitan under-twenty-fives who don't want to buy into the system if they can help it. B+

Let's Go! [Rave On, 1984]
Suspiciously generic though they may seem, nobody can name the genre--the attack of speed boys like the Vibrators yoked to a Stonesish but very American "honky imitation of the blues." You know, rock and roll like you dream about it. Their cross-class sniping isn't as sharp as their what-the-fuck-are-we-doing-in-New-London? because no matter how you strip them down and speed them up, blues and country sources still put a premium on personal expressiveness. Thus the Reducers' satire is straightforward rather than deadpan, their anger their own. For cartoony affectlessness they substitute contained, rapid-fire soul; for chordal roar, licks and even quick, clipped, vaguely Claptonesque solos; for ur-pop hooks, a honky imitation of the blues. A-

Cruise to Nowhere [Rave On, 1985]
Less bracing than the nonstop Let's Go!, with only a few tunes--the miniature ("Fistfight at the Beach") even more than the metaphor ("Cruise to Nowhere") or the final statement ("Sound of Breaking Down")--that bite hard enough to break the skin. But on "Pub Rockin'" they cop to their roots' roots, and you have to be amazed at how good punk was for these guys. They're devoid of Ameriphilia--of Dr. Feelgood's raunchy role-playing or Ducks Deluxe's mud-bottom romanticism. And if they don't write with the panache of Nick Lowe, they sure get to the point faster than Sean Tyla. B+

Shinola [Rave On, 1995] TURKEY

Also I believe the other member of R&N was Rex Probe, current head of the Serge synthesizer company.

The band put out some semi-legendary blistering punk rock records in the early '80s. Much like many of their brethren, they were accused of "going metal" later on but most every disc they put out is worth listening to all with the usual sociao-political stance.

They also put on one of the best shows I ever saw once when the singer was stuck in the hotel room passing a kidney stone. The guitarist went to the mic and explaiend this and then said in a thick Italian accent, "But that's okay. We're Raw Power and we're *still* going to kick your ass."

With the help of an audience ever-eager to join the band onstage and assist and the enthusiasm of the other band members who sang sometimes as well, they did just that.

All I remember at the time was thinking how many bands would just cancel in such a situation. Instead they made for a night to remember.

I have never heard these "R" bands from Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums 1955-1996 book:

(At least I don't think I have. At least not much. Unless I'm wrong about a couple, but so what):

Trevor Rabin
Racing Cars
The Radiators
The Raes
Rail
The Rainmakers
Ramatam
Jean-Pierre Rampal/Claude Bolling
Billy Rankin
Kenny Rankin
Ranking Rodger (solo!?)
Rappin' 4-Tay
Rare Bird
Ratchell
R.B.L. Posse
Real Life
Redeye
Red Flag
Redhead Kingpin and the FBI
Red 7
Red Siren
Rene & Rene
Reverberi
Rhinoceros
Rhythm Corps
Ricochet
Riff
The Rings
Waldo De Los Rios
Roachford
The Road
Rockie Robbins
The Robbs
Robertino
Rock & Hyde
Rockin' Rebels
D.J. Rogers
Roman Holliday
Romeo's Daughter
Edmundo Ros
The Rose Garden
Rottin Razkals
Rough Diamond
The Routers
RTZ
The Rubber Band
Rubicon
Rude Boys
Runner
The Rustix

I have always gotten Roman Holliday mixed up with Honeymoon Suite, I just realized; no idea why. So there's a good chance I might have heard them.

i liked don't try to stop it and motor maniac by roman holiday. they dressed like extra gay sailors. i have a rough diamond album i like. hard rockin'. i have a rose garden album i like. sunshine pop. i have a rockie robbins album that is great. very smooooooth. i was never big on rhinoceros, but they were okay. i like redeye too. and i have a rene & rene album but i don't remember much about it. and i have 3 rare bird albums and they get a spin once in a while. hard rock/prog.

"extra gay soldiers"?? Wow, that's very gay!

I meant sailors! (Which is even gayer, probably!)

The Radiators are a New Orleans institution...they basically sound like a lil' Little Feat...

Roman Holiday sounded nothing like Honeymoon Suite...they did that song "Stand By" in the early 80's, which basically predicted the swing craze by some 15 years...

Rhythm Corps were a journeyman Detroit bar band (original name: Rhythm Method)...if you recall the Rockets and the Look, you know what they sound like...

Jean-Pierre Rampal/Claude Bolling

This is probably referring to Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano, which is, as the name implies, a hybrid of classical kitsch and modern jazz - executed at a high-level of skill and accessibility and which is also a great deal of fun. I like the Suite for Classical Guitar and Jazz Piano even better.

I rememember Rhythm Method! Or at least I think I remember hearing them on Detroit AOR stations in the early '80s, alongside, um, The Look and Adrenaline. Though I don't remember what any of those bands sounded like, really. I do remember what the Rockets sounded like, though; they were great. (I still play "Oh Well" all the time in my DJ sets.) Plus, I bought an album by the Lordz once! Remember them? It's possible they were even better than Seduce. Wish I still owned that (and the Seduce album too.)

Wow, not much on the Lordz on the Internetz (at least via perfunctory googling). Cool Jewfros (or whatever) in this live at the Red Carpet photo though:

http://www.nestorindetroit.com/old_clubs.htm

I don't remember the Lordz, but I saw Seduce at Harpo's once!...(I had completely forgotten Adrenaline)...Rhythm Corps' big hit (in Detroit, at least) was "Common Ground"...a lighter-waver if ever there was one...

I have a CD by Rappin 4-Tay called Don't Fight The Feeling, filed between Ramones and Rare Earth.

why? don't think I've never listened to it

Roachford

he was a Terrence Trent D'arby clone, not a good thing to be

xp (Actually, they may have been Rhythm Corps not Method in the early '80s; Whitburn says they date back to 1981, though they didn't chart until 1988.)

Anyway, this site looks pretty darn definitive:

http://www.motorcityrock.com/

Toby Redd! And the Almighty Strut!

The Lordz claymation video, "So We Jam":

http://www.motorcityrock.com/bands/lordz/lordz_video.html

Roachford - Late 80's Britsoul singer/songwriter, decent voice but records sounded kind of 'stodgy'. Debut album inexplicably got 10/10 in the NME.

xxxpost: Junk Monkeys! Bittersweet Alley! Missionary Stew! (who I have never heard, but always assumed they took their name from Alice Cooper's "Black Widow", with none other than the Rockets' Johnny "The Bee" Badanjek on skins)...

Racing Cars: pub rock? Boring, at any rate. I had 2 LPs, sold 'em.
Ramatam: hard rock, with female guitarist April Lawton.
Rings: Corporate new wave from Boston; I kept this one for one track.

roman holiday:

don't try to stop it:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NMXYcPnySxg

motormania:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tDrL5H33sbE

they were a part of that whole, um, 50's/40's/Joboxers thing that the u.k. had going on there for a minute. i guess Darts (who i always thought were terrible) might have started the ball rolling. i don't know where Carmel fit in. Or Topper Headon's Gene Krupa phase.

The Raes - boring girl group disco

Rappin' 4-Tay - had a few really good, slow-burning singles - "Playaz Club," "I'll Be Around"

rail = aussie powerpop, had a big indie hit locally with a some called 'immune deficiency' which had emo stoner lyrics

Trevor Rabin -- Yes guitarist, obvious for hit single riff heard by zillions. Aussie, made albums with hard rock group called Rabbitt. Made solo albums, one or two of which I had and no longer wish to hear again. Does fair to good TV and movie theme music.

Ramatam -- April Lawton, Mike Pinera "supergroup." Lots of push because guitar hero was a goyl in late Sixties/early Seventies. Two albums, first S/T, second -- something psychedelic sounding. Both reissued on Wounded Bird. You'd think they would be <i>Sludge in the Seventies</i> naturals but even with the reissues, I still can't recall one blessed tune. Ughh. Bottom-most of the bottom-most barrel-scrapings, made watching lichen grow on a tree seem exciting.

Billy Rankin -- Nazareth guitarist after the band was on the backslide.
Is on 'Snaz,' the live double album no one listens to.

The Road -- Didn't Scott love this band of Hendrix sidemen?

Roman Holliday -- horrible jittery teeth-grinding vocal and dancey pop band.

Rough Diamond -- horrid mid-Seventies hard rock act, buncha sidemen from Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, etc, or something like that. Rotten, even by my low standard.

Rubicon -- vile mixed-up pompy nothing-type hard rock band that played California Jam and were seen and heard by millions, most of whom wisely chose not to purchase record.

Although Seduce are "R," I once bought them on the strength of a review xhuxk wrote and seems to not recall. Seduce were total tosh. Didn't IRS Metal pick them up at one point? Between Madame X and Seduce, it's hard to pick which band was more teeth-grindingly annoying.

Or rather, "Seduce" do not belong in "R" --- ooof!

I still have never heard of these bands in the letter "R" in Jasper and Oliver's International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal

Radlum
RAF
Rainbow Canyon
Ram
Rapid Tears
Rat Riders
Rats
RATT Race
Raw Deal
RCR
Reckless
Reddi Killowatt
Redhouse
Reforger
Resistance
Riff Raff
Rock Kicks
Rock Rose
Rose
Walter Rossi
Roy Last Group
Runner
Russia

Rubicon, BTW, was Nightranger before it was Nightranger, apparently. Doesn't change things.

bought them on the strength of a review xhuxk wrote and seems to not recall. Seduce were total tosh

I do remember the review, George! Even re-read it a couple weeks ago, when sorting through my old files. It's a pretty funny review! Though my reaction to Seduce in it was not entirely favorable. I haven't owned the LP for years, but re-reading the review made me wish I'd kept it. Glad to hear they're tosh.

rail = aussie powerpop

Not this Rail, which is a "hard rock quartet" from pre-hair-metal 1984. Went to #143 on album chart.

"The Road -- Didn't Scott love this band of Hendrix sidemen?"

ROAD was post-fat mattress noel redding power trio. big fan of the album for years. very intense psych/thud. crazy soloing. their one album was on the motown subsidiary Natural Resources.

but Chuck's The Road has to be another band. Noel's band only charted in some bizarro universe.

there WAS a 70's band on Kama Sutra called The Road. But I don't think I've ever heard their album.

but Chuck's The Road has to be another band

"Pop-rock group" led by brothers Jerry and Phil Hudson; self-titled LP on Kama Sutra (so yeah, that Road) reached a towering #199 on the Top 200 in 1970. Looks like they cover "Mr. Soul," "She's Not There," "I Can Only Give You Everything," and "Dance to the Music," assuming those are all indeed covers.

Trevor Rabin was actually South African not Aussie. Not that it matters much. Apparently half of the tracks on 90125 were originally earmarked for his solo album before everyone realised it'd sell more if they got Jon Anderson to sing on it.

Racing Cars had a hit in the UK called "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?", which I should remember but don't.

The Rainmakers - ah, what was the hit? (consults Wikipedia) "Let My People Go-Go", that was it. Top 20 in the UK!

real life had themselves a hit, "send me an angel"

but it could be one of the other real lifes discogs lists.

the reel live at the trade union club:

http://rapidshare.com/files/26415681/Live_TUC.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/26417775/Live_TUC.part2.rar

RTZ (Return To Zero) was Brad Delp and another guy from Boston sounding like poppier Boston. Their sole hit was "Until Your Love Comes Back Around" - 1992, I think? - and I haven't heard it since.

"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" was voted #6 greatest song of all time by listeners to John Peel in the very first Festive 50 (1976)!!!

Redhead Kingpin and the FBI - pop rapper, sole UK top 40 hit was "Do the Right Thing" in 1989 (not bad IIRC), but I'm surprised to note he actually put out two albums.

Real Life were an Aussie new wave band with the delicious hit "Send Me An Angel" ... best remembered (by myself) for being the song played during the bike-dancing scene in Rad!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBFizu8B3Rw

Their follow-ups mostly ran aground and they tried to resuscitate their career in the late 80's with a remix of their biggest hit which I actually thought was reasonably entertaining. Though looking at this page the actual story behind it is fraught with drama.

The Raes - boring girl group disco

Nope, Canadian husband-'n-wife disco duo, actually. Dressed like figure skaters, had a few hits up north between '77-79, including a refreshing (but not necessarily fresh) uptempo cover of "Que Sera, Sera". "A Little Lovin' Keeps The Doctor Away" even made the US charts, and they had a horrible variety show on CTV for about 5 minutes.

Ah sorry about that. I never heard a track of theirs with a guy singing. Still very boring.