Amazing Disgrace
Amazing Disgrace is the latest album from The Quireboys. I have to say, I am somewhat of a Quireboys fan. Most of the parties I find myself at, there always seems to be a Quireboys track on at some point and it only adds to an already brilliant night, screaming ‘7 o clock’ at the top of your voice, or singing ‘I don’t love you anymore’ to your now estranged friends!! Brilliant! So, it was with great excitement that I opened the new Quireboys album.
The new offering was recorded at the world famous Rockfield Studios – the legendary studio where, amongst others, Bohemian Rhapsody was recorded. The Quireboys had joined the ranks, standing next to the likes of Queen, Robert Plant, Judas Priest and more recently Kasabian, Gun, Opeth and the Super Fairy Animals. But has all this made a blind bit of difference? Hell Yeah!! This is quite possibly one of the best Quireboys albums yet!
The album bursts open with a drum fill followed by an ever familiar honky tonk piano part, played by the wonderful Keith Weir. The song is ‘Original Black Eyed Son’. Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin do what they do best and deliver that crunchy, dirty guitar sound that we all know and love, but the addition of a horns section just gives the song a bit more punch than we are used to! Straight away, this feels big. This is class! Then, Spike comes in with his raspy vocals, which just sound better than ever. A show opener, if I’ve ever heard one.
I really enjoyed ‘Sinners Serenade’. It is typical Quireboys. This is rock ‘n roll swagger with that hint of blues! It had an especially good slide guitar part too. The album’s title track is straight out of the Quireboys vault as well! Able to stand up next to the likes of ‘Mona Lisa Smiled’, ‘Hey You’ and ‘Sex Party’, undoubtedly it will become a future live staple.
I have to say though; the third track of the album is the biggest surprise. ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ begins with an almost gospel choir like opening and then drops into a real funky sound. Think Stevie Wonder’s Superstition riff and you’re somewhere close. I love it; it’s possibly a contender for my favourite track of the album. Another great guitar solo on this track – it’ll certainly be interesting to see how they’ll develop the solo for live versions.
Another highlight is ‘California Blues’. A tip of the hat to guitarist Pete Townshend, the guitar feels almost ‘Who’ like! With, of course Spike’s fantastic vocals over the top. A great dirty rock song, somewhat heavier than the rest of the album, with of course, plenty of Quireboys swagger!
The album closes with yet another great song, ‘Medusa My Girl’. This features a chugging riff, with Irish Jig style fiddles and all topped off by a Hammond organ! What a way to close the album, perhaps more Waterboys than typical Quireboys, but it’s just testament to the diverse set of musicians in the band.
Here is a band, that after 35 years have delivered a truly stunning album. I think, one of the best yet and certainly the most diverse. It has the typical Quireboys songs and don’t get me wrong, they are great and they do exactly what they say on the tin and I will be playing them at the next party I go to. But there’s more. I especially liked it when they moved away from their safe place and did something completely different. The likes of ‘Medusa My Girl’, ‘Original Black Eyed Son’ and ‘Seven Deadly Sins’, well, these songs are the Quireboys and then some! All in all, an absolutely fantastic album and one that I will play over and over again
Released By: Off Yer Rocka Recordings
Release Date: 19th April 2019
