UPCOMING GIGSPHOTOS FROM THE ANNANDALE - 9 NOVEMBER, 2007
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"10,000 DAYS" - NEW 5CD BOX SET IN STORES NOW
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What does a band do when the five band members can't agree on a tracklist for a Best Of compilation? Give each member his own album, of course. Just to spice it up, each Rifle was asked to nominate a song that the band should have a second shot at, given that it hadn't turned out to everybody's satisfaction the first time out. The Cellies then re-did those songs, with Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) at the desk. Result: You got yerself a box set that'll melt your speakers. The only improvement might have been a bonus sixth disc of dodgy cover songs (something that this band is synonymous with live), but that's in no way a subjugation of what the Rifles have delivered. Each of the five albums blazes with goodness, and the mastering job is well up to the mark. There's no theme or flow at work here, other than the fact that each album reflects the personal selection of a band member, but "Ten Thousand Days" holds up incredibly well as a representation of the Rifles' body-of-work. You could probably read the song selection as indicating who's living in the past and who's more contemporary, but second-guessing is a dangerous game and most material seems to come from the mid-period oeuvre anyway. Which is fine. You could dip the toe in the water of any stage of the Celibate Rifles' 28-year lifespan and find something to love. I'd certainly be pushing shit uphill with a very small stick to come up with a personal fave list in less than a week. If there's story to be told it's in the re-recordings (and probably in the detailed liners - this advance copy only came with bare bones artwork.) Mikey Couvret shoots for another take on "Tubular Greens" with a cutting Kent Steedman lead-break and punchier bottom end. My review copy is fucked up so Kent's re-take on "Cold Wind" is M.I.A. but Damien Lovelock's "Light of Life" has a more measured vocal. I could go on but half the fun will be spotting the difference, and we wouldn't want to spoil it for you, would we? I've heard it said that the Rifles' best days are behind them and that's why they're down to issuing a retrospective. That might be so but it's equally valid for bands like them to get their due from up-and-comers, many of whom play with half the power and considerably less economy. The Rifles do exist in some sort of limbo, where commercial acceptance will never come (as if they cared) and the motivation to do much more is commensurate with a feeling of "been there, played that". Let's face it - as one member told me recently - as nice as the PA is, you can't just keep playing Annandale every show. All of which doesn't mean their live dynamic is truly still a thing to behold and their wit remains as sharp (and droll) as ever. If this is the last mark of the Celibate Rifles (and I still suspect they have more albums in them) it's a helluva legacy to leave behind. Hopefully it's just a calling card and they'll be around in some form for a while to come. File under absolutely-fucking-essential and beyond respect (the term, not the album.) - The Barman |
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