I must profess ignorance of this band’s music, for, while I consider myself a fan of their prior incarnation as the Rezillos, I’ve never heard anything past their earlier punk heyday. That said, all that comes to mind while listening to this is, “Whoa, what a difference a few years make.” Where the Rezillos were revved up and tighter than hell, the Revillos are less manic, a lot looser in delivery and betray more influences, from Bo Diddley to rockabilly to surf and beyond, melded into their sound than their preceding incarnation. According to the liner notes, the original release of this was completely unauthorized and marred by inferior sound quality and mixes, so, with painstaking searchin’ and reconstructin’, the band has put this superior version together, featuring alternate mixes and alternate versions, as well as single, B-side and previously unreleased tracks. The result is some mighty tasty pop tunes with a heavy nod to the world of sci-fi and schlock horror cinema. Of particular note is a great cover of Screaming Lord Sutch’s “(She’s Fallen in Love with a) Monster Man.” Great listening.
–jimmy (Captain Oi)