Sunday, August 14, 2011

Guns n' Wankers (Ex-Snuff, Wildhearts): S/T


We talked a lot about Snuff last week (see HERE) but declined to offer a theory on the peak of Snuff singer/songwriter/drummer Duncan Edmonds career. Is it the Not Listening E.P., the Snuff Said... album, the Flibbiddydibbiddydob E.P. or something more recent? Or might it this bastardized collection of Redmonds short-lived band Guns n' Wankers?



All the songs on this mini-album were released in 1994 on a series of genre-themed 7"'s ('pop', 'metal', 'hardcore' and the freebie "silly') which was then issued in somewhat abbreviated format (no 'silly') as S/T by Damaged Goods in England and finally in even more truncated form by American label Fat Wreck-Chords (no 'silly', no 'metal') as For Dancing and Listening.


So with such a discographical fiddling, how will I argue this is Redmonds' finest work?

1) Songs like "Skin Deep" are "Help" are full of rough, racing guitars and choruses wound-up so tight that they just explode but yet these well-crafted songs could easily be done outside the punk idiom - just imagine what Lucinda Williams would do with a sad-but-defiant tune like "Help".

2) While Redmonds stepping out from behind the kit (shades of Dave Grohl!) may have been a bit disappointing, adding a killer Wildhearts rhythm section (Patrice Walters on drums and Joolz Dean on bass) allows his singing to be sharper, more controlled and more dominating than usual.

3) Lyrically, this release has the most resonant words of Redmonds' career. While early albums are dominated by either a twenty-something angst or whimsical cover songs (which it must be stressed are wondrous things) this album faces the sad, hard, fucked-up choices of life and then finds a "better place". Plus it make for one hell of a break-up album - jus' sayin'.

4) With just eight filler-free tracks, this album, unlike this post, proves that brevity is soul of wit.


So is this Redmonds best work? Let us know what you believe in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the S/T link).

If you love this album and don't already own it go and buy the quintessential version of the album at either FAT WRECK-CHORDS, iTunes or AMAZON
.

7 comments:

  1. YOUR
    VIEWS
    ON
    THE
    MUSIC
    BEING
    DISCUSSED
    ARE
    NOT
    ONLY
    WELCOME
    ,
    THEY
    CREATE
    THE
    KIND
    OF
    CULTURAL
    BACK-AND-FORTH
    THAT
    MAKES
    THIS
    WHOLE
    ENTERPRISE
    ACTUALLY
    MAKE
    SOME
    SORT
    OF
    SENSE
    .


    http://www.mediafire.com/?xw0t5unahw9eoab

    ReplyDelete
  2. top class stuff yet again. well appreciated. thanks

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved Guns n Wankers. I liked it better than Snuff. Don't know why, because they are both great...just liked Guns n Wankers better.

    Also, as an aside...I can't stop listening to the "Wheels on Fire" by Rat Scabies and his wife that you posted a week or two back. Thank you for that. I am not a huge fan of the Dylan covers....but that song rules. I like it better than the original. Thanks.

    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  4. i do agree - this is duncan at best. the only correction i dare to give:

    SUNSTROKE

    is him at his very best. Never ever have i hear such a great love song from him!

    and, sure me being a pretensious asshole: i got the EP's, the DG CD and the FAT WRECK CD plus the FAT WRECK Vinyl.

    What does that tell you, mate?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sm
    Awesome

    Anon
    Welcome

    Nick
    I'm glad someone else has that same inexplicable preference.

    Yeah that Tat and the Whale cover is good right off the bat but it gets even better as yu9 avail yourself of it's charms.

    rftc77
    that tells me that your are one cool mofo!

    Bio
    Misty listen to oi-pardoy side-project again.

    ReplyDelete

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