blow up 45 series reviews

no.8: alfa 9 'for your bones'
BU033 7"

artrocker
"It seems to have taken the initiative of Pure Reason Revolution in teaching the kids that Pink Floyd records needn't be concealed in a brown paper bag. With prog having long been a word not even the Collins Dictionary would touch, Alfa 9 don't exactly embrace it in the same vein as PRR, but there are nods in that direction. Flourishing with a hazy, strong psychadelic edge that evokes images of smoky backstreet NYC dens and Led Zep freakouts, this track is an impressively confident debut."
11/05

what's on "talent watch"
"Forthcoming single, the psychedelic jangle-monster 'For Your Bones' is an artistic statement if ever I heard one. Their debut album Then We Begin puts the band in the same league as Echo & The Bunnymen or The Byrds and on more than equal pegging with the new generation of Liverpool bands like The Coral and The Zutons. Dreamy harmonies, chunky semi-acoustic guitars, spaced out tunes. If you like '60s era Pink Floyd or early Stone Roses you will find something to love and cherish here. 'Little Girl' has a folky hypnotic magic only matched by The Byrds 'Dolphin Smile' or Lennon's 'Julia' from The Beatles White Album. These talented twenty-somethings are going to be big news next year."
J Coleman 08/12/05

the sun
"Layer upon layer of guitars - this recalls The Who at their best." 4/5
02/12/05

no.7: the rifles 'peace and quiet'
BU029 7"

NME
"Walthamstow-based new wave pop assault The Rifles - four young men with a flair for savage, uncouth, two-minute bursts of poetic prole punk (and, sadly, an unpleasant penchant
for flat cloth caps) - are a band you can be comfortable doing business with. It's all thanks to a fannish regard for the spiky mod melodies of The Jam, the scattergun blitzkrieg bop of their debut single 'Peace And Quiet', and a sneering lyrical bite. The first band with a London postcode worth tattooing on your heart in ages."
05/03/05

no.6: the bongolian 'bongohead'
BU023 7"

scootering: single of the month
"With a blend of funky flavoured bongo driven rhythm married with a farfisa organ, the end result is an astral trip of spaced out funky grooves, with a fat back vibe reminiscent of the very early seventies. Add a massive injection of manic bongo workouts and a smattering of machine gun style drum riffs. Last ingredient being an occasional yet essential repetition of this uplifting funky Soul 'n' Jazz workouts title, and voila, an absolutely wicked and captivatingly cooking number.
Bongohead is a taster for Nasser's side project The Bongolian, album of the same name is set for release early next year. On the strength of Bongohead it should be an absolute scorcher."
12/01 #188

what's on
"Farfisa organ, funky guitar and groovy vocals - augmented by tasty bongo playing. It's what the kids want, what the kids need and what they must have. Totally mind-blowing."
28/11/01

no.5: the frank popp ensemble 'hip teens don't wear blue jeans'
BU026 7"

OK! Magazine
"An energetic workout with Luluesque vocals from the funky ensemble that's guaranteed to make you want to dance. And the B-side The Catwalk features infectious beats sampled from East Side Story, by legendary '60s group St. Louis Union."
Star rating: 4 out of 5
15/11/01 #290

no.4: big boss man 'big boss man'
BU022 7"

what's on
"If Get Carter was being made today Big boss Man would almost certainly be chosen to appear in an added night club scene. Big Hammond organ, big vocals and 'groovy' percussion. The boss Boys hail fom Newbury, which could be the new rock'n'roll capital. Absolutely Faultless."
09/05/01

capital live
"Hot on the heels of their debut album, [Big Boss Man] has released the killer cut that everyone should go out and buy. 'Big Boss Man' has an immediate uplifting affect. With bongos and Hammond from the boogaloo merchants, even you grandma will be up bopping. Funky, fresh and fun!"
08/04/01 #8

hot tickets
"Ex-Adventures In Stereo ideas man Simon Dine has been quietly tinkering away at the often-neglected interface interface between mod pop, Northern Soul and borrowed beats. As such, he's in demand among the mohair set, with Paul Weller being a particular fan. A great single, available on- gasp - vinyl, and a cut above the usual tosh that ruptures my postman's hernia."
Max Bell

what's on
"This Is unlike anything else you will hear this year. Daisy Martey's incredible bluesey voice sounds like Billie Holliday singing PJ Harvey and Beth Orton, on one side. The other side is a delicious slice of funky retro that could be the theme to a 60s TV show. Absolute perfection."

metro
"A glorious burst of big-hearted Staxy soul featuring the sweetly pouting vocals of Daisy Martey against a backdrop of jolly old Hammond organs and jangly drum beats, the [b-side] a jazzy, baggy shufflin' instruemntal. Time to haul out that record player and start saving your money. The 7inch is making a comeback."
CA 16/02/01

NME
"Noonday are more mod fetishists, but at least this record's author (Simon Dine) has the decency to add a little modern swing to his homage. It is like The Kinks doing northern soul, produced by David Holmes, and actually sounds nearly as good as that looks written on the page. Expect to hear it quite a lot before any gig by a Heavenly artist."

scootering magazine
"A blistering Hammond driven boogaloo with beats tune that owes much to Northern Soul. 'Light Brigade' features Daisy Martey on vocals, mixing up parts of Stealers Wheel with a Ska flavour. A wicked double header."
03/01

no.2: guy pedersen 'indian pop bass'
BU020 7"

big daddy
"The Blow Up boys got a new sevens series here, and the first release is culled from the latest comp from this imprint. Guy was something of a big session player back in the 70s (er...bass if you didn't just read the titles) & here's two old cuts of his that typify the Blow Up LP sound in the 'funky library' style, swirling, hazy & melodic with sitar, flute & piano. Nice to get something exotic on the 45s page for a change. Check also on 45 from the label, "Sea Groove/Version" by BIG BOSS MAN. A jaunty little ditty that updates the style of gear the Blow Up club has made so popular. A loose, tubby student slapper of a groove: "Hilary-funk". ."

no.1: big boss man 'sea groove'
BU017 7"

select magazine 'tracks of the month'
"The UK Hammond trio dick around with their own maritime moods to winning sample-delic effect."
11/00

record collector
"A South coast record, destined to be played at the Blow Up club in London to audiences who certainly wouldn't mind if the Who or Small Faces were played after it. And suprisingly, given all this, it's pretty darn good. ...this'll sit nicely in any collection."
11/00

camden new journal
"Classically trained in retro 60s cheesy sounds, this 7" from Big Boss Man takes us on a trip through the funk universe, makind dutiful use of disco hand-claps, dubby vibes and just about any sound that will get you shakin' your wig."
William Trevelyan 09/11/00

back:
8. alfa 9
7. the rifles
6. the bongolian
5. the frank popp ensemble
4. big boss man
3. noonday underground
2. guy pedersen
1. big boss man
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related pages:
blow up 45 series
exclusive blend vol.3
alfa 9
big boss man
the bongolian
single artists

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