Release Date: October 18, 2019
Label: Rave On Records
Riding on the punk crest of the new wave movement, Roger C.
Reale & Rue Morgue released Radioactive,
A 12-track blitzkrieg providing enough octane to power a stock car. After
shaking up the lineup (G.E. Smith of SNL fame replaced by Mick Ronson of David
Bowie fame), the band began recording their second album, Reptiles in Motion.
Conflicts between the record company, the studio and the producer put the
sessions to rest. Some 40 years later, the recordings are finally seeing the
light of day. Combined with Radioactive,
this collection provides the ultimate Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue
experience.
The sound borrows from the
Ramones and Johnny Thunders, yet adds enough texture and pop affectations to
make it more accessible to the masses. Think power punk mixed with power pop.
If Radioactive is
a blitzkrieg, then Reptiles
in Motion is a more deliberate and sustained attack. Make no
mistake, Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue make the most of each song in this
collection. There is little time wasted on prolonged notes, extended verses or
spaces between stanzas — the 24 tracks average a modest 3:07 in duration. The blistering
guitar and angst-ridden lyrics impose their will with skill and brevity,
forcing the listener to react.
It's hard to believe that songs
like "Stop & Go" and "Please Believe Me" from Radioactive never hit
the mainstream in 1979. We'll leave this mystery up to the documentary makers,
but one could easily see these performances blending in between Graham Parker
and Cheap Trick on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert or becoming vanguard new wave
music videos. The same could be said for songs like "Radioactive" and
"No Secrets" on the follow-up, Reptiles in Motion which would have/should
have been released in 1980.
All in all, The Collection does not
disappoint, and despite 40 years between Radioactive and Reptiles in Motion, the
power still surges, leaving the listener revived and energized.
Key
Tracks Include: “Stop
& Go”, “Please Believe Me”, “Kill Me”, “Radioactive”, “No Secrets”, “Rock
it to the Kremlin”.
Tom
Endyke
September 22, 2019
Tracks:
01. High Society
02. Dear Dad
03. Stop and Go
04. Pain Killer
05. Rescue Me
06. Kill Me
07. Reach for the Sky
08. Madonna’s Last Stand
09. Please Believe Me
10. Close Inspection
11. Inside Outside
12. I Can’t Control Myself
13. She’s Older Now
14. Pros and Cons
15. Radioactive
16. One More Try
17. No Secrets
18. Debutante Ball
19. Make it be Over
20. I’m in Distress
21. Point Blank
22. Back it Up
23. Living in Anger
24. Rock it to the Kremlin
Tracks:
01. High Society
02. Dear Dad
03. Stop and Go
04. Pain Killer
05. Rescue Me
06. Kill Me
07. Reach for the Sky
08. Madonna’s Last Stand
09. Please Believe Me
10. Close Inspection
11. Inside Outside
12. I Can’t Control Myself
13. She’s Older Now
14. Pros and Cons
15. Radioactive
16. One More Try
17. No Secrets
18. Debutante Ball
19. Make it be Over
20. I’m in Distress
21. Point Blank
22. Back it Up
23. Living in Anger
24. Rock it to the Kremlin
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