Tackhead – For The Love Of Money (Dude Records)
LP/CD/DL
Out Now
Funk/dub/industrial
hip-hoppers Tackhead return with their first album in twenty three years.
It’s fair to say, that over twenty six years ago, Tackhead helped
steer my musical direction forever.
Hearing stuff like Mind At The End Of The Tether or Hard Left blew my
mind and when I first heard Bop Bop (recorded under the name of their studio
‘experiment’ Fats Comet) on the legendary On The Wire radio programme, I was
hooked. What followed was my investigation of On-U Sound under the influence of
Adrian Sherwood.
They were always, as On-U was (is) one step ahead of the pack. Listening to 80s albums Tape Time and
Friendly As A Hand Grenade recently, it’s still astonishing how new it
sounds. Clean, clinical thundering
drums, funky bass and dub overtones were their trademark and they soon became
the regular ‘house band’ provided backing for Mark Stewart, Dub Syndicate and
New Age Steppers.
Also a group of talented individuals, Tackhead have
worked with a list of artists longer than anyones arm – Nine Inch Nails, James
Brown and George Clinton to name drop just three. Keith Le Blanc, Skip McDonald and Doug
Wimbush were the backing to The Message by Grandmaster Flash and Bernard Fowler
provided backing vocals to The Rolling Stones for a quarter of a century. Joined by the legend that is Sherwood, the
combination is formidable.
Their last commercially available new studio album was
1990s Strange Things, and whilst it obtained praise for singles Class Rock and
Dangerous Sex, their first (and last) album for EMI didn’t achieve the success
expected
They’re now back with an album almost entirely made up
of tracks that have inspired them over the years. So what of it? Well, it’s an album of quite remarkable
quality to be honest. Traces of the old
Tackhead are very apparent, those loud percussive elements, throbbing base and
screaming guitars are there, as are the dubs and reggae foundations. There are added effects and soundbytes
courtesy of album ‘mixologist’ Sherwood and even a cover of their own song,
Stealing (originally on the Friendly As A Hand Grenade album,) and pay tribute
to the late great Bim Sherman.
There’s strong elements of blues and funk, and maybe
some of the 80s rawness has been ironed out, but the overtones are still very
apparent with jibes at banks, politicians and religion in equal amounts of
finesse. Covers from the likes of Sly
And The Family Stone (Loose Booty), James Brown (Funky President) and Bob
Marley (Exodus) are given the TACK treatment and they’re fine moments indeed.
Stand out tracks are versions of Errol Dunkley’s Black
Cinderella and Slim Harpo’s King Bee which exude feeling and their version of
The Meters’ Just Kissed My Baby is sex on legs.
Tackhead are back, and it’s like they’ve never been
away.
9.5/10
Links
Published on Louder Than War 3/02/14 - here
No comments:
Post a Comment