Marseille - review added 8th June 2009
Album Review: Fourplay EP (2009)
For fans of: Classic Rock... and band members you might know from elsewhere
Here's a band with a bit of history... Are you ready for a promo-sheet fact dump?
Marseille were originally called AC/DC until Angus and the boys grew mahoosive. In the first ever UK national "Battle of the Bands" competition in 1977, Marseille appeared alongside bands including Saxon (then called "Son of a Bitch"), and beat them all. They were the first NWOBHM band to secure a recording contract, the first to play a major festival in Europe and the first to tour the USA (just beating Def Leppard to the honour). They had a song in the UK charts - 'Over and Over' got to no.31 in the early 80's. - and they even had a song 'Do It The French Way' featured in a soft porn movie!
Sadly, the bubble burst as quickly as it started and, through record and management company 'issues', they disappeared in the mid 80's.
Now, a full 25 years later, the guys are back with a new EP and the promise of more to come. The band consists of Andy Charters (guitar), Steve Dinwoodie (bass), Keith Knowles (drums), Neil Buchanan - yes, THE Neil Buchanan off TV - (guitar) and Nige Roberts (vocals). Original vocalist Paul Dale played a couple of dates with the band but decided not to carry on with the project.
So, enough giving you the facts. What's the music like? The answer is... rather bloody good actually. Sound wise it's as if the last twenty five (possibly 35) years haven't existed. This is vintage sounding rock'n'roll with a raw, live production and an energetic non-commercial feel. Marseille play the sort of music you'd have heard in the best pubs in the late 70's/early 80's. The sound is party orientated without ever going over-the-top. Technically it isn't great, but it has a charisma and honesty missing from the majority of modern releases.
There's little point going into the individual songs on the album as they all tread a similar path. They are catchy to the point of cardiac arrest, brutally simplistic yet infectious. This is a band which'll be a blast live. I can imagine they'd even get the furniture dancing.
If you like ultra-modern sounding albums with polished production and intricate musicianship you aren't going to 'get' this. This album wouldn't know Pro Tools, emo haircuts or iTunes if it sat on a plane with them for 14 hours. This is rock'n'roll heaven for working class beer swillers. Come and join the party.
Check out... All of it. It's brilliant fun.
Track List:
01. Are You Ready
02. Heat (Of The Night)
03. Some Like It Hot
04. You're A Woman
Artist's websites: Marseille , MySpace
