But Greater Hits Volume Two: The Mutt's Nuts has ''raised the bar'' even higher, with twenty brilliant songs that combine Oi, Ska and pure punk aggression with the band's trademark passion and humour. The album kicks off with the old crowd-pleaser 'Go Mad With The Gonads' first played in Charlton in 1977. Other golden oldies include the classic 'The Joys of Oi' with its great sing-along chorus, the angry stomp of 'Rob A Bank' which hits like an armed heist, and 'Oi Nutter' - a shit-kicking version of the band's 1997 come-back single. We also get the full, extended version of 'Oily Rag' which urges smokers to ''storm the pubs and light your fags'', and the mighty 'Conquest' with its lyrics inspired by the Lord Of The Rings; Steve Whale guests on lead guitar. The hardest hitting tracks are the anthemic 'England In My Blood', a heart-felt plea to fight for lost democratic rights and civil liberties, and the dark and dangerous 'These Are Our Streets' - a hardcore inferno about people power. There are surprises too. 'Skinhead Girl' sounds like AC/DC in Doctor Marten boots, while 'Beki Bondage Please' was first played live in Leeds as 'Rebecca Pollard Please' by the Unidentified Cockney Gonads, a one-off line-up of the band featuring Gal, Mickey Geggus from the Cockney Rejects and rock legend Pete Way. This album is packed with gems!
My favourite is the new version of 'Sandra Bigg (Really Big)', a song from the Nads' first ep, Pure Punk For Row People, which now includes Sandra's response. 'Got Any Wrigleys John' was on that first ep as well, but it didn't sound as powerful then as it does now. Everyone loved 'Oi Mate' from Volume One, and Volume Two brings us more infectious Ska songs - 'Lotto', about winning the Lottery, 'Getting Pissed' (cheers!) and 'Stop That Drumming' which features the ravishing Wattsie Watts playing a nagging wife (something she does too well!). The band calls these songs ''Oi-Tone, the place where Oi and Ska collide after 18 pints and a vindaloo.'' Guest singers include the blues rock veteran Fin Muir from Waysted on 'Lager Top Blues', Leah McCaffrey who belts out 'She Can't Whip Me' and old Gonads vocalist Annie Auldiron who returns after thirty years to sing 'I Don't Wanna' a duet with teenage fan Kamber Wells. 'Karl Marx Supported Millwall' is another of Gal's hilariously unlikely historical revelations, while 'Haemorrhoid' pays homage to the late great Phil Lynott. And that's it, 20 monster Gonads songs that deliver everything you want from this veteran Oi band. They are still having a laugh and a say after 35 years, and yet they still sound fresh. They have the energy of a thousand milkmen and clearly enjoy every minute. How on earth will they ever top this?
Garry Johnson, 2012
1) Go Mad with the Gonads 1:42
2) Rob a Bank2:36
3) England in our blood 3:28
4) Oi Nutter 1.56
5) Sandra Bigg 1:55
6) Lotto 3:03
7) Oily Rag2:43
8) Beki Bondage please 2:30
9) She cant whip me 1:46
10) Karl Marx supported Millwall 1:39
11) These are our Streets 2:22
12) Got any Wrigleys 1.14
13) getting pissed 2:57
14) conquest 3:30
15) The Joys of Oi! 3:51
16) Lager Top Blues 0:47
17) Skinhead girl 2:12
18) I dont Wanna 0:51
19) Haemorrhoid 1:48
20) Stop that Druming 1.48
BandGonads,The
Artist
GenrePunk
MediaCD
Ltd
A-ZG