Skids - Destination Dusseldorf

 


I was a massive Skids fan. I was 15 and had never really fell for Punk, I mean I'd been listening largely to Prog for the previous 12 months. So Punk passed me by through my own disinterest, but New Wave got me on track as did Skids. The band made me feel a little Punk, even though they were never really that.

It was really anthemic stuff and Richard Jobson made you feel that you were being educated, whilst Stuart Adamson's Guitar riffs just completely hooked me completely. I followed Adamson into Big Country and it sort of the compensated for Skids being no more. 

I still listen to Days In Europa regularly, my love of the band and Be Bop Deluxe insists on that album being my favourite, but The Absolute Game is just as great. What amazes me with Destination Dusseldorf is how much like those two albums it sounds. 

Indeed, the riff of Circus Games even briefly appears on Tidal Wave. With there being, sadly, no Stuart Adamson, the best best thing is his Big Country Guitar partner, Bruce Watson and you have to say that Watson takes on the Adamson Skids role wonderfully, at times it could be Stuart playing.

Yet, on hearing the opener, Open Your Eyes, you would get a completely different feel. It is a great song, but very commercial Pop Rock, anthemic yes, but not really Skids sounding. That's not a criticism in any way, it is a great song, but it certainly surprised me.

Fear not though, the album then gets into Classic Skids mode. Jobson's chops are in fine form and all the riffs sound like it is 1979 again. There's even Yankee Dollar Whoa - Ohs at one stage. Songs are splendidly up and at 'em riffaholic affairs. 

When the Skids script is deviated from on Wings Of Desire, it sounds so like The Academy Show, fantastically so. Then there's the sort of Story of Skids on Things We've Seen with Jobson relating it as only he can in the style of Peaceful Times.

Sadly, the 9th track is only on the CD version. Probably not on the vinyl editions due to time constraints. It is a real shame, because Great Prize is a crackerjack of a song with a top notch vocal arrangement. An understated brooding joy with a similarly understated guitar solo. 

Destination Dusseldorf will delight long time Skids fans, it is both original and nostalgia. However the hope is that new fans will come along for the ride and love this and discover the back catalogue. Special mention too to Last Night From Glasgow, a label that is doing great things for both old and new Scottish artists.

You can listen to the album here. You can buy the album from everywhere. Last Night From Glasgow's own site is best as they have all the formats and different coloured vinyl versions. You can find that site here.

Skids - Peaceful Times

I'm a massive Skids fan and their revival keeps proving me wrong. I've always liked Richard Jobson, although he does use a hundred words where ten will do, but to me Skids will always be Stuart Adamson.

The thought of a Skids album without Adamson made me expect the worst, but last year's Burning Cities album is really good and Live, the band remain as relevant as always. So when I heard, earlier this year, that an Acoustic album was on the way, I thought why?

Skids have always been such an Electric band. Stuart Adamson was the closest guitarist to Bill Nelson that I ever witnessed. So the thought of strum along versions of Into The Valley just didn't appeal. How wrong (again) was I?

There is new life brought into the songs, in fact they are almost new compositions. A song such as Hurry On Boys, previously such a loud anthem, is treated so gently with a wonderful arrangement.
Animation is a revelation and even the newer stuff, such as Kings Of The New World Order, take on a new life.

Animation is a Folky campfire joy, The Saints Are Coming is piano led and soundtrack like. Into The Valley starts has a straight ahead acoustic verse which bursts into a great choral and orchestrated affair. Desert Dust is Spaghetti Western, A World On Fire is pure Runrig and Kruezberg 79 is a new song that keeps up the Burning Cities standard.

Some fans may be disappointed that there are only four songs from the triumphant first three albums and it is a bit of a shame that we can't hear more of these interesting reworks from that era, maybe a second album can do those songs justice in the future.

Peaceful Times is absolutely wonderful. It is like a new Skids album, completely adding to the band's reputation. I'm off to listen to it again. Meanwhile, you can buy it everywhere. You can listen to all ten songs here.