I hate it when bands re-record their back catalog. It sux that the Record companies force the Bands to re-record their "hits" in order to make money off of what they created, but whatever. Re-recordings are never as good as the original, and I can only think of a slim few occurrences where the remake outdid the original. This album adds support to that theory. Ugh. The new tracks on here, like the title cut, Celtic Blues and Rock And Roll Nightmare, don't do much to add to the mystique of the band, and the re-recording of such classic Spinal Tap songs like Sex Farm (now done in a funky white boy manner) , Listen To The Flower People (done in a Reggae style, again!) and Big Bottom leave a lot to be desired! LOL But at least they finally recorded their Jazz Odyssey tune (from the movie This Is Spinal Tap) in 3 parts, but I'm not sure that's a good thing! They're all really bad! LOL The real catch of this release is the packaging! It comes with a killer fold out of the band on stage, complete with the wrong scale size Stonehenge prop, which has to be seen to be believed! It's a bit intricate and hard to figure out how to unfold it, but once you do it looks great. With a couple of shots of something in ya, and with a few beers under your belt, you can start to appreciate the genius that is Spinal Tap. If the songs Saucy Jack or Ran All The Way Home would of been on here, this would definitely be the Ultimate Spinal Tap collection. Still, this collection is some good stuff.

Hahahaha Any CD that starts with the sound of a record being dropped onto a scratchy piece of vinyl is A-OK in my book! LOL The Black Jetts unleash an absolutely crushing left hook to the unsuspecting masses of music fans, and most people who get hit by this release will pick themselves up and ask for another one, because it's that good. Gabe's howling intro to I'm Not Your Man sets the tone for what follows - 100% all meat no filler American Rock And Roll music, forged in the heat of the Las Vegas desert. With more than a passing nod to bands like the MC5 and the Rascals before them, the Black Jetts let loose on the distortion pedals, the dance worthy drum beats, some ass shaking bass fills and passionate, booze and cigarette soaked vocals to lay it all on the line, warts and all. The band is demanding, no, forcing you to comply to their wishes and get down to what it is they're playing and saying. Pretty cool. Sounding way better recorded and mixed than any of their last releases, the Black Jetts have really out-done themselves with this one. Fucking Hell. Songs such as Electric Revolution, Make You Stay, Like A Wet Tiger and Let's Get High On Love just illustrate how funky damn good their music is. I like how atmospheric it all is, with the band utilizing keyboards, tambourines, and gawd knows what else to create a sonic listening experience for us music fans out there. I love the way all the songs flow right into one another as well. Roy's guitar work on here is amazing, with him over-working the Flange, Fuzz and Wah-Wah pedals in his repertoire almost to the point of breaking, and Gabe's vocals have never sounded more intense or as powerful. Roy and Chad are the heartbeat of the Black Jetts machine, providing the back beat that's strong enough to crush concrete, and yet subtle enough to juggle eggs without breaking them. Such a fantastic release from the Black Jetts. How these guys aren't worshiped as the Demi-Rock Gods that they are in their minds is beyond me. Doing it purely for the Love of doing it, and without aspirations of "making it", making music because it's inside of them to do so, the Black Jetts continue to be a stellar example of how a real American Rock and Roll band is supposed to sound. Great stuff. Amen Brothers. Keep up the good work. On Rankoutsider Records.

Gawd Damn! - Where did these guys come from? Snotty, aggressive, angry Punk Rock played loud and fast and without a care for impressing anyone or making any fans along the way. Just the kind of stuff I live for! Remember when bands like the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag and the Meatmen had a sense of humor? Me too, and apparently so does somebody in Dead Birds & Blind Kids! LOL Very un-P.C. lyrics, nothing too offense (My Grandma Is A Fucking Racist is about as bad as it gets) and this release stands nicely alongside anything that such bands as the Vandals, Guttermouth or even the Dayglo Abortions have ever released. Fuck this CD is really good! It's crisp and refreshing, like a 7-Up! hee hee hee Well recorded, well played, and with song titles like You Are The Reason I Drink, Nightmare On Maryland Parkway, That's How Much I Hate Your Fuckin' Guts and Destroy Rock Music, these guys let you know exactly what you're getting yourself into when you pick thise CD up and give it a listen. I think the best songs on here are the 'character' ones, like Patrick Duffy, Cyborg Bob or even Bill O'Reilly. Just something about them, I dunno. Everything on this CD is good, with lots of interesting changes and non-repetitive, recycled riffs to bore your ears. The guitar work on here is amazing. I don't know how I've never seen this band play before, but that mistake shall soon be rectified. Check out Dead Birds & Blind Kids for some kick ass punk rock music. Straight outta Vegas ya'all!

Well check these dudes out. A nice, poppy Punk Rock and Roll band from the O.C. What a novelty, huh? Yeah. So I bought this CD after seeing the band perform @ the Rock Room (now Crazy Horse III) in the Penthouse Club, and now that I've been listening to it for a while I gotta say it's pretty good. Not great, but good. Music is tight, the guitar player can fucking shred, and is probably the 'Star' of the band. Not that the other guys in the band are slouches at what they do, it's just that the guitarist is that good. But alas, what keeps Action 45 from being great and maybe standing out a bit from the already over-crowded scene of people doing the exact same thing that they are is the singer. He's generic, and sounds like someone more comfortable fronting an Alternative band that a nice Punk-Pop Rock combo. His baritone vocal styling sounds like everything else out there, like the guy who took vocal lessons to learn how to sing, and it reminds me waaaay too much of bands like the Generators, or Damnation, who I've always considered "plastique". Phooey. There are a couple of really good songs on here, like High Life, about the bands borderline obsession with Miller beer, and Suicide Crossing, which rides the Ministry Stigmata riff a little too closely for it's own good. She Said and Tender Ties are good too, and are all songs that are considerably faster than anything else on this CD, so maybe that's why I dig those tunes, who knows. Anyways, there are far worse choices one could make than checking out this Action 45 release. Who knows? You may even enjoy it! Available from the bands website by clicking here.