The Rezillos: Can't Stand The Rezillos - 1978

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I remember seeing The Rezillos supporting The Ramones in late 1977, which was quite apt as The Rezillos were a bit of a Ramones imitation band. Instead of Joey Ramone, they were fronted by feisty Glasgow girl Fay Fife (although Eugene Reynolds took vocals too, and sounded like Stiff Little Fingers' Jake Burns). 

Their music was in your face, breakneck paced, guitar and drums-driven goofy pop. Full of great hooks and silly lyrics, this, the only album they produced was a barrel-full of punk joie de vivre. 

The first two tracks, the ridiculous Flying Saucer Attack and all-out punk attack of No (with Reynolds on vocals) are just so energetic and delivered with an enthusiasm that is infectious. 

Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight is a delightfully bonkers piece of punk fun, with Reynolds wrapping his raspy tonsils around the song again. Fay Fife is back, however, for her finest moment - the utterly intoxicating, hundred miles an hour sheer pleasure of Top Of The Pops. Even all these years later I still love it. "Do I look up to date.." asks Fay in her broad Glasgow brogue. 

Another thing to mention is that The Rezillos looked bizarre in their outfits, like a bunch of extras from Star Trek getting together with some Teddy boys. Fay wore all sorts of different strange get-ups. 2000 AD, It Gets Me and the bassy, mega-punky I Can't Stand My Baby are all "1-2-3-4"style frenetic punkers. Like Dr. Feelgood on speed. Their cover of The Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over is superb. Just play it, you can't sit still and stop yourself from banging on the nearest table. 

(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures is another exhilarating romp - "she shapes my body like a lump of mud...". What a line. Fay Fife was a student sculptress, apparently. Their cover of Gerry & The Pacemakers' I Like It is deliciously nutty too. The Feelgood-esque Getting Me Down, Cold Wars and Bad Guy Reaction don't move from the formula much. 

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