Without hesitation, Rockpile’s Live At Montreux 1980 gets your blood racing and your heart pounding quick. The band gets right to it, commanding you to move to the beats of Terry Williams’ drumming while first hypnotizing you to follow along wide-eyed and open-mouthed through Billy Bremner’s guitar hook on “Sweet little Lisa,” the opening track. What follows is a steady flow of air guitar inspiring music that keeps the listener’s attention, with that classic feel of honky tonk based rock.
Some tracks like “Teacher Teacher” show evidence of Rockpile’s transition from pub rock into early new wave, much like that of Elvis Costello, but these songs (though different in style) still stay true to the upbeat tempo and poppy progressions that fill this album’s repertoire; a definitive example of the changing sound for the new age of music this band found themselves entering.
The energy can still be felt from this concert three decades after its recording, keeping fresh the feel and life of the audience that had the pleasure of witnessing this performance personally. Through this, the tone itself urges late night cruising, pool hall deliverance and parking lot trouble of the great Saturday night tradition.
Classic tracks like “Queen Of Hearts” and “I Knew The Bride” will get you up on your feet with furious intent, ready to shake the walls till the family pictures fall off. Each track promises a howl at the moon and delivers on its word. If you’re a fan of Rockpile this is a must have for your collection and if you are just discovering this rock quartet, Live At Montreux 1980 is one of those live albums that will have you out searching through dusty vinyl for their studio recordings.
~ Justin Lee Fox
