Search - Thee Milkshakes :: 107 Tapes

Mersey by Medway

rosyrings | Denver, CO United States | 03/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The early 1960s saw rock n' roll-obsessed British teenagers picking up cheap electric guitars and cranking out a hyperactive, rough-and-ready form of American R&B that was informed more by raw enthusiasm than instrumental polish. The Beatles and the Searchers are two acts that rose to international prominence from this "beat boom"; other contemporaries, such as the Big Three, languished in obscurity, revered by the Merseyside audiences who could remember and the odd collector. Fast forward to the late seventies, as a group of teens already bored by the inchoate rage of punk rock delve back a few years to create something "new". These Chatham boys are led at the frontlines by The (or, later, Thee) Milkshakes, who, armed with an onslaught of independently pressed and released LPs, forge the "Medway" sound (after the mighty river that runs through Chatham town). If you've read this far already, you're probably chomping at the bit for a taste of these masters of Medwaybeat, and the listener unfamiliar with The Milkshakes (or any of singer-guitarist Billy Childish's numerous recorded efforts) could do worse than "The 107 Tapes", a collection of originals ("Pretty Baby", "Mumble the Peg" )and beat standards ("Soldiers of Love", "Boys"). Overall a riotous assembly of old-school rock n' roll, dolled up with a bit of post-punk panache, "The 107 Tapes" is Beatle boots without that silly Prince Valiant cut, and the British Invasion minus the poncey pop overtones. Highly recommended."