Gutter Pop Records, May 1, 2020 (originally self-released April 25, 2019)
The Beatersband get back to the basics of rock and roll
For a bunch of years now, I’ve come to understand that bands like the Ramones were really pretty nostalgic for a bygone era. Musicians like Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens made a memorable racket, and it didn’t require years of lessons and or indulge in ridiculous musical showboating. Instead, it got by on energy and great simple songs. Livorno, Italy’s The Beatersband wants to raise those ghosts and draw those connections.
On VOL UNO, The Beatersband covers eight American pop songs from the 50’s and 60’s, and their choices are pretty fantastic. They go after the songs with a good energy and a bit of reverence. On song after song, the guitars sound a bit more Buddy Holly and little less buzzsaw. The drums pop and bounce, never overcomplicating the songs with dumb unnecessary fills. There’s even a certain Beatnik Termites vibe to the record. Mostly, VOL UNO recognizes the goodness of simple innocence in songwriting.
My favorites include the Valens classics “C’mon Let’s Go” and “Donna”. Each are uptempo blasts with vocals taking the lead and harmonies that set them off. “Donna” has a great tremolo guitar lead that really sticks. They also capture The Crystals classic “Then He Kissed Me”, putting in a cool little bounce to the drums. The guitars are endearing and the vocals again take center stage, keeping the hooks in focus. The other real standout to me is The Ronettes “Baby I Love You” (also on Ramones’ End of the Century). Again, they keep the hooks front and center, but they keep it from getting as saccharine or maudlin as the Ramones version (and I’m one of the weirdos that loves the Ramones version).
So The Beatersband really hit these songs well. And with all the goodness, there’s a lot to like. But there are a couple of songs that maybe stay a bit too safe for me. Near the end, they do Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance” and The Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird”, and work in a surprisingly good backing vocal to “Dance” in particular. But next to the Ramones versions of each (and even next to The Trashmen’s version of “Bird”), The Beatersband versions just seem a little tame.
Still, this is some good stuff. If you like early rock and roll, this one’s worth a go.
You might like this if:
- You’re a fan of cover records and/or early rock and roll
- You like melodic and poppy stuff
You might not if:
- You aren’t into covers (or you like your covers a bit more rearranged)
- You want something closer to punk with edge rather than pop
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
