SHINING BRIGHTLY IN THE DARK
K. H. Orton | New York, NY USA | 06/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"During their brief tenure (1977-80) he Only Ones were hardly a blip on UK charts & didn't even make a dent in the US. Despite that, they managed to secure a solid cult following that remains to this day. Fans include Keith Richards & The Replacements on down to today's Yo La Tango.
Why "Another Girl, Another Planet" didn't catapult them to household name is a mystery.
Perhaps, they were a touch too idiosyncratic for the times. In an era where Punk was all the rage, here was a band that was more defiantly Rock than anything else & seemingly unconcerned with what others were doing. They had a certified, Guitar Hero in John Perry, not to mention a drummer from the Prog Rock band, Spooky Tooth. Factors that were to say the least, at odds with the burgeoning Punk & Post Punk scenes. Musically, they had Television's Psyche leanings, Johnny Thunder's swagger & a decided taste for Velvet Underground decadence.
Then there was front man Peter Perrett. More snide than outraged, he was more Lou Reed than Johnny Rotten. But behind his laconic whine was a songwriter who at times could be Rock's answer to Baudeliere. Like the aforementioned Reed, the man had a way with words.
Obviously, their eponymous, "Another Girl" debut is the place to start. But Serpents is the place to go next. Saddled with one of the weirdest covers in Rock History, the coiled snakes within do indeed shine...Brightly.
The line, "I see a woman with death in her eyes", first greets you & the album that ensues is a double edged blade of shame & blame; guilt & optimism. Songs like the title track, "No Solution" & "Inbetweens" tread a fine line between moral ambiguity & hopeful redemption.
For every sentiment like, "shooting up in the back seat", there are moments of whistful tenderness like "Out There In The Night" (which purportedly was written about Perrett's missing cat!)
For all the mind games & decadence wrought herein, the album reaches a fore with the anthem, "Miles From Nowhere" where Perrett melodically pines to "die in the same place I was born...Miles from nowhere"...
The original album draws to a close with "Instrumental". Almost as if in apology, Perrett's ghostly voice chimes in at the end with the song's sole lyric, "Hey dear, you're just instrumental". It's almost as if to say, hey darling, for all the hell we've put each other through, in the end, at least we still have each other---for better or worse.
As for the bonus tracks, the eerie reggae tinged voyeurism of "Special View" captures The Only's at their most demented. The rarities, "Oh No" & "This Ain't All" at their most rousing.
Along with Big Star, The Only Ones are quite simply one of my favorite bands. An all too well forgotten secret on these shores.
For further listening, definitely check out their debut & the terrific collection of outtakes, Remains. As for their last album, Baby's Got A Gun; it's a mixed bag with a couple of stellar moments like The Big Sleep. I'd also heartily recommend Perrett's increasingly rare 1996 solo album, Woke Up Sticky.
At the time of writing this, I'm happy to report that The Only Ones recently reformed & have been touring Europe to rave review. A new album is on the way...
"
