Next

The answer to the question "where the hell did they dig this album out of" is in the question.

Did Robert Smith really consider this a forerunner of punk? It’s part cabaret, part glam, part bland. Almost the fav genre psychedelic!!! Long forgotten

Mmm no

Were the lyrics written by a middle school boy?

+1 for discovery

High energy, fun album. Rock and roll with an eclectic twist of keyboard and string instruments. The lead singer is a kooky dude.

funny, energetic record. not to long not to boring. The Topics are something else but it was a good listen in the end. thats a 3.5 for me!

4/5. A heavier than expected album full of awesome riffs. Some of the lyrics, sure a little iffy, but I have a feeling that might have been the point? Alex really defines the sound, kind of like a Scottish Tim Buckley. I can see the influence this album provided to bands like Black Midi today, and it does hold up in my opinion. It's weird and seedy, but goes hard in almost every song. Next... arguably my favorite song on the album.

Toda una sorpresa teniendo en cuenta el año en el que fue grabado. Rock puro con melodías guitarreras y con bastante ritmo. También me ha gustado la voz del cantante, enérgica y con estilo

I didnt know you but i like you👍

Really cool lively mix of rock and blues. Enjoyed

Classic rock with some swagger, adding horns and such as well

A very interesting mix of influences showing through. Some of it sounds very much like Carmen. Not sure how to react to this album, but at least I could follow along with what was happening and I could actually learn these songs if I wanted. Having a whole run of experimental British albums has been tough, but this is one of the easier ones to digest

Nothing on this album got me moving. I guess it's because this sounded like Billy Squire. I'm not a fan of most glam, and this solidifies it.

Täähän oli kai tällänen tosi Slade henkinen pumppu. Siltä tosiaan kuulostaa. Lyrsat on aikamoisia paikoitellen. Olisin kaivannut jotenkin vielä vähän lisäpotkua tähän että olis alkanut tuntumaan. Yltää kolmoseen. 3/5

Joitain hienoja juttuja, mutta ei ihan mun makuun.

Olipa hyvä uus tuttavuus! Erityisesti avausraita huikea. 4/5

Liked the music, didn’t like the lead vocals or the lyrics.

Helt okej. Faith healer är ju en klassiker som många gjort cover på.

"Gang Bang" is kind of horrible, and some of this is a bit cheesy, but the rest of this is gleeful and enjoyable. Swaggering operatic glam rock with a hard edge, and you can feel its influence on what came next.

Like it!

It’s quite a crass and at the same time, bland album. The glam element pulls you in but then when you realise the songs are about Swampsnakes and Gangbangs - it goes downhill from there. The song ‘next’ comes up and you start thinking it can redeem itself but then you remember it’s a cover. next!

Zelf je band 'Sensational' noemen is natuurlijk vragen om problemen, maar ja, 'The boring Alex Harvey Band' trekt ook geen volle zalen natuurlijk.

Hier valt niet zoveel over te melden. Prima aan te horen, maar ik ben er niet echt een beter mens van geworden.

The Faith Healer is a banger, the rest of the album is meh

Meh.

Nah, not for me

First songs were okay and got worse

These were the darlings of alternative DJs and progressive musical TV programmes in the early 70s. I remember them being very dramatic and in your face on the old grey whistle test and their performances are still memorable. They were so different to what else was going on. I love their Jacques Brel cover. Histrionic but compelling.

This added nothing to my life. I don’t like his voice. I almost liked the hrothel song.

While I can't review this without calling out "Gang Bang" for being depraved, I also can't deny I was taken by the flamboyance, compositions, and performances of Alex Harvey and His Sensational Band. There are comparisons to make to Bon Scott and AC/DC — though Harvey and company were here first — and these guys took this music to different extremes. It's brazen — that's part of the recipe — and it's also inventive and Harvey takes chances, he doesn't play it safe. Lots of chuckling as this played, you've got to take a lot of this with a wry smile. But at the end of it all, this was one that I had to tip my hat to.

I'd never heard of this guy/band before today, so that was cool. I'm not quite sure what to think about it all, which is also cool. It's very theatrical and glam. Some of the songs were too boogie-woogie for my tastes, but the standouts were ... something. The title track is harrowing and over the top and might even be a damned masterpiece. (It's a Jacques Brel song? Need to know more about it.) Faith Healer was cool and creepy. As was Last of the Teenage Idols. Gang Bang, though, ugh. I read the lyrics. They're not great. So yeah, this dude is over the top and interesting and I'm glad I heard it and I'd even be interested in hearing more, so that's cool. Glad it was part of this project. I wound up checking out some live footage of the band, and they are pretty badass. Overall, though, I think the album is uneven, hence my 3-star rating, but this is a more interesting 3-star album than many 4-star albums are, so that's something.

I enjoyed hearing my office mate laughing while listening to this album more than the album itself. I liked SAHB ok and reading up about them I suspect at that time they hit in Glasgow I might have liked them even more.

Ok now you're just trolling us.

You know your band sucks when you write songs like "Ain't nothing like a Gang Bang" and repeat it for 5 minutes.

It's garbage day today. This is also the day I came across this album in the challenge. Coincidence? I don't think so. The lyrics are awful, of course... but I was expecting a powerful musicianship from a band like that. I've been disappointed.

It started like an "we have Ozzy Osbourne at home" meme but ended up being an interesting, very varied, rock album. Worth to listen once I guess.

Enjoyed this - good 'ol rock n' roll. The title track was quite odd - not a bad thing. A bit of a mishmash of styles, as the mood swings from The Faith Healer to Giddy Up to Next. But the eclecticism works here. Not one I'd play again often, but intriguing.

A unique sound. At a push I would describe it as Glam Music Hall. It's beefy and playful. There's some power coming out of those vocals. The brass is joyous. Some of the songs you couldn't get away with these days. Gang Bang was interesting. In its favour is that the whole album lasts 35 minutes. All albums should follow the same.

Patchy but when it is good it is great. The opening track is an absolute stormer and the title track is possibly the best version of this song I have heard - perhaps even better than Scott Walker's, which I know is a bold claim, but I love the mania that drives it. The Last of the Teenage Idols is an killer album closer.

2.5

idk, von dem, was ich nebenbei mitbekomme, her klingt es, als ob es ganz schön viel um Sex geht, aber vielleicht liege ich da aber auch falsch. Jedenfalls nicht so sehr überladen, wie das ganze Rock-Zeug. Sehr interessante Song-Anfänge. "Next" cool und sad. Ich glaube, live war das cooler anzuhören.

Aerosmith, anyone? Bueller? I think maybe they got ahead of themselves with their choice of band names... but I guess it's better than the other way around? Where they'd be massively rich, but named, "The Awful Alex Harvey Band".

Totally surprised me. Though there is clearly nothing high brow here, the style seems like a Bon Scott / Slade feel with some catchy rock songs. There's only 7 tracks, but all of them hold their own, with Next being my favorite, though Faith Healer, Swampsnake and even Gang Bang are entertaining. Though the lyrics may be stuck in a different time, I definitely enjoyed the album.

Not for me.

Not really my thing tbh, it had some alright moments, and it's eclectic enough in sound and energy where I feel like many would find SOMETHING here to love, but overall... It just feels meh to me. Fine to listen to once, not something I'll ever really want to come back to. 2.5

Yuck

You hear the same craziness Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention displayed, with the same sometimes crude lyrics, but musically a little more punk-avant-la-lettre, combined with hard- and bluesrock in the mix. An artist that influenced quite a few of my musical heroes, so I'm glad to have finally listened to this album, and it was surprisingly awesome.

I hadn't listened to anything from Alex Harvey until now, so I didn't know what to expect. An oddly amusing record that changes gears often with a variety of styles mixing glam, hard rock and cabaret. Can't say it wasn't interesting and a lot of the sound is given a lush (maybe over produced) production. There really is a song on here called, Gang Bang, right? Bold...

Im großen und ganzen eine coole glam rock Scheibe die ich so noch nicht kannte. Einige Lieder sind mir ein bisschen zu "verschnörkelt" und zu viel Selbstdarstellung aber es ist ein gutes Album

Ok

Nothing I've ever heard of before. Giddy up a Ding Dong is horrible. The rest of the album is much better. I really liked their version of "NEXT". Standouts: Next, Swampsnake, 3.5

This was definitely an oddball listen that ranged from blues to hard rock to glam and cabaret. At one point I thought a song could be a Maiden B-Sode, and at another it felt almost Floydian. All around I enjoyed the listen and went back for a repeat to make sure I didn't miss anything. Songs were interesting and unique with some solid production to back it up. Only thing I outright hated was the deliberate play with stereo on the final track. With headphones on it just made me feel uncomfortable. This is one borders the 3/4 line but I'll nudge.

Some interesting stuff in this album. Some interesting lyrics for sure. There were some parts I really liked, but other than that it feels like a pretty forgettable album.

Some raunchy rock for sure. Kind of the same style as Alice Cooper. Faith Healer was a really cool song, I don't know if that is because the instrumentals were really good or because it was minimal singing by him. He still tries to sneak in some real creep lyrics. There were some pretty cool southern rock type in here too especially in Vambo Marble Eye. The first two songs made me scared for this album but it really turned around after that. This style of music is kind of right up my alley. This started off as a 2, but then was fluttering between a 3 and 4, so I will round up cause its the holidays.

I have no clue what I was expecting to hear but it wasn't that. Wild songs and seem pretty ahead of it's time. Definitely thought that was Black Sabbath in that last song. not sure how often I'll come to this 3.5 but I gotta round up for just being original af.

Didn't get all the way through due to time constraints. I'm sure the rest would have been similar. 4:4 rock and some 70s sentiment

Some pretty solid early 70s rock, but nothing life changing

Rating: 5/10 Mixed bag album. On one hand, I really enjoyed the energy and passion of this album, the first two songs were great and a lot of fun to listen to. On the other hand, the singer is incredibly annoying and this album becomes more difficult to listen to as it progresses. This album is definitely best with a faster tempo, the slower tempo songs were not enjoyable to listen to. Favorite songs: Swampsnake, Gang Bang. Worst songs: The Faith Healer, Next.

Started off promising, descended quickly into Rocky Horror Picture Show B sides, never redeemed itself.

what kind of fucking child nominated an album with a song called "Gang Bang" for this list? trash.

Weird. But not in a bad way.

Mix aus Glam Rock und Blues, I like

Uncomfortable and ick

Weird.

It's like ACDC without the Rock guitars

Next.

Tää vitsi ei toimi vaan on vain kiusallinen. Olisi edes kunnon parodiaa eikä vain jotain sinnepäin. Ärsyttävä

Valitettavasti tässä on korvamatopotentiaalia. Olisipa hänellä vain ollut riittävän hyvä itsetunto, ettei olisi tarvinnut heittää hommaa läskiksi.

An album with lots of peaks and valleys. The piano riffs, guitar solos and horn sections are all fantastic. I just wish there was more!

5/10. I appreciate the mystery of whether the album is called Next because it was their 2nd album, or if it's named for the cover of Next that is on the album. But, I didn't appreciate that much else about it

Apparently the city of Cleveland loves this band. 5/10

Solid

Wildly irreverent, theatrical, unhinged musical experience. Not really my style but the instruments and vocals are varied and good. Gang bang and giddy up a ding dong had me shocked and entertained. May not be for you but definitely has a place and assuredly an influence on bands that came after it.

What a sensational album. Going through every archetype of the decade that was and would be the 1970s. Before punk invaded the UK these guys were writing songs about gang bangs and soft shoe bananas. Sensational just about says it all frankly.

Fun enough

That’s some fun glam rock that I had never heard before. If it’s good enough for Robert Smith, then it’s good enough for me.

For some reason I thought, “The song “Gang Bang” couldn’t possibly be about what I think it’s about.” Turns out it’s about exactly what I thought. 😂 And am I crazy that it’s actually a jam? I like when a song’s music clashes with the lyrics. But maybe the song actually captures the joy and fun of a gang bang? I think that’s the intent here. And “Giddy Up a Ding Dong”? Yep that one is about his dick. Honestly though, those songs are among my favorites. There’s an impish, dirty humor that Alex Harvey has and the band backs him up 100% and rocks hard regardless of how weird the lyrics get. “Next” was a strange one. It sounds like a twisted musical number. And we’ve actually heard that song on the list before. It was written by Jacques Brel (a French singer on the list) and it was covered by Scott Walker (whose album featuring his version of “Next” was on the list). Fascinating that multiple artists have been drawn to this song. It is good. It’s just such a bold choice to cover. Alex Harvey commits though. I really liked about half of these songs and the other ones made me go, “Wow, okay, that’s a choice.” It could be more consistent but it’s definitely entertaining.

If someone started playing the first track for me and said "this is a new Tim and Eric band" I wouldn't be surprised at all. I love Tim and Eric. I think the mock bands and music that they make are hysterical. I think relating a real band to a fake Tim and Eric band is a bad thing for a real band. The lyrics are weird and the voice tone isn't doing anything for me, and the production has so many phasing issues. Yea I kind of just wanted this to be over with quickly. I don't think it's bad enough for a 1 but do you need to hear this album before you die?

Admittedly musically talented but I could not jive with the subjects of most of the songs

This was weird and I'm glad it was short. Glad to see people trying something unique but this didn't land with me.

"You can call me the soft shoe banana" No thanks Some of the production made me nauseous. I wanted to like this. Some of the instrumentals are pretty good. The vocals turn me away. Sometimes they are kind of fun, but I think I would just ironically listen to it.

I'm a bit confused... more interesting than your average 2 / more average than a good 3 hmmm

This is an absolute FEAST for the ears. I’m getting like, ozzy vocal intonation with Tony Iommi guitar, but like this Broadway level performance one moment, classic/psych rock the next, experimental rock after that. All of this should not work but the cohesiveness of Alex’s voice and vision keeps this together. It’s amazing how much he is able to explore in a single album and not make it sound like mush or confusing. Update- just realized this whole thing is about sex addiction (?).

almost good, wish it was a bit more restrained

Hard rock sententero. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Silly fun but not great

There are a few good tunes but sensational ain't the first word that jumps to mind.

Alex Harvey had a great rock n' roll voice and his version of "Next" is one of the best vocal performances I've heard, certainly the most theatrical. The overall sound is gritty, greasy & glammy and with 2 songs about gangbangs on a 7 song LP you know it will attract a certain kind of crowd. The long songs aren't worth the extra investment, but the others rock. A nice snapshot of 1973.

Proto AC/DC, Glam Rock nuff said

Highly enjoyable, put a smile on my face, despite some of the lyrics and themes being slightly simplistic or creepy!

Obnoxious singing.

Ugh. Music was kinda cool but then the singing started. Woof.

This guy wrote a whole album about his weiner and somehow it ended up on 1001 albums to hear before you die

Its okay. Doesnt belong on the list.

I wouldn't want to be left alone with this guy.

Brb. I need a shower.

Trashy glam fun. If I happened to be in a bar where these guys were playing, it would be fairly unobjectionable background noise.

I don’t like Rocky Horror, I don’t like glam rock, I don’t particularly like this.

Talk about a mixed bag. It wasn’t all bad - “The Faith Healer” was kind of cool, “Last of the Teenage Idols” was kind of fun - but I hated “Gang Bang” so much that it spoiled the rest of it.

acutally suprisingly fun and nice album to listen to

this album kinda sounds like that bar band that a bunch of your friends' dads plays in (derogatory) not awful but really nothing super interesting for me here. weirdly horny? and not in a fun way. the production is alright until 'last of the teenage idols' in which the entire song just pans hard left??? everything is in your left ear. and then the song picks up panned hard right. and then it evens back out. this feels intentional. and bad. can't say i am a huge fan

Basically ACDC but not really ACDC

This goes on so many direction. 50s doo wop, cabaret, punk. It's all over the place. And it's okay. Some of the lyrical ideas are rather put there and don't fit the music. But it's okay.

Un disc força variat i divertit. Segurament no va ser pensat per perdurar tant de temps en la memòria, i de fet no ho mereix, però està ben enquadrat en el moviment glam de l'època i es deixa escoltar com se saboreja un caramel: agradable i saborós, per més que no perdurable

The English response to Iggy Pop (or just their own version of it, at circa same time), which in my opinion checks all the boxes that Iggy didn't. It's fun, original, not that straightforward, with some great guitar solos and a plethora of other instruments. Really nice album, I'm pretty ashamed I have never heard of Alex Harvey before!

This was 100% on track for a 5-star review. And then I hit "Next" which... what were they even thinking? That didn't need to be a song. And it's so WILDLY different from the rest of the album that it just derailed the whole thing. To their credit, it seems like they tried to pull it back on course with "Vambo Marble Eye" but then it fell apart again a bit on "The Last of the Teenage Idols" which, while not as bad as "Next", is still a thing that didn't need to exist. Just leave the tracks that don't fit off the album, fellas. Play them live, save them for an album full of weirder tracks... something. Don't ruin a good vibe, though.

Solid. Dark themes. Harmonica. Story telling 4

Has some moments of great guitar. A bit odd ball at times. Overall a good listen if unexpected

Some good classic rock riffs and grooves in this album. Lyrics are a little bit ridiculous for most songs (as if Steel Panther released an album in the 70s), but rock shouldn't take itself too seriously. I enjoyed listening to this one.

Absolutely mental.

I like what Robert Smith apparently said "like very aggressive Glaswegian street theatre". It is!! A very gritty funny street theatre, there's a lot of story telling and it's got humour throughout, it doesn't sound very musical theatre at all but I can also imagine a stage troop dancing around to Swampsnake... I enjoyed this quite a lot actually which surprised me. I don't normally warm to a lot of punk but this is quite old school and still more melodic which I do enjoy. I don't like all the guitar solos which can be annoying but they're not too long so that's bearable. The title track Next is fun, I like the intro and it's a great story, even more theatre vibes. Good vibes all round with serious themes delivered with humour and fun. An interesting discovery!

I'm not sure what I thought about this at all. It was just all a bit weird and I'm not sure it married as an album. All over the place didn't ressonate with me

This was cool, I liked it. Had some variation in what genre it was in places but generally I liked it all enough! Great band name.

1 star except for a good old gangbang taking it to 2

What an eccentric album. There were humorous parts. I have never heard of the band before and was not familiar with any of the songs. It was a short album which helped. I do not see myself listening to this album again.

I have never heard of Alex Harvey, quite the life it seems like. This album was fun, it kind of straddles the all too familiar line between glam and punk which makes sense for the context of this album at the time. A quick hitter, this was very enjoyable.

Quite a sound for 1973. I'm impressed. A great version of Next! Standouts: Next, The Faith Healer Others: Swampsnake, Giddy Up a Ding Dong 3/5

Okay album, not anything special, generic early 70s glam rock, better albums out there that do the same thing but a lot better

I enjoyed well enough this the first time I listened to it, so I listened to it again and I enjoyed it even more. Harvey's delivery and (judging from the album cover) sense of style obviously influenced AC/DC. Good stuff.

What a fun listen! This is like a mix of Alice Cooper & T. Rex with a dash Iggy Pop & Sparks. These guys definitely have a flair for dramatics & clever lyrics. I stumbled upon this band earlier this year & watched a few of their live performances - what a treat. This band knows how to put on a show. Easy 4 starts.

Really, really wild. Had just heard of Alex Harvey for the first time on a recent podcast. Just super wild and on the strange side of glam. Nothing that I would prefer to come back to though. 2/5

Only one listen so far and first reaction is 70’s Tenacious D. Music is good and the lyrics seem to be fun and silly.

Meh punkish stuff.

This album did absolutely nothing for me.

Decent album. Pretty nice listen.

WTF cacophonous bullshit did I just listen to 1/5

Ca sonne swamp, rock, un peu échaudé et la voix est aussi rock and roll a souhait, C'est vraiment un bon mix de tout cela pour un album très plaisant à écouter. Ca déménage. 4.5

Really bad.

This one was very hit or miss and quirky. I wouldn’t listen to it regularly.

This was kind of just on. Odd really as the first track suggested a rollicking good time album but I kind of got bored fast. Faith Healer stood out because it was so tonally different, but not particularly good or anything. I love Jacques Brel so was looking forward/trepidatious about Next. We also already have the Scott Walker cover. This one wasn't good. It was demented though so kind of funny.

Mishmash of uninterestingness.

First time I heard Faith Healer I though it was Bon Scott on the vocal. This and the other great track Next are the standout tracks on what is a very good seventies rock record. Hasn't aged as well as some from the decade.

This is music you would listen to while cleaning smegma from underneath your foreskin with a toothpick. SMASH that like button if you can relate!

Le mec se déchaîne tout du long alors qu'on ne lui a rien demandé. Une belle perte d'énergie en somme.

L'ego surdimensionné d'Alex Harvey, lui qualifiant de "sensationnelle" un groupe de musique à son nom, ne nous permet en rien de decrypter le foutoir complet qu'il nous propose.

Ish.

Very weird sounding. Definitely made in the 70s. Has an almost Pink Floyd feel to this album. Songs I liked: Giddy Up a Ding Dong, Next, Vambo Marble Eye. Gang Bang wasn't too bad either 😄

For a list of the most important albums in history I'm surprised this was added. Some days I'm shocked at what the generator pulls out of its ass. It is some early punk rock vibes but each song is going for a different theme or feel. Makes the album jaring to listen too.

This is a very silly album. Gangbang is a very silly song. Giggy Up A Ding Dong features a keys solo that sounds like a child's keyboard. This record is like if you took an ACDC record, slammed it into a Sabbath record, and then made it listen to a Queen record or two. It is a really weird listen. The stereo fuckery at the end is poorly done.

Jesus christ, the second track is insane.

it was fine but wholly uninteresting besides some out-there lyrics

Didn't expect that at all; loved it!

I can't understand why this album is on the list.

Gang Bang and The Faith Healer both gave me some creepy vibes. Actually, most of the album did. Is that on me? Maybe. Giddy Up a Ding Dong (weird weird song title) had my foot tapping.

I fogor 💀

What the fuck. This was so stupid and entertaining at the same time.

Musically quite varied which was nice but I didn't enjoy his voice, at some parts his singing was just annoying. Overall it's just not my type of glam rock but overall it is an average album.

A mix of blues, hard rock and glam. It sounds like it's trying so hard to be having a good time while actually it's about as exciting as a fish paste sandwich. Best Tracks: The Faith Healer; Giddy Up A Ding Dong; Vambo Marble Eye

In a nutshell: proto-hair metal(?) Occasionally good horns, drums and guitar; played furiously. Kinda bluesy glam rock. This is album reminds me of "hair metal" and I wouldn't be surprised if bands from that genre cite this as an influential album. Overall: 2/10

It was an interesting listen.

Estos, ni me molesto.

A bit silly, but interesting enough. I thought I was having a stroke during the extensive panning on 'The Last of the Teenage Idols'.

It’s a rule of thumb that countries that include the word democratic in its name rarely is exactly that. The same goes for superlatives and band name (I’m especially looking at you Incredible Bongo Band). Alex Harvey seems to be one of the exceptions. You can clearly hear how much fun everyone had recording this and furthermore how this must have inspired several early post-punk outlets. It’s charming, over the top, perhaps a bit too silly at times - and Alex Harvey sounds incredibly charismatic. It loses some momentum in the middle, but the start and ending is high octane and just a lot of fun.

ha envejecido notablemente bien, incluso considerando algunas de sus letras.

Who is Alex Harvey, and what is so sensational about his band? Alex Harvey got his start fronting Alex Harvey's Soul Band throughout the late 50's and early 60's. It was more of a british blues band but who's keeping track? He would develop his performing skills during this time until he went solo, with little success. It wasn't until 1972 that he formed the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, beginning to ride the wave of glam rock that was ushered in by T. Rex, Alice Cooper, and David Bowie. If the "sensational" part of the name means anything, it comes from the performance elements: stage costumes, set pieces, and memorable vocal delivery led to the band becoming a success in the UK. Of course, you only get a third of that sensational element coming through on the record. And while Alex Harvey certainly laid down some solid rock tracks for the 70's, it feels difficult to give him and his band the praise they deserve by just listening to the studio album. Weird note: The spotify version of the last track has a moment where it pans hard to the left channel halfway through and then goes back to being normal in the outro. I'm not sure if this was an artistic mixing choice or a blunder on spotify's part but I hated it. Thankfully that was only in the final minutes of the album.

1. zuuampznake - 1 2. gang bank - 1 3. the faith healer - 1 4. giddy up a ding dong - 1 5. nezt - 1 6. vambo marble eye - 1 7. the lazt of the teenage idolz - 1

Weird mix.

Of-its-time boomer stuff with no other redeeming qualities for me.

i'm actually impressed by how little of a fuck i give about listening to this album. i must done the sum total of a minute of it.

shite

Odd, fun, and sleazy. An album that doesn't take its self seriously. 7/10

Been meaning to hear more or these/him for some time. Only seen Next on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Quite liked liked it, very pleasantly surprised. High 3 low 4 me thinks.

At the start I thought that they sounded like they were having a lovely old time, but pretty soon I realised that I wasn’t. By the time I got to ‘Giddy Up a Ding Dong’ and ‘Next’ I’d had enough. Too theatrical.

Never heard of this lot, as I'm not knowledgeable of the early 70's era. Ain't nothing like a gang bang to blow away the blues. Need I say more? Glam meets Prog and trips over proto-punk. Heard a lot worse! I can see why Nick Cave liked them so much. When I got to Giddy Up a Ding Dong it sounds almost like Chas N' Dave meets Shakin Stevens, not good at all. Next was 'Next' what rhymes with fear? Gonorrhea! Words were beginning to fail me at this point... but thank god for Vambo Marble Eye to save the day with just sleazy guitars and also the ballad-like intro of 'Last of the Teenage Idols' which brings back a bit of sanity 😂 A very interesting album indeed! I MIGHT give it another listen when I have nothing else to do at all... I'll sleep on it and decide if it's a low 2 or a high 3.

23rd September 2033 Listened on the Thursday after cos of catching up on everything. I loved this, hard blues mixed with Genesis like whimsy.

I've had some pretty run of the mill albums recently and this is another one. I know the idea is to broaden our musical horizons but sometimes I'd like something I could enjoy?

Silly and juvenile, but genuinely fun at times.

Pretty good theatrical rock. And that Jacque Brel song

i wish some poeple would just have sex instead of writing ass music about having sex

Hey this was alright! Gang Bang is awful though.

It turns out my mom was right. There truly ain't nothing like a gang bang.

It sounded like this had potential to start with but it lost me pretty quickly

Love them

Just a bit of innocent rock and roll with some macabre thrown in for the heck of it. There’s nothing here that’s going to blow your mind, but I doubt you’ll be offended by it. Maybe the band was sensational, never saw them live. I’m sure there’s a story as to why it’s on this list, but I don’t really care to hear it. Next!

The only sensational aspect of this album can be found in the song titles (shout out to “Giddy Up A Ding Dong”).

The cabal who put this book together must think the pinnacle of music is “blues performed by sketchy white guys” because there is a lot of that nonsense on this list. At any given point this album is either dull or obnoxious. The best song on the album, Faith Healer, has been performed better by many others. Enough of this kind of garbage.

4- interessante Band, da großer Einfluss auf AC/DC und Nick Cave

Not a fan of this one...

Brilliant, loud, punky, glaswegian, noisy, funny, awesome, clever, innovative, exciting and intense. One of my favourite bands, and possibly their best album.

C'est bin cool du rock écossais des années 70. Un bel amalgame de sons, belle découverte.

Gött! There's nothing like a gangbang to blow away the blues!

Ain't nothin' like a gang bang To blow away the blues

Hard rock. Interesante.

Another clearly vital and seminal act I wasn't really aware of before. Not a huge fan of the vocal style, and a lot of the lyrics barrel past transgressive into pure self-parody, though maybe intentionally. The music is fantastic though.

Good album

I'll be the judge of whether you are sensational, Alex, and the answer, in short, is you're not. Although it is true that there is nothing like a gang bang.

p307. 1973. 2 stars Average 70s Brit-rock album from an average Brit rock band with a frontman channelling his inner Tim Curry. They weren't really successful at the time, and this is perfect evidence of why - no real standout tunes, and the usual 70's rock wankage with 7+ minute songs. I suspect this is on the list because of memories of what a good live act they were.

Some songs I liked but overall a poor record

Some shocking stuff-notably “Gang Bang.” First half beat the second, and I mostly enjoyed it.

Some really intense themes, deeper than its genre compatriots, I think. "Next" is especially affecting. The glam and theatrics detracted a bit from the music... or else it was nice groovy rock but not stupendous.

Good raucous glam rock fun. Fave track: The Last Of The Teenage Idols

Never heard of this guy. Quite an entertaining listen, though I think I prefer Scott Walker's version of "Next", and I'd be tempted to dock a star for "Gang Bang" although Abba's "Arrival" has just come up on the list too, and it has a whole song about kissing a teacher. The 70s, man. Absolutely uncivilized time period. 🫣 Fave track - "Swampsnake" was fun!

It was jolly enough. A whiff of Sweet at times. And although I know it was a different time, anyone who writes about women so badly should be ashamed. Your misogyny and ignorance is showing, you should cover it up.

Some weird punk music that never got credibility

Rock escocés, parecido a Rolling

I got part of the way through Gang Bang and started skipping ahead. Grooves were ok, but it wasn't worth it. Was this on the list because of its shock value?

It's weird, but not really in the way that I like. Couldn't decide if I dislike the singers voice or not, but it did irritate me at points. Didn't expect a cover of Next to be on here, so that's neat. I don't know, I just didn't care about anything happening and I was waiting for it to be over. My favourite part of the album was the last two minutes, and I'm sad that it's stuck in a seven minute track. I guess my favourite song would have to be Next.

Wow, so that was a bit of a rough listen. It's weird because it's rowdy and trashy and a little glammy in a way that should work, but it comes off as rather joyless and not at all fun to listen to. The lyrics, best described as lusty and dumb, don't really help. If this sensibility appeals to you, you're probably better off checking out some early AC/DC. Fave songs: Vambo Marble Eye, Swampsnake

Na na hey hey rock and roll is here to stay

Against my own better judgement and the outright jouvenile nature of side A of this album, it won be over by the end. I actually didn't want it to end! It could have been 10-15 minutes longer, something I don't say lightly after nearly 950 of these albums.

Violently horny. I mean, for fuck's sake, it has a song called "Gang Bang" on it. The performances are electric, and despite being a bit repetitive in spots, it just scratches that dumb-caveman glam rock itch really well. Favorite tracks: "Giddy Up A Ding Dong", "The Faith Healer"

Sensationally shit

Very surprised by this. I do not love his voice, but this is a diverse and unique album that feels really raw and genuine.

Glam rock never really took off and was only big for a short period of time. This album, I don’t believe added much to the genre. Most of the songs are really forgettable, although the title track has some originality to it as well as some lyrics with actual substance. I also do appreciate the change up in part 3 of “The Last of the Teenage Idols, Pts. 1-3”. Most of the others fade into obscurity with their derivative chords and structuring as well as boring lyrics. Production and instruments can be hit or miss. I can enjoy this album while also realizing that it isn’t very good. 2/5

4.1 - The arrangement and vocal performance on "Next", a Jacques Brel masterpiece and arguably the greatest song ever written about shell shock, rivals Scott Walker's also amazing version. This is a hard-charging glam rock record that's filled with fat guitar licks (see "Vambo Marble Eye") and explicit sexuality (see "Gang Bang"). It's certainly not as sophisticated as other glam rock entries on this list (e.g. "Electric Warrior" by T.Rex) but it's brimming with cabaret propelled by Alex Harvey's exceptional vocal theatrics.

Ugh.. lag nr tvö eyðilagði þetta alveg. Mjög ósmekklegt. En.. þið vitið. Sjöundi áratugurinn var skítur að því leyti í sumum kreðsum. Þannig að bara... nei.. ekki fyrir mig.

I have no memory of this album :shrug:

Favourite song: Next

Oj, vad det studsar! Ingen hejd eller tid att samla sig efter man tryckt på spela. Men jag gillar det! Ett frekvent användande av munspel och annat blås genererar någon typ av orkesterkänsla i rocken som ligger fint. Sedan när "The Faith Healer" tickar igång som tredje låt tickar den in på helt rätt sätt. En ensamt gående takt för att sedan introducera lite maracas, sedan lite tuggande gitarr och till sist trummorna. Börjar i ett välbehövligt lugn och sedan ett ständigt stigande i låten, vilket jag som bekant är väldigt svag för. Efter det kommer låten jag fastnade snabbast för: "Giddy Up A Ding Dong". Förutom det otroliga namnet är det en låt som gör mig glad. Det påminner lite om en viss typ av rockig americana jag lyssnat väldigt mycket på den senaste tiden. Men samtidigt en känsla av den klassiska rockenrollen ala Elvis. Synten som ligger och jobbar bidrar till att man vill röra på sig och det är INTE SVÅRT att se ett dansgolv där det pågår en pardans som det svänger i. Bra! Trots att albumet var så kort hann dom med mycket, i en del olika skepnader. Låten "Next" är mer av musikalstuket och jag hade inte ryggat tillbaka om den hade varit med i 'Les Miserables', 'Hamilton' eller något åt det hållet. Utan att ha lyssnat på något annat av bandet så kan jag konstatera för mig själv att dom lever upp till sitt kaxiga namn. Bäst: "Giddy Up A Ding Dong"

rock opera but the genre changes wildly by song

i felt a bit uncomfortable with some of the lyrics but really liked some of the musical ideas but not an awful amount it certainly wasnt sensational

Sensationally Super Seventies...I loved it

Well that was just weird. I don't know how it made this list, but a couple of the songs were fun I guess.

What a ride! A bit off-putting and surely ridiculous, but it's worth the experience.

Not for me

Cool petit album rock, rien de renversant mais j’arrive bien

Eewww

Such a bizarre album. Took me a minute to get what was going on but by the midway point I was entertained.

Impressed by the performances, unimpressed by the content.

This was, without exaggeration, one of the worst records I've ever heard in my life, and I'm simply baffled how it ended up on the list.

God those song titles. Lyrics suck too. Instrumentation is fine and vocally it's a bit annoying but it's a commitment to a bit for sure. Next! Neeext! Neeeeeext!

Alex Harvey had many musical guises in the run-up to 1973: the frontman of a skiffle group who opened for the Beatles before they were the Beatles; a Dixieland jazz band; a soul act tearing through blues and rock and roll standards; a member of the pit band for the musical “Hair”. But the culmination of his career came here, where he leapt on the glam-rock bandwagon and milked its potential for all it was worth. Endless indulgence, insatiable lust, schlocky shock value… the only thing he forgot about on “Next” was the music. Glam rock is often a genre I enjoy, and maybe I’m on burnout after a lot of similar albums on the generator lately, so it was only natural that eventually one more would break this reviewer’s back. At its worst, though, this record feels more Gary Glitter than Marc Bolan. Harvey drools and gibbers his way through it like a teenager who’s found his older brother’s stash of naughty magazines. First he wants to be your swampsnake. Then he’s spending five minutes raving about a gang bang with one woman and twenty-seven guys. Then he’s a faith healer who wants to put his hands on you. Then he wants to giddy-up-a-ding-dong. It’s relentless and makes the whole album come off a little shallow after a while. The songs themselves are not all awful, but it’s just that each idea never lands convincingly enough. “The Faith Healer” has a satisfyingly ominous tone, but doesn’t feel like it goes on enough of a journey through its seven minute runtime. “Giddy Up a Ding Dong” is just fine (with a nice tempo-switch up in the final minute) but it sounds destined for a a raucous live setting rather than a recording. Jacques Brel cover “Next” begins as a good diversion and the band pull off a solid arrangement, but the vocal is is amped up until it spills over into irritating pantomime. “Last of the Teenage Idols” is a good concept and begins well, but the doo-wop switch up feels too forced, etc, etc… The main offender though, making it hard to take anything else on this record seriously, is “Gang Bang”, a wrecking ball swung through the first half of the album. It’s a fun strut, all sleazy horns and jaunty piano, until the interminable chorus of “ain’t nothing like a gang bang to blow away the blues”, and a particularly skin-crawling final verse. Cheap and nasty, Mr. Harvey, cheap and nasty all the way.

Fine!

Hmm. Entertaining. Never heard of em before.

I'll bet they were quite fun to enjoy live in concert. Didn't love the album. It just didn't really click in for me.

Pretty cool

I've never participated in a gang bang, but I have to imagine it wouldn't really blow my blues away. I think it would make me more depressed if anything. Having said that, this is fun, raunchy rock n' roll. Sometimes it veers into cabaret territory, which I don't love, but overall it's great. Doesn't take itself too seriously and sounds great. 3 stars.

I heard it. Can I die now please? What a cacophony.

first time listening

It was ok, but very dated. Not sure I’d listen to it again.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Never heard of Alex Harvey and sad to see he died relatively young. Album was quirky enough to keep my attention in a field of forgettable generic Brit-pop that the editor's decided to include. 3.5/5 but rounding up to a 4 because I fell like I may give this another spin in the future.

God damn, I didn't know the deleted scenes from Rocky Horror Picture Show went this hard.

Oh it was a silly fun time. Not very substantial though. The Faith Healer and Next were standouts to me.

not bad at all

My memories of this album is that there were always copious quantities of it in the record bins marked down to like 50p. I think I even owned this album at one point, but ultimately decided to ditch it. I really like the cover of Next on this album and it's definitely the high point. There's a few other pre-ACDC hard rock/ blues tracks that are enjoyable. However, I really didn't enjoy the more glam rock style tracks, Gang Bang being particularly odious. This makes it very difficult to score, as the individual tracks range from 1 to 5. I think a 3 rating makes sense for me.

Might be the horniest album yet?

Very solid, not much to say

You can peel away my skin.

It's a proper chugger

great album

Dymanic and varied, loved it!

mad man

I've never heard of Alex Harvey before, so I had no idea what I was in for with this album. This was an absolute hidden gem. Fusing elements of hard rock, glam rock, and a little bit of blues, this album has a really unique sound. And with songs ranging from the jangly "Swampsnake" to the absurd "Gang Bang," this album was fun with a some dashes of humor too. There was so much going on musically, and I loved the use of harmonica, piano, and horns throughout the course of the album. Vocally, Alex Harvey reminds me of Bon Scott, Billy Squire, and Paul Stanley. Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I can't believe this band didn't find a wider audience.

The lead singer sounds unhinged, the chorus of “Gang Bang” made me cringe, and in “Next,” I heard the f-word (not fuck…the other one). How this is one or the 1.001 best albums is confounding.

1.5

Sensational is subjective.

The title cover is perfectly demented; From there roads diverge and each track, much less side, is a unique jewel. The bluesy, decadent breaks are highlights, as is the pinball energy of geographic referents.

Nice rock/blues

A wild 35-minute ride that careens from symphonic-backed group-sex celebration to paranoid, tango-esque lamentations the next. While held together by a thematic thread, there’s a sense of unruly passion that laces this disparate collection of tracks together into a hell of a good time. Not sure if the songs will hold up in isolation, but even if this is a full-album listen kind of LP I don’t mind taking another spin.

Swampsnake, Gang Bang, GiddyUp Ding Dong, Vambo Marble Eye. This album could not be made today. Great music. Better than I was expecting.

mildly unenjoyable. next was hairable. if i was born in 1958 this would've been my favorite album.

Love this guy's voice, love the instruments too. Faith Healer and Ding Dong being kind of meh just barely keep this out of 5 star territory for me. 4.5/5 FS: all the other songs

Took me back. This would not have a bunch of air time in Pittsburgh in the day. Reminds me of contemporary groups like Rare Earth and Iron Butterfly

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The name of the band turned out to be pretty fitting - they WERE pretty sensational. Gang Bang is a hoot and Next made me sit up and take notice. I might listen to more of this.

I have some familiarity with the SAHB so knew what to expect, to a degree. In summary, and as I've always thought, the SAHB are a much more interesting proposition when they steer away from the blooz rock template which plagued the early 1970s. So it proves on 'Next'. The best tracks here, therefore, are the Jacques Brel cover 'Next' (taking into account modern sensibilities), the tough, peculiar 'Vambo Marble Eye' and the lascivious 'Faith Healer'. My only issue with the latter is that I have a live version of this track that absolutely smokes, and makes its studio equivalent quite tame in comparison. Alex Harvey was an interesting old cove. Zal Cleminson had a helluva look going on.

Listened to this right after listening to the Slade album. Feels like some overlap there, but with a bit more theatricality with these guys? I've never heard of this band before and am now sad to read that Mr. Harvey didn't make it out of the 80s. That's too bad and probably has something to do with why they weren't on my radar. At any rate, I'm intrigued. I mean, there's a song called "Giddy up a Ding Dong," so the odds were good that I'd at least give it a giggle.

Somebody took the term "rock opera" a little too seriously. Best track: Next

This was pretty stupid but I liked it anyway. It found a groove really easily. Felt ahead of its time, although didn't always shake that old timey rock n roll vibe. Album is an unknown going by Wikipedia, but I dare say Malcolm Young and Bon Scott heard it at some point and we're all now better off for it. 4/5.

Disliked just about everything about this.

Bit weird.

Surprising banger. Loved a few songs on this one. 4.4/5

Cringe. It should be up my alley because I like camp rock (Rocky Horror?) but this is too tryhard and kinda gross.

Was not expecting to like this but I do!

/0'er rock, lidt spæd punk-vibe, ganske ok

It didn't start off sensational, but it did get more sensational. The singer can really belt. Can't say I particularly like the content of the second track, but the album as a whole was a nice discovery.

While I appreciate that this album may have established a couple of standard aspects of glam metal going forward - it just doesn't seem like a good album by modern standards. Vocals and songwriting in particular are greatly subpar. And glam metal just isn't my jam in general. The nice, strong blues rock elements are what saves it from a 2star rating.

5-ish.

En dan jezelf een sensational band noemen, niet mee eens hoor!

Had niet in deze lijst gehoeven, zeker voor uit die tijd met deze muziek

Heeft niet per se een indruk achter gelaten, weet niet zo goed wat ik ervan vind