Crushed Butler Uncrushed CD - Import

Hindsight is a beautiful and painful commodity, as this compilation should make clear enough. Uncrushed captures three young, hungry Londoners whose raw sound mesmerized their peers -- and blew away the day's biggest names -- yet failed to pry open those corporate portals. Yes, Crushed Butler fell short, because 1969's audiences didn't want anyone writing off their hippie dreams just yet. And as drummer Darryl Read once noted, nobody felt compelled to smash their instruments when the music spoke so ferociously for itself. Read's clattering snare on "It's My Life" is the perfect counterpoint for its up-the-system lyrics ("Workin' like a slave, workin' for you/Doin' somethin' I don't wanna do"). Pop stars or not, don't expect these guys to pump your gas! "My Son's Alive"'s explosive gallop is one of the missing links to thrash today, while "Love Fighter"'s grinding drone shows Crushed Butler realized intensity didn't come from tempo. Jesse Hector's guttural drawl makes the lyrics hard to decipher, but his shuddering guitar provides enough of a reference point. In fact, the band achieved its brightest moments amid trying circumstances -- as a session from winter 1970 proves. "Factory Grime" is the track to beat, banged out in one mind-melting take. However, the band only got to do it after spending time on "Love Is All Around Me," a clichéd boogie popper written by the session's producer, Roger Ferris. Still, Read's nagging cowbell and Hector's insistent guitar make an extraordinary moment out of an ordinary song. The band tried again as Tiger in February 1971 with "High School Drop Out," which is another average song livened up by Alan Butler's limber bass work. Shorn of prospects, the band collapsed, but that's hardly an indictment when people are still trying to crack the code three decades later. Don't let the raw mono sound distract you; this six-track EP should restore some long-overdue respect. ~ Ralph Heibutzki

This may have been the first ever British punk rock album, (although Deviants fans may disagree) as crucial to the genre in the UK as Funhouse or Kick Out The Jams were in the States, but it also set the tone for most of the boot stomping terrace glam that followed (Slade, Mott and the Faces for starters). Alan Butler and Jesse Hector, on bass and guitar respectively, formed Crushed Butler in early 1969, with 17 year old drummer, actor and teen mag pin-up Darryl Read. Playing prestigious gigs with the likes of Atomic Rooster, Third World War, Mott The Hoople, Osibisa and Kevin Ayers, Crushed Butler routinely blew the headlining act off the stage with their ferocious brand of hooligan rock. A 10 inch LP was recorded in 1970 but not released until 1991in an extremely limited edition. Presented in a superb gatefold sleeve with original cartoon drawings, full liners and photos, it was a wholly deserved release for these pioneers. Now it is released for the first time on CD with the addition of an extra version of 'High School Dropout'. Presented in digipak to replicate the gatefold LP, freshly printed photos, the returning cartoon, plus updated notes. Digitally re-mastered. RPM. 2005.

CD contains 1 bonus track.

Personnel: Jesse Hector (vocals, guitar); Darryl Read (drums).

Liner Note Author: Clive Zone.

Recording information: 1969-1971.

Author: Darryl Read.Mojo (Publisher) (p.119) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[P]art proto-punk, part-Hendrix: a fascinating warning of the approaching storm."