Primal Scream Riot City Blues CD

On 2006's RIOT CITY BLUES, the revered U.K. alternative-rock band Primal Scream acts as if its late-1990s/early-2000s foray into electronica was nothing but a vivid dream, opting instead to pick up where '94's Stones-worshiping GIVE OUT BUT DON'T GIVE UP left off. With production handled by former Killing Joke bassist Youth and violinist Warren Ellis, a frequent Nick Cave foil, on board for several tracks, it's not surprising that the album often has a moody, angular sound (see the brooding "Little Death"), but frontman Bobby Gillespie's love of '70s glam and pub rock looms even larger, as on the searing Bowie-indebted "Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar." Though it may perplex many fans, RIOT CITY BLUES is a fun tour through rock history, as seen through Gillespie's proudly blurry vision.

Primal Scream have made their boldest statement since 1990's era defining "Screamadelica". The brilliantly reviewed show at The Astoria in London confirmed that the likes of the single "Country Girl", "Dolls" and "Suicide Sally" are classics that will be burned into our consciousness every bit as much as "Movin' On Up", "Rocks" and "Loaded". The Scream show the second wave Brit Poppers what it's really is all about. Maximum Rock 'n' Roll for the 21st Century! After 20 years of being one of the music influential bands in Britain, this is their most commercial album to date. Laid down live on the studio floor at London's Olympic Studios, it was produced by Youth and features an impressive supporting cast - Will Sergeant from Echo & The Bunnymen, Warren Ellis of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Alison Mosshart from The Kills. "Riot City Blues" is the album you always hoped Primal Scream would make.

Primal Scream: Bobby Gillespie (vocals); Andrew Innes (guitar, banjo, mandolin, Moog synthesizer); Robert Young (guitar, harmonica); Martin Duffy (harmonica, piano, harmonium, organ); Gary Mounfield (bass guitar); Darrin Mooney (drums, percussion).

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Rolling Stone (p.74) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t returns to the scuzz blues of their mid-Nineties work....[With] party-ready stuff like 'Country Girl' and meaty rock sonics."
Spin (p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's like Booker T. & the M.G.'s jamming with the Jesus and Mary Chain."
Entertainment Weekly (p.86) - "[T]he Brits' ninth studio album sounds like a collection of EXILE ON MAIN STREET outtakes -- and often good ones at that." -- Grade: B+
Q (p.118) - Ranked #70 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006."