These Scots never disappoint

Huzzah! About 2012, I went to the Rezillos website and saw that a new single, “Out Of This World,” had been released and was already hard to buy. The webstore was no help. I emailed Rez HQ and told them that I used to be on the mailing list and should have been alerted to this. I got an email back from an Alan (Eugene) saying that a PC meltdown scuttled the list but that a new single was imminent, so I was ahead of that curve. In theory. I missed it again and saw on Discogs that both singles were available on 7″ and CD single [!]. But the usual costs applied. There was a dealer in Scotland that offered new stock at somewhat reasonable prices…but…

It was a few years back when I posted about these on PPM and cut to 2016 and another go at the Rezillos website. Evidence of both singles are on there but the store is currently on the back burner awaiting its v. 2.0, but there are now links to a distributor online here:

Http://www.threadsofsound.net/store/index.html

And both singles were in stock and ready to ship! CD singles for £2.50 [$3.18] and vinyl for £4.99 [$6.34]! I went whole hog and since it’s The Rezillos, bought ALL variants: black vinyl “Out Of This World” 7″, clear and red live vinyl 7″ EPs, as well as both CD singles!!! Shipping from Scotland was… Are you sitting down? £2.50 [#3.18 again]!!! I ordered about 10 days ago and it took 9 days to get here and never has $27 been so well spent! Let’s examine the goods.

Rezillos Records | UK | CD5 | 2011 | REZILL01CD

Rezillos: Out Of This World UK CD5 [2011]

1. Out Of This World [single version]
2. Rosalyn
3. Out Of This World [glass mix]

It opened with a vocal crescendo into shrieking high energy Theremin. The best buildup of its kind since Deep Purple’s “Highway Star.” The tune not only has Deep Purple DNA lurking in its high-speed groove but the chorus owes a bit to the T-Rex classic “20th Century Boy.” Yet, there’s still room for the clean, stacked vocal harmonies of Fay Fie and Eugene Reynolds; not a million miles away from The Association, though none of these people ever sounded quite like this. The turbo-charged punk pop featured the ripping guitars of both Jim Brady and the now absent Jo Callis. I loved how the vocals had a million different treatments every half measure, insuring no lack of sonic stimulation to allow boredom to seep in; as if it could with this 3:37 wailer. Angel Pattersons machine gun drums slay at 50 paces and one more favorite touchstone was invoked at the song’s outro as the peals of feedback end the tune much like the single take of “John, I’m Only Dancing.”

Speaking of Bowie, the B-side was the same “Rosalyn” by The Pretty Things that Bowie sang on “Pinups.” This time Eugene bit the song with the fury of a pit bull and his squeals after the cold ending were hilarious. The Glass Mix of “Out Of This World” [CD and DL only] was mixed by Eugene Reynolds himself, and it eschews much of the instrumental gloss of the single mix to instead put the tougher sounding guitars and especially the vocals forward in the mix. The fadeout is more foreboding and mysterioso as well, with the feedback abetted with some roiling synths.

Rezillos Records | UK | CD | 2012 | REZILL02 CD

The Rezillos: Live EP UK CD5 [2012]

1. Top of The Pops [live]
2. Bad Guy Reaction [live]
3. Yesterday’s Tormentor [live]

Rezliios classic “Top Of The Pops” still sounds like the vehement takedown of brown-nosing and payola that it always has been. There are some differences in this version, though. I can’t help but notice that singer Fay Fife has never sounded better even as I notice that the thick Glaswegian accent I am used to hearing the song through has faded away over the years. Like many vocalists of her vintage, she can out-sing her youthful incarnation nine ways to Sunday currently. This song is still three minutes of perfection.

The rip-roaring “Bad Guy Reaction” has never sounded as furious as it does here. Even though the song’s running time has ballooned from 2:15 to 2:43, that’s largely down to the freakout ending that Eugene Reynolds built into the song here. The cold ending saw him bring the song to a halt followed by pregnant moments of silence, followed by his sputtering as he managed to spit out one “don’t even try to put me down” in what seemed like a split second. This take managed to make the classic LP version seem like weak sauce in comparison.

The last song “Yesterday’s Tormentor” debuted here before taking its place on the new “Zero” album. The pace slacked off a bit here even as Ms. Fife tore into the bitter put-down of a song with vitriolic gusto. It never fails to make me marvel at how The Rezillos manage to marry furious punk energy with a love and respect for pop and in particular the rich vocal harmonies that they invest their songs with.

Both singles are mandatory for Revillophiles. While “Out Of this World” appeared on 2015’s “Zero” album, it was in a completely different recording/production. This left the single version as produced by John Clark and guitarist Jim Brady another in a long line in distinctly different Rezillos singles. I do believe that all of them are different takes from what later appeared on their albums; from 1977 straight through today. [Hmm.. time to compile them all in a REVO edition – memo to self!]

My ardor for The Rezillos is such that I really do want to have everything under the sun in my Record Cell. Not only do I truly love this group, but they have an admirably finite amount of material out there; giving them a cachet of collectability that I can’t usually indulge in. To that end I also purchased the 7″ singles in all color variations from the band’s store. Kind of decadent, I know, except for one salient fact. The Rezillos, unlike most groups operating today, have not forgotten that they are making rock and roll music for the masses. All of these singles were priced as if the bottom had not dropped out of the music industry and everything but downloads were priced like rare jewels. This singles are not bespoke playtoys for the wealthy. To quote XTC, “This is POP!” Buy or Die! Store here. Go NOW!

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