March 7, 2007

The Rezillos - Top Of The Pops



The Rezillos

There’s a threat approaching from the stars
All the horrors from Venus and Mars
Everybody better be on guard
When the Flying Saucers land
(from Flying Saucer Attack)

The Rezillos (later to be known as The Revillos) were a Scottish Punk band best known for trash culture references and comic book 60’s clothing. Think of a Punk Rock B-52s.

The Rezillos started up at Edinboro College in 1976 and their first single was “I Can’t Stand My Baby”, released in the summer of ’77.
In 1978, they came to NYC to record their first album “Can’t Stand The Rezillos”. This is a must have record if you’re into 70’s style punk. The subject matter steered more to the Ramone’s aesthetic… glorified bubble gum played fast and hard with mostly innocuous subject matter (Flying Saucer Attack, My Baby Does Good Sculptures, Top Of The Pops) plus a helping of 60’s covers (Glad All Over, I Like It, Someone’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight).

To me, what really made the Rezillo’s great was the awesome bass playing of William Mysterious (the bass runs on “Can’t Stand” are more like he’s playing lead bass (ala John Entwhistle) and the twin vocals of Fay Fife (complete with sexy Scottish purr) and Eugene Reynolds.

The album had moderate success but the Rezillo’s broke up, reconfiguring in various entities such as Shake, The Human League (yes, THAT Human League) and The Revillo’s.

The Revillo’s attained some success (even here in the States) in 1981 with the album Rev-Up. This took the Rezillo’s concept further, adding 3 back-up singers to the Rezillo’s core of Fife and Reynolds. This album was poppier and more “New Wavey” than the Rezillo’s, but is still an excellent pick-up. Stand-out songs include: Motorbike Beat and Rev-Up).

That was pretty much the end of it for the Rezillo’s/Revillo’s. They still tour occasionally (mostly in the UK).
Have at em!

From Can’t Stand The Rezillos:
Flying Saucer Attack
Top Of The Pops
Land Of A Thousand Dances
From Rev Up:
Rev Up
Buy Rezillos and Revillo’s albums







http://www.rezillos.com/

3 comments:

DrTugnut said...

Hello Nazz,

Is your name anything to do with the wonderful 'give daddy the knife, cindy' album by The Damned moonlighting as Naz Nomad and The Nightmares? If you want a copy let me know and I will u/l it for you.

Great blog though. The Rezillos is a real treat - it reminded me about reading of fellow Scots The Valves who were out around the same time and wanted to call their album "Can't Stand The Rezillos Either"

Dr Tugnut (retired)

anna cristina said...

Great start to your blog.. you're posting some real classic stuff! :) Man Rezillos are one of my favorite bands ever.. I wish they would come to the US!

telerepairman said...

Correction:..Edinburgh, Scotland.