ATOMIC ROOSTER '80

When I start discovering rock in the mid-Seventies, myself and a mate worked through his older brother's record collection discovering bands who no-one was writing about anymore, one of which was the mighty Atomic Rooster. They had multiple line-ups, but for me (and many others) it was the trio of Vincent Crane, John DuCann and Paul Hammond and their album 'Death Walks Behind You' which was for me the height of their power. Given the way the band had imploded no-one ever imagined that Crane and DuCann would work together again, but they patched things up and recorded this album in 1980 with session drummer Preston Heyman. This was at the height of NWOBHM in the UK, with bands like Iron Maiden, Samson, Def Leppard, Saxon and Angelwitch all over the radio and in the charts, but here was a band with no bassist and huge amounts of Hammond Organ turning the clock back and showing the oldies could blast it out just as much as the new breed.

Cherry Red Records have now remastered and expanded that release with 11 additional tracks, many of which are demoes (including a version of "Play It Again" ? I bought the 12" version of that single when it was released and still have it), plus a bonus CD which was originally released separately by Angel Air in 2002. That CD is a recording of Crane and DuCann being reunited with Hammond and recorded live at The Marquee. I was fortunate enough to be at university when they undertook that tour, and one of my happiest gig-going memories is standing right in front of DuCann as he and the guys blasted through an amazing set packed with classics. That live album actually sounds better for being put together with this set as it all seems complete, with DuCann proving he really was an aggressive rock singer and guitarist, Crane demonstrating he really was a master of the Hammond and Paul Hammond doing much more than just keeping a beat.

One can only wonder what would have happened if the band had managed to stay together back in the early Seventies, as they never met their full potential, but when the trio reunited it showed just how much they had to offer, but when Du Cann left in 1982 that really was the end and in 1983 the band imploded for the final time. A new version of the band formed in 2016 around former members Pete French and Steve Bolton, but any version of the band without Crane can never truly be valid, while DuCann was the voice. This expanded version is well worth discovering, bringing together their final album together and the live recordings. The band were much more than "Tomorrow Night", "Devils's Answer" and "Gerhatsa" and this proves it.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to kev rowland
• Report this review (#3193381)
• Buy ATOMIC ROOSTER music online with PA partners
• Show all ATOMIC ROOSTER MP3/Stream
• Go to ATOMIC ROOSTER page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Atomic Rooster '80 page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for ATOMIC ROOSTER related discussions