NADIR'S BIG CHANCE

When I started to collect PH's LPs, this one intrigued me the most. Reportedly being an influence for JOHNNY ROTTEN in his stint with that so -called leading UK punk band a year later. Being a fan of certain punk bands from this era, I couldnt wait to here Hammilll doing it. Overall there are only 2 tracks of this nature on the LP. The title track and Birthday Special. You have to remember that this was a clear year before the Punk scene took to the UK. PH was clearly trying to create the sound of a somewhat underehearsed rock and roll band with loose playing and some deliberate bum notes. The results simply pre-dated the scene by a year, from what appears to be by total accident. Prog purists need not be put off by this. The rest of the album contains some solid tunes in the moody vein of the previous releases. However the more experimental side is really left off this album. No long tracks or complex time signatures can be found here. Highlights include the beautiful ballad Been Alone So Long and the excellent remake of VDGG's People You Were Going To. I have to admit that I've never heard to original so can't compare to it, but the version on this LP is superb, The lyrics are just so depressing in a tongue in cheek kind of way. Birthday Special is also great. It's sounds so like punk- before-punk, it's scary!

An excellent record with some really great tunes, well worth obtaining.