Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - Check Em Before You Wreck Em (CD Review)

01.Do It Now
02.2 Tonne Fuckboot
03.Captain Merryweather
04.Running From Home
05.Happiness Begins
06.Shaker Your Head
07.Dont Hear It..Fear It!
08.Bulletproof
09.The Thicker The Better
10.Late Night Mornings

Johnny Gorilla (Guitar/Vocals)
Louis Comfort-Wigget (Bass)
Bill Darlington (Drums)

Hastings psych/hard rockers formed in 2008, they take their name from a British naval officer from the late 17th century.
The official record company blurb says that they are the last of a dying breed of grease bastard rock!
Clearly the last 30 years have not existed for this trio as their music is straight out of the late 60's detroit rock scene and the early 70's underground music of Crushed Butler and the Pink Fairies.

'Do It Now' is a skuzzed up rocker definatley a Pink Fairies vibe, perhaps not surprising as they had a song called 'Do It' the sound they create is pure 70's rock, and it doesnt come over as some sort of lame tribute, this is the real thing, the guitar sound is pure, the mix and production captures every element to perfection.

The delightfully titled '2 Tonne Fuckboot' has a stop/start Zeppelin feel, but when the vocals kick in its more May Blitz meets Jesse Hector.

I was expecting something intresting with 'Captain Merryweather' and i wasnt dissapointed, i wondered if it was a nod to Mama Lion guitarist Neil Merryweather who released a number of solo albums in the 70's including one called Space Rangers (One to own if you can find it) its a psychedelic work out coming in at 8 minutes, the kind of thing Monster Magnet used to do,only better.
Great vocals and the guitar playing is outstanding, four minutes in and the song takes a slower even more psychedelic approach before storming into guitar nirvana!

Some awesome drumming on 'Running From Home' keeps this one at driving speed, then comes the guitar solo and its time to open that throttle!

The next track 'Happiness Begins' is a full on rocker, sounds familliar but cant place the riff, lurking somewhere in my old vinyl pile no doubt.Could be Ten Years After or even early Quo?

'Shaker Your Head', elements of The Who and Free can be detected in this upbeat blues-ish rocker.

Just realised that the vocalist reminds me of Rory Gallagher in his Taste days, and thats quite a good comparison for this song 'Dont Hear It..Fear It!'

Yet again i wonder if this could be a nod to another 70's classic rock group, this time the song 'Bulletproof' and the band in question were called Hard Stuff.

Another riff half remembered from the old days, 'The Thicker The Better' is another faced paced rocker.

With a title like 'Late Night Mornings' i was expecting a layed back tune and this is to start with then the pace picks up with some great blues playing and it comes in at 7 epic minutes.

Rating 10/10
For fans Of : Crushed Butler, Blue Cheer, Pink Fairies, Steppenwolf, Heavy Metal Kids