The Buff Medways "Steady The Buffs" 2002 + "You Are All Phonies" 2003 - 7"/45rpm

Try sitting still while this one's on! Wild Billy Childish's ace 100th album has more raw rock-n-roll energy, passionate vocals, and catchy songs than you can shake a chicken at. - amazonI purchased Steady the Buffs by Billy Childish and the Friends of the Buff Medway Fanciers Association (wheee...) after reading an interview with Billy in MOJO.
The shock accompanying my first listen was akin to what happened when I first heard 'Tutti Frutti' by Little Richard: a hiss of static followed by transcendant rock 'n' roll.
You see, the "rock 'n' roll" part of the equation is misisng from a lot, maybe most, of rock music today. The 'too tough to live, too tough to die' ethos has been replaced by hiding the singer behind dancers...until, of course, you want to show her breast. But...I digress.
Billy Childish and his bands are likely the greatest cover band of all time. And, I mean this in the most complementary way.
Evoking pieces of Link Wray, the Kinks, early Who, countless also rans and merging it with a more contemporary Johnny Rotten attitude, Mr. Childish puts the paddles on the heart of rock 'n' roll and brings it back to life. - By Jersey Kidtrax:
01 Troubled Mind 02 Dawn Said 03 A Stange Kind Of Happyness 04 Archive From 1959 05 Times Up 06 Sally Sensation 07 Vanessa Does Favours 08 Strood Lights 09 Misty Water 10 Well Well 11 You Piss Me Off 12 Ivor

"You Are All Phonies" 2003 - 7"/45rpmThis group's official name is Wild Billy Childish & The Friends of the Buff Medway Fanciers Association, but they generally shorten it to The Buff Medwaystrax:

01 You Are All Phonies 02 Fire 03 Merry Christmas, Fritz