The Celibate Rifles "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" 1986

Aussie rock fixtures classic 1987 live album recorded at CBGB's in NYC in July '86, on their only U.S. tour, considered by those in the know to be one of the best live albums of all time. 13 tracks including the definitive version of Radio Birdman's supercharged Aussie punk anthem, 'Burn My Eye'.

Recorded at New York City's legendary punk watering hole, CBGB, this single-minded live snapshot of Australian garage-crunge comes as close as any '80s-era indie album to explaining why the country produces MC5- and Stooges-fixated bands by the truckload. From the opening blitz of "Back in the Red," the emphasis is on velocity, velocity, velocity, but delivered with style and conviction. Guitarists Dave Morris and Kent Steedman are the engines that drive the band, making sure that the proceedings don't pause too long. Damien Lovelock is an equally self-assured frontman in the Iggy Pop-esque mode: he can't get the words out fast enough. Strategically placed diversions help leaven the band's breathless rampage; standouts include the neo-psychedelic pop of "Pretty Colors" and the mid-tempo anthem "New Mistakes." The band even acknowledges the local color with their goofy hardcore-by-numbers rave-up of "Carmen Vattelly" -- a well-known character of the time -- before heading back to full-throttle dive-bombing mode with covers of the Only Ones ("City of Fun") and Radio Birdman ("Burn My Eye"). Given the stylistic narrowness, lack of variety will prove to be an obvious stumbling block for new listeners, but aficionados of this genre won't give two hoots. Like the saying goes: You pay your money and take your choice. - Review by Ralph Heibutzki

trax:
01 Back in the Red 02 Temper Temper 03 JNS 04 Pretty Colours 05 Nether World 06 Some Kinda Feeling 07 New Mistakes 08 Carmine Vattelly 09 City of Fun 10 Conflict of Instinct 11 Sometimes 12 Burn My Eye 13 S.O.S.