Dr. Feelgood - Down By The Jetty

The 1975 album, a magnificent first album, recorded in pure mono, has been transferred in exemplary form, a clean, sharp, crunchy, close sound that recalls the sonic textures of the Rolling Stones' first album, even as they cross swords with the Stones' arch-rivals of the era, the Animals, with a superb version of 'Boom Boom'. Released amid the burgeoning radio presence of acts like Thin Lizzy, Blue Oyster Cult, and Kansas, and the growing self-conscious profundity of Bruce Springsteen, 'Down by the Jetty' was as refreshingly lean as anything the headline-grabbing '70s punks would later loose on the world, and as stripped down as the most basic roots rock. Lee Brilleaux's singing could go up against Eric Burdon's or Cyril Davies, and even take on elements of a thick rasp vaguely reminiscent of Howlin' Wolf (listen closely to 'Roxette'), certainly better than Mick Jagger ever did; and guitarist Wilko Johnson could play Jimmy Reed, Chuck Berry, or Bo Diddley licks with equally imposing (and seemingly effortless) virtuosity. this record was one of the great '70s rock and roll albums, right up there with the Groovies' 'Shake Some Action' and anything ccr left listeners, and ran circles around the Rolling Stones' post-exile on main street output.