The Chief Whips cd review

A friend of mine reccomended this album to me. To be honest, I’d never heard of The Chief Whips and neither had he apparently until he heard their rockin’ version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ being played on college radio.Since then, I don’t think I’m going over the top when I say ‘The Other Creek’ is my favourite cd of the last year (although I think it was first released in 2007). After doing my research, I now know The Chief Whips are a UK based band put together relatively recently from the remnants of a Leeds based Punk band. Sure, there is nothing new or radical about what they are doing, but for no nonsense punked up blues rock with great tunes, this album is the real deal.
The greatest strength here is the quality of the songwriting. Lyrically the subject matter concerns ageing hookers, inner turmoil and the thrills of the city. The songs are short, sharp and to the point and catchy as hell. This is not a proffesional studio quality recording, but in my view that’s a positive, as we are talking about raw garage energy here not Coldplay!

Track 1. IN LOVE WITH YOURSELF…. Reminds me of early Aerosmith and it’s my personnel favourite. Great chorus when the bass kicks in.
Track 2. BIG YELLOW TAXI…. The afore mentioned Joni Mitchell cover, a blistering romp through the old 70’s folk tune, never before heard like this I would imagine.
Track 3. QUEEN OF THE STREETS…. Nice and sleazy does it, builds up to a fine
guitar break cresendo.
Track 4. RELEGATION BLUES. The most traditional sounding original track on the cd, a 12 bar blues workout, set to a toungue in cheek lyric.
Track 5. TREMBLING AND SHAKING… Punk meets R&B in a Dr Feelgood style
rocker, reminiscent of the old R&B standard ‘I Can Tell.’
Track 6. DARKEST DAYS…. Blues in a minor key (I think!) some really soulful
lead guitar playing on this track about a reflective walk through the city at night.
Track 7. LET IT GLOW…. I love the guitar riff that holds this track together, next
best original song after ‘In Love With Yourself ’.
Track 8. BITTER TASTE…. A bit of a country rock feel to this one, the style of it
reminds me of The Rolling Stones ‘Dead Flowers’.
Track 9. AIN’T ENOUGH DAYS…. The most poppy track on the cd, strong singalong type chorus lamenting the rapid passing of time.
Track 10. A MILLION MILES… A good driving rocker with a punky edge to it, asserting a determination not to be beaten down and not to run with the crowd.
Track 11. THE SPIDER AND THE FLY… Not my favourite. A cover of the old Rolling Stones song that unlike the bands cover of ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ doesn’t really offer a different slant on the original. A bit of a filler maybe and one cover too far?

We’re never going to see this band on TV or filling arena’s, wrong style of music and their faces don’t fit, but this album gives me the impression, for a great night out in a sweaty club ….you could do a lot worse!