Jamie Clarke's Perfect "Beatboys" Wolverine Records cat. no. WRR176
Release date: 11 November 2011
Running time: 43:50, 14 tracks
I’m not totally familiar with Jamie Clarke’s Perfect previous works. I only bought a couple of their previous albums; “Sickly Men of Thirty or So” (1999) was a pop-orientated album with a couple of great songs, “Adorable” and “Pray” (my fave); “Nobody’s Perfect” (2001) had different directions, maybe because a lot of covers were featured on it. Anyway, there were some rather good originals, “Hey Now” and “Mad World", and an excellent Flamin’ Groovies cover, “Shake Some Action”. Both of the albums featured a similar line-up, a three piece band based on Jamie´s guitar and Bosnian accordionist Pedja Zaric.
I had lost track of Jamie Clarke’s Perfect and when the people from Wolverine contacted me I was expecting the same line-up (maybe a different drummer), some covers and the usual Pogues numbers. However, after having listened to the album, I can say that I was wrong. “Beatboys” is far better than expected. The band has evolved from a three piece band to a four piece band. Pedja Zaric is no longer on board and the current line-up is Jamie Clarke (guitar), Pierre Lavendel (banjo and tin whistle), Frank-Jean Schmidt (bass) and Bjoern Again (drums). The guys are joined by guest musicians Tobi Eschler (accordion), Björn Möhlendick (piano) and Hans Lammert (piano).
Obviously, the sound of the band has changed. Yes, there are several directions (Punk, rockabilly, western, gypsy, Celtic punk, classic r’n’r …), but the album is really well balanced: twelve songs written by Jamie together with Carsten Dehnert, one cover and, above all, the only Pogues number that can be found was written by Jamie and Spider Stacy.
The beginning of the album is flawless. When I first listened to “Supersonic Gin and Tonic” it made me think of the Sex Pistols covering “Stepping Stone”. It’s a good punk song with catchy chorus.
Regarding the next song, “Beatboys”, this is the kind of song that you can filed together with The Popes, Neck or The Bible Code Sundays. Pierre’s banjo is awesome.
“What We got” is another good song featuring banjo with a catchy chorus, but I feel that the next song is one of the best: “Jackson Town”. Instruments such as fiddle , banjo, piano and mandolin can be heard and Jamie shares vocals with a female singer. If you like The Mahones, you will enjoy this song.
Accordion is featured on tracks no. 5, “The Sun and the Moon” and no. 9, the instrumental “It’s a Sloth", a couple of fast-paced songs on which The Pogues meet The Dreadnoughts. By the way, Jamie Clarke’s Perfect was one of the first bands to include Eastern Europe music on their albums (“Hungarian Dance” on “Nobody’s Perfect”)
“King Ray” is another superb number whose sound can be linked to The Pogues “Wake of the Medusa” but with a western movie soundtrack touch.
If the beginning of the album was great, the end is fantastic too. Pierre Lavendel sings lead vocals on “Ballad of Habensie Williams” a good drunken Celtic punk that features tin whistle.
My fave “Pray” is revisited in a rocking way. Maybe Pedja Zaric is technically a better accordionist, but I feel that the song has been improved.
Finally a nice surprise, at least for me: a cover of Joe Dassin’s classic “Champs-Elysées”. When I first listened to Jamie Clarke’s Perfect rendition I recalled a dinner with some friends at a bistro in Paris . A guy played French “chansons” with his guitar and this was one of them. Thanks for that, Mr. Frank Jean Schmidt (lead vocals on that track).
Jamie Clarke’s Perfect have needed some years to find their own identity. Fortunately they have done it and the result is really good.
Tracklist:
01 - Supersonic Gin and Tonic 3:06
02 - Beatboys 2:59
03 - What We Got 2:59
04 - Jackson Town 4:02
05 - The Sun and the Moon 2:25
06 - BKV 2:44
07 - Sid Vicious Eyes 2:38
08 - One Thing 4:06
09 - It's a Sloth 1:39
10 - King Ray 3:31
11 - I Can't Wait to Get Away from You (Time to Go) 3:28
12 - Ballad of Habensie Williams 2:26
13 - Pray 4:12
14 - Champs-Elysées 3:43
http://www.homeofperfect.de
http://www.facebook.com/pages/jamie-clarkes-perfect/59023289857
http://www.reverbnation.com/jamieclarkesperfect
http://www.myspace.com/jamieclarkesperfect
To Buy the CD, go to:
http://www.wolverine-records.de (click on shop)
http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=197384&
Review by Kinksmarkham
Release date: 11 November 2011
Running time: 43:50, 14 tracks
I’m not totally familiar with Jamie Clarke’s Perfect previous works. I only bought a couple of their previous albums; “Sickly Men of Thirty or So” (1999) was a pop-orientated album with a couple of great songs, “Adorable” and “Pray” (my fave); “Nobody’s Perfect” (2001) had different directions, maybe because a lot of covers were featured on it. Anyway, there were some rather good originals, “Hey Now” and “Mad World", and an excellent Flamin’ Groovies cover, “Shake Some Action”. Both of the albums featured a similar line-up, a three piece band based on Jamie´s guitar and Bosnian accordionist Pedja Zaric.
I had lost track of Jamie Clarke’s Perfect and when the people from Wolverine contacted me I was expecting the same line-up (maybe a different drummer), some covers and the usual Pogues numbers. However, after having listened to the album, I can say that I was wrong. “Beatboys” is far better than expected. The band has evolved from a three piece band to a four piece band. Pedja Zaric is no longer on board and the current line-up is Jamie Clarke (guitar), Pierre Lavendel (banjo and tin whistle), Frank-Jean Schmidt (bass) and Bjoern Again (drums). The guys are joined by guest musicians Tobi Eschler (accordion), Björn Möhlendick (piano) and Hans Lammert (piano).
Obviously, the sound of the band has changed. Yes, there are several directions (Punk, rockabilly, western, gypsy, Celtic punk, classic r’n’r …), but the album is really well balanced: twelve songs written by Jamie together with Carsten Dehnert, one cover and, above all, the only Pogues number that can be found was written by Jamie and Spider Stacy.
The beginning of the album is flawless. When I first listened to “Supersonic Gin and Tonic” it made me think of the Sex Pistols covering “Stepping Stone”. It’s a good punk song with catchy chorus.
Regarding the next song, “Beatboys”, this is the kind of song that you can filed together with The Popes, Neck or The Bible Code Sundays. Pierre’s banjo is awesome.
“What We got” is another good song featuring banjo with a catchy chorus, but I feel that the next song is one of the best: “Jackson Town”. Instruments such as fiddle , banjo, piano and mandolin can be heard and Jamie shares vocals with a female singer. If you like The Mahones, you will enjoy this song.
Accordion is featured on tracks no. 5, “The Sun and the Moon” and no. 9, the instrumental “It’s a Sloth", a couple of fast-paced songs on which The Pogues meet The Dreadnoughts. By the way, Jamie Clarke’s Perfect was one of the first bands to include Eastern Europe music on their albums (“Hungarian Dance” on “Nobody’s Perfect”)
“King Ray” is another superb number whose sound can be linked to The Pogues “Wake of the Medusa” but with a western movie soundtrack touch.
If the beginning of the album was great, the end is fantastic too. Pierre Lavendel sings lead vocals on “Ballad of Habensie Williams” a good drunken Celtic punk that features tin whistle.
My fave “Pray” is revisited in a rocking way. Maybe Pedja Zaric is technically a better accordionist, but I feel that the song has been improved.
Finally a nice surprise, at least for me: a cover of Joe Dassin’s classic “Champs-Elysées”. When I first listened to Jamie Clarke’s Perfect rendition I recalled a dinner with some friends at a bistro in Paris . A guy played French “chansons” with his guitar and this was one of them. Thanks for that, Mr. Frank Jean Schmidt (lead vocals on that track).
Jamie Clarke’s Perfect have needed some years to find their own identity. Fortunately they have done it and the result is really good.
Tracklist:
01 - Supersonic Gin and Tonic 3:06
02 - Beatboys 2:59
03 - What We Got 2:59
04 - Jackson Town 4:02
05 - The Sun and the Moon 2:25
06 - BKV 2:44
07 - Sid Vicious Eyes 2:38
08 - One Thing 4:06
09 - It's a Sloth 1:39
10 - King Ray 3:31
11 - I Can't Wait to Get Away from You (Time to Go) 3:28
12 - Ballad of Habensie Williams 2:26
13 - Pray 4:12
14 - Champs-Elysées 3:43
http://www.homeofperfect.de
http://www.facebook.com/pages/jamie-clarkes-perfect/59023289857
http://www.reverbnation.com/jamieclarkesperfect
http://www.myspace.com/jamieclarkesperfect
To Buy the CD, go to:
http://www.wolverine-records.de (click on shop)
http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=197384&
Review by Kinksmarkham
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