1. Out Of Reach
2. Last Rockers
3. Coward
4. Latex Love
5. Resurrection
6. Princess Paranoia
7. Can't Buy Back The Dead
8. Scarred For Life
9. Insomnia
10. Breeders
11. Sterile
12. Stand Strong, Stand Proud
13. Humane
14. Citizen
15. Westend Stars
16. Steamroller ( bonus track)
Release date: 17th April 2011
Digital download price: £5.99
order direct from the Vice Squad shop: http://vicesquad.bandcamp.com/album/resurrection
Here's a great opportunity to buy this hard to find Vice Squad album which was originally released on the Rhythm Vicar label back in 1999. The band have now re-released it themselves on their own "Last Rockers Records", and the good news is that all revenue from the sales of this re-release go directly to the band.
You can buy just single tracks if you don't want the whole album and the first track "Out Of Reach" is free to download whether you buy any other tracks or not!
Review:
This album represents a fascinating cross-over between the old and the new (a "Resurrection", in fact...) as it features the reformed Vice Squad - original member Beki Bondage teaming up with Paul Rooney (producer, songwriter, guitar), Michael Gianquinto (bass guitar) and Tony Piper (drums) - playing new versions of some of the most popular Bateman/ Bond songs from the original band, along with some new tracks penned by Beki and Rooney.
As regards the "oldies", we have a new version of "Coward", which originally featured on the "No Cause For Concern" LP, "Out Of Reach" "Resurrection", "Last Rockers", "Sterile", "Latex Love", "Stand Strong Stand Proud" and "Humane" from the "Stand Strong Stand Proud" album "Scarred For Life" and "Citizen" from the "State Of The Nation" EP.
Then we have "Princess Paranoia", You Can't Buy Back The Dead" and "Westend Stars" from the 1999 Get A Life (Bondage / Rooney) album and new tracks (at the time) "Insomnia" and "Breeders".
This new 2011 download only version also includes an extra track that wasn't on the original CD release called "Steamroller" which is rather unusual - to say the least - but grows on you after a couple of plays....
"Resurrection" is a good CD as it helps / helped to establish the "new" band - don't forget that they have actually now been together for more than twice as long as the original Bondage / Bateman version were - and also stakes a renewed claim to all those great early songs that Beki penned but which have been sadly milked on numerous "greatests hits" where further tracks by the less popular "Lia & Sooty" version of the band are also passed off as Vice Squad folklore.
This album introduces us to a new, more mature Beki - the Beki who was to release the "Cold Turkey" collection of rock covers, the Beki with the stronger, more refined - almost "bluesy" - voice that would take Vice Squad on to renewed success in the new millenium. For the "old" fans, who liked the original line up, we have the old songs but with an up to date twist - less twee sounding vocals, the odd bit of guitar solo, more up to date instrumentations and, for the new fans, well, this is just what it says on the cover: Vice Squad - Resurrection.
To find out more about Vice Squad, their music and their other merchandise check out the official website at: http://www.vicesquad.co.uk/
