After disbanding 5 years earlier, and after a number of line-up changes, British progressive rockers ATOMIC ROOSTER were reformed as a trio with keyboardist and founder Vincent Crane was rejoined by guitarist / singer John Du Cann, and new drummer Preston Heyman.
This was the first Atomic Rooster LP I picked up, likely on a trip to Toronto, and out of curiosity, seeing as I knew nothing of them then, and this album never got released here. This would be the band’s heaviest and closest thing to ‘metal’, and having come out during the NWOBHM, I guess I can see where they got lumped in with the heavy metal crowd. But the interplay of Du Cann’s heavy guitar riffs and solos, with Vincent Crane’s 70s sounding Hammond organ, and the the way they feed off each other throughout this 10 track release, makes for a great album for the period, and an underrated gem in the band’s catalogue. Favorites include the lead off cut “They Took Control Of You”, “She’s My Woman”, “Don’t Lose Your Mind”, and the instrumental “Watch Out”. “Do You Know Who’s Looking For You?” was issued as the lead off single.
Last year Cherry Red issued a 2 disc set from this, which included the album, a couple of outtakes, some very good sounding demos, and a not so great show of the band at London’s Marquee, which included songs from this record mixed in with the Rooster classics. Again, not a proper pro recorded show, but listenable, and historically interesting for Rooster fans.
ATOMIC ROOSTER, one of the foremost heavy bands from the early Seventies, have re-formed with original members Vincent Crane and John DuCann. Their first single to be released by EMI is Do You Know Who’s Looking For You, followed by an LP, Atomic Rooster, in September. (Record Mirror, 08-02-80)
ATOMIC ROOSTER: ‘Atomic Rooster’ (EMI EMC 3341), By Malcolm Dome
NO, ‘ATOMIC Rooster’ isn’t the greatest comeback album of ’em all and cynics will doubtless suggest that the reason for this once all -conquering band’s return from beyond the grave was something to do with the singular failure of its two prime protagonists, Vincent Crane and John DuCann, to make their solo mark. However much truth there may be in such idle thinking, the fact remains that this Is a worthy effort and a 1980 recording. ‘Do You Know Who’s Looking For You’ could almost be the Boomtown Rats with a glossy metallic sheen, so catchy Is the heavy melody, while ‘They Took Control 01 You’, taken at almost Olympic sprint – speed, Is propelled along by some vintage firebrand guitar work from DuCann and the slower, subversive ‘In The Shadows; allows Crane to stretch out a little on some claustrophobic keyboard passages. The album’s classic cuts though, are saved for the latter half of side two with ‘Watch Out’ proving to be a red-blooded and lar from pompous ‘theme tune’ that, given free-reign from the production viewpoint’ could Join Iron Maiden’s ‘Transylvania’ and The EF Band’s ‘Instrumental Dufort’ as the year’s most outstanding HM instrumentals. Finally, closing ‘AR’ we have ‘Lost In Space’, a spine-tingler, I assure you. All In all, the Rooster crow once again means happy listening, although in the final analysis I must admit to having serious doubts as to whether the Crane I DuCann re – alliance can sustain its initially promising momentum and EMI would have been better advised to Inject their sagging, moneybags into a younger, more long term prospect. (Record Mirror, 09-22-80)
ATOMIC ROOSTER Atomic Rooster. EMI EMC 3341.
Producers: John Du Cann and Vincent Crane. The old ones are still
the best ones, yet good though this reformation album is, they do not
seem to know quite whether to return to their roots or become an
out and out Heavy Metal band. No matter as they succeed on both
counts and this should find them a whole new audience, while drawing
back much of the old one, (Music Week, 09-13-80)
LINKS:
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/atomic-rooster-atomic-rooster-remastered-expanded-2cd-edition
Outsider Rock 