Five years passed between the release of 1992's
Skinhead
and the arrival of
Heavy Petting
.
Bad Manners
hadn't taken an extended vacation, they'd been touring and knocking out the occasional song for compilations, but a full-length just wasn't in the cards until now. And after all this time, was it worth the wait? The answer is a resounding yes.
The set kicks off with the title track, a storming
ska
-riffic
instrumental
, which flames into
"Black Night,"
a song that may mean nothing to the
reggae
crowds but will send
metal
fans into a fury of headbanging with the band's inspired cover of this
Deep Purple
classic. Reaching further back into time,
delves into the
pop
world and emerges with
the Monkees
'
"Randy Scouse Git."
The intro is note-perfect, but then the group tosses in the sharp syncopated beats and a fabulous sax solo, utterly transforming this '60s stomper. Equally entertaining is the
"Red River Ska,"
which delivers up precisely what the title claims.
"Lager Delirium"
sounds like a cover, but isn't; it's a
party in a beer garden -- at which point everyone will
"Feel Like Jumping,"
a pure party piece guaranteed to rock any party sky-high.
Scattered throughout these up-tempo scorchers are relatively quieter numbers, like the cheery
"Down Berry Wood"
; a clutch of perfect early
-flavored gems including the title track,
"Happiness,"
and the teary
"Liverpool and Birmingham"
; and the dubby
"No, No, No."
"Go"
will inevitably bring to an end every
live show for years to come, a jaunty closer riven with sparkling keyboards. So there's something for everyone here: the rejigged lineup sounds fabulous, turning up the temperature then deftly shifting into more delicate gears, as at home with hefty rockers as they are sweet '60s-flavored jewels.
returns with a vengeance, and it's like they never left. ~ Jo-Ann Greene