*** 1/2 The BuzzcocksFRENCH
During the 11 years that the
Buzzcocks
were split up, a long string of redundant live albums hit the stands.
Now that they're back together with a good studio album (Trade Test
Transmissions) under their belt, they've followed it up with yet another
live album, recorded last April in Paris. But this one's not redundant, in part
because the set list has a few surprises. Ten of the 23 songs are post-reunion.
A handful of obscure gems ("Breakdown," "Strange Thing") are here, whereas the
really obvious songs ("What Do I Get," "Ever Fallen in Love") aren't. The most
obvious thing here is "Harmony in My Head," a soaring number that deserves
another shot. But French succeeds mainly because the line-up (with
original frontmen
Pete Shelley and
Steve Diggle and a new rhythm section)
sounds terrific, replacing the youthful fervor of old with a middle-aged fervor
and an unshakable chemistry. And the best of the new songs -- "Do It" and
"Libertine Angel" -- are as quintessentially punk-pop as the oldies. So it
makes sense that the band are about to release a new studio album with producer
Rob Cavallo -- a man who knows the
Buzzcocks' sound well, having re-created it
many times with Green Day.
-- Brett Milano
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