Ribbon of Gold 180 Gram Vinyl
FINALLY! After years of delays here it is Ribbon of Gold on 180 Gram Black Vinyl, now the full stereophonic splendor of the magnificent recording by Chip Kiesby and the boys can be fully enjoyed as rock n roll should be on yer turntable! Full color insert page with photos and lyrics! Records made the way they used to do it!
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Ribbon of Gold is the finest Paul Collins release since the heyday of The Beat back in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s. Collins – who got his start playing in the semi-legendary Nerves with future Plimsouls frontman Peter Case and songwriter-to-the-stars Jack Lee back in the ‘70s – is a true rock and roll soldier, slogging it out in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City and Spain over the course of his fruitful career. It’s with three of his musical compadres from Spain that he recorded this record – in Sweden, naturally.
While most of Collins’ releases from the late ‘80s through the early part of this decade eschewed straight-up power pop in favor a of a more relaxed, countrified atmosphere, Ribbon of Gold finds Collins going back to what he does best – writing and performing memorable, energetic rock and roll. Perhaps he was pushed to greater heights by his youthful bandmates or maybe he simply thought it was time to turn up the guitars again – in any event, tunes such as “I Still Want You,” “Falling in Love With Her” and “She Doesn’t Want to Hang Around With You” harken back to the halcyon days of “Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl” and classic rockin’ power pop.
Even when Collins slows the pace up a tad on “Hey DJ,” “Without You,” and “Ribbon of Gold” (whose lyrics read like the tale of the Nerves’ early days touring the U.S. in a station wagon), the results are still quite satisfying. It’s only on the ballads – which are strangely lumped together as the final three songs on the disc – where things lag, in part due to Collins’ weary vocals. Still, Ribbon of Gold is a pleasant surprise from one of power pop’s most enduring voices.
by John M. Borack
Paul Collins Beat
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Although Paul Collins is a revered name in powerpop history, any recent discussion of the man was strictly past tense. Many thought his best work was long behind him and the sheer exuberance of his early albums was something he was no longer capable of nor interested in. And while true fans know that The Nerves and The Beat were two of the most important powerpop bands in history, neither made the commercial splash that his contemporaries like Elvis Costello or even The Romantics did at their peak. It must have been especially frustrating for The Beat, who launched one of the most effervescent debut albums in powerpop history only to get sidetracked by having a UK ska band using the same name, and then watching as The Knack stole their thunder. After two albums and a couple of EPs, Collins and company all but disappeared from the popular radar. He recorded a more adult-sounding album with yet another version of Paul Collins' Beat, followed by a couple of countryish solo efforts, but nothing made a splash. Well, in the States, anyway - revered in Spain and other overseas markets, he wasn't starving. A couple of years ago, Flying High was released under the Beat moniker but was largely an acoustic affair, almost adult sounding (especially considering the live Beat album made available around the same time). Then he took a deep breath and gave us Ribbon of Gold, an album that is close enough to classic Beat without sounding too retro. 'Hey DJ' and the title track kick off the album with Collins' trademark pop beat and harmony choruses. While not every song clicks, there are half a dozen great tracks here - 'Hangin' Around With You' and 'I Still Want You' can stand alongside the 70's Beat classics and 'Falling In Love With Her' is perfect roll-down-your-windows, quit-your-job pop nirvana. |
