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EATER
The Eater Chronicles 1976-2003 (Anagram)
Reviewed by Alan Wright
In the liner notes to this new double anthology of this legendary British punk band, singer Andy Blade writes about an American journalist who interviewed him in 1996 and asked him if Eater would ever re-form, to which he replied they would not. Well, that journalist was me, and as he goes on to mention, Eater did indeed re-form for some gigs and more recording sometime after I interviewed him, but it's alright Andy, I forgive you! Anyway, CD one is basically the same as The Compleat Eater CD that came out on Anagram in 1999, and had been previously issued in America as All Of Eater. Like those two, it's not totally complete, missing the rare Get Yer Yo-Yo's Out Live EP, but at 28 cuts on CD One, you get more that your money's worth. Their entire 1978 The Album is here along with assorted singles tracks. There are fab tunes like "Lock It Up," "You," "Room For One," "I Don't Need It," "No Brains" and of course, their high energy covers of Lou Reed, Alice Cooper ("I'm 18" done as "I'm 15," the average band member's age at the time), T. Rex and David Bowie. For a group of barely teens, these guys were quite proficient and tight. Some of the songs are a little dated now subject-wise, and the lyrics to "Get Raped" seem a little harsh, not to mention really un-P.C. now. Still, the songs are really fun, filled with energy and catchy as hell!
On CD two, you get a re-formed Eater (sans original drummer Dee Generate and bassist Ian Woodcock, neither of whom could be located) live to 4-track, and it doesn't really sound that different! Andy Blade now on guitar as well as vocals, and guitarist Brian Chevette are joined by two new chaps (Steve O'Shea and Graham Best) for re-recordings of their entire 1979 LP, plus there's two excellent new tunes: "Vegetable Girl" and "Going Down." Those two were pegged for a single to be released around '97 which, for reasons unexplained in the CD liner notes, never came out. Another bonus is the inclusion of the "Lyin' Again"/"Death Awaits Me 'Round The Corner" single, which originally came with the long out-of-print History Of Eater, Vol. One (there never was a second volume) album on Deloreon Records, erroneously credited to Eater. It was, in fact, a solo outing by Andy Blade, accompanied by the Damned's Brian James and Generation X's Mark Laff. At the end is a spoken word excerpt from Blade's forthcoming book "The Andy Blade Chronicles."
© 2004 - Alan Wright