the primevals
on the red eye

 CD1

1- Eternal Hotfire – 1:122- Prairie Chain – 2:45
3- Primeval Call – 3:44
4- See that Skin - 5:05
5- Spiritual – 5:02
6- Nutmeg City – 2:10
7- Elixir of Life – 4:40
8- Fire and Clay – 5:00
9- Saint Jack – 3:23
10- Dish of Fish - 3:31 
11- Lowdown ) 6:50
12-Sister – 2:30
13- Lonesome Weepin Blues – 3:55
14- My Emancipation – 4:18
15- Blues at my Door – 2:39
16- She’s all mine – 3:03
17- Have some fun – 3:52
18- See the Tears Fall – 4:05
19- Lucky I’m living – 3:00
20- Living in Hell –
21- Walk in my Footsteps –

 

CD2

1-   Fertile Mind – 4:00
2-   Follow her down – 3:25
3-   My dying Embers 4:14
4-   All of the Virtues – 3:49
5-   Bleedin’ Black – 4:29
6-   Cotton Head – 2:51
7-   Justify – 3:13
8-   Early Grave – 4:29
9-   Highway – 2:07
10-    Pink Cat Suit (part 1) – 0:15
11-    One Sweet Drink – 2:44
12-    Burden of the Debt – 4:42
13-    Diamonds, a Furcoat, Champagne – 3:42
14-    Heya – 3:55
15-    Down Where the Madness grows – 3:13
16-    Crazy Little Thing – 2:33
17-    Paupers Grave – 4:13
18-    Methadone Script – 3:29
19-    Where The Soul in that ? – 4:36
20-    Depth to your Soul – 3:29


What to say about The Primevals that already hasn’t been said in as many quarters as it should?

As famous as Glasgow is for “music”, it’s not a very prolific rock’n’roll city. There’s a ton going on in terms of cross-collateralisation but little in terms of the majesty that a simple sonic paste-ing will impart.

 It’s often said that that prophets aren’t accepted in their own backyard and this is one of those. The Primevals had and have more in common with the produce of the US, Australia or Europe. They played all over - Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Holland, Belguim and Austria – where audiences seemed to recognise their worth. Their Gun Club meets Radio Birdman take on Detroit rock’n’soul preachin’ blues was much more direct than practically anything that has ever come “ootta Glesgae”. Except for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

It’s fitting then that this retrospective assembly should be released on Last Call, the sister label of their original stable, New Rose. NR was a bastion of fine, fine music in it’s heyday. Pushing the real stuff to the people who cared. Some of them, even live in the UK. It’s about time too and maybe, just maybe, something will happen and the band will haul it around one last time to show all of these young stylised pups how it’s done.

 Not exactly an outright secret then but worthy of more respect than most all hailed as “seminal” in these barren times. These tunes, to my knowledge, are not ringtone friendly. This isn’t some kinda lifestyle soundtrack piffle put together to sound authentic. The Primevals were hollerin’ “Heya” in a psychedelicized swirl when Andre 3000 was still in nappies. Now that’s cooler than being cool and you can shake it like a Polaroid picture if you want. That, after all is what it was all about in the first instance.

 The band still plays periodically and last time I saw them open for The Nomads down on The Broomielaw, they were firing on all cylinders like always. So dig in, and while you’re at it – look out for Michael (Mickey) Rooney’s occasional combo, Breakdown 99. A countrified but no less pure melting pot of styles, served up as only this guy can dish it.

 Lindsay Hutton,

The Next Big Thing

January 2005



the primevals