Swingin' Thing has always been special to me.
In the late 80's every magazine praised these guys and most bands on the strip predicted
Swingin' Thing to be the next big thing....so what happened?
Basically nothing!
Swingin' Thing did well as an underground name and were "huge" on the strip. Regarding record releases the band never got an appropriate release. The band toured Japan on reputation and demo tapes alone. This has kept the
Swingin' Thing mystery going till a few years back when a demo collection was released and now the brilliant label Demon Doll Records releases songs from the vault recorded between 1992-1994.
Swingin' Thing was a Glam band both music- and image wise. The band played Glam Metal but underneath they wanted to break out a punkish Hard Rock band. In 1998 Indie label Bombastic Plastic released an album by The Things, which were the same band, but the style had changed into punk rock.
"The Black List" displays the transition of
Swingin' Thing into becoming a full blown punkish Hard Rock band.
Swingin' Thing went under same transition as Shotgun Messiah. Glam fans sure had to adapt to the band's U turn with a tougher and rawer sound. The songs here are more ballsy and rather in the vein of The Stooges than Poison.
The band is tight and several songs are recorded live in the studio. These songs would have encompassed the first Hollywood Records release by the band.
Supersonic,
All That Glitters, Stamp Reality and
Do You Feel Alright were used as a showcase, which actually got
Swingin' Thing their deal with major label Hollywood Records. Especially
Do You Feel Alright is among the best tunes with references to T-Rex and Rolling Stones. The band sounds best on
No Fear - the title says it all; full of piss and vinegar going 120 miles an hour.
Demon Doll Records has put together this piece of "history". The sound quality is great and "The Black List" is certainly a justified release because of the high quality.
Support Demon Doll Records and visit their website http://www.demondollrecords.com for more information on
Swingin' Thing and also other rare 80's gems like Alleycat Scratch.
Written by
Michael Sunday, August 30, 2009
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