A two for one offer you can't miss
Snuff are a band that hit the deck running with 'Not Listening', a fast guitar driven number that takes no prisoners. Chords galore open 'Somehow' to be joined by drumming on a par with an AK47's full magazine being unloaded at you.
'Too Late' underpins the drummers ability to sound like a one man war zone with a gunship crew of guitarists. 'Win Some Lose Some' is full of 'thrash me till I bleed' guitars and a beat that would fill a mosh pit. In 'Keep The Beat' the band display the same speed that you would if you had a Doberman in hot pursuit. 'Ecstasy' is very sixties in the chorus and watch out for The Beatles near the end. 'I Know What You Want' has a heavier intro that leads into more thrash'n roll. Simple sound, simple vocals, simply excellent. 'Sunny Places' has great melody and is a more rounded sound with good use of bass lines which is reflected again in 'Dicky Trois'. Then 'Nick Northen' brings the pace down a little; sharpening the edges of the guitars and with great use of keyboards which altogether produce that wall of sound feeling with a touch of sixties blues. 'Vikings' brings you back to thrash mode with a slightly heavier rock rhythm in it. 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads' serves up the intro from the old television series and is more of a 'Chas n' Dave' do rock music number- the one you put on when you are about to fall over at a party. 'Iyehf Taidu Leighk' despite its confusing title is well presented, with good depth and balance and a tight guitar line. 'Nick Motown' is a mature number with great appeal and 'Arsehole' has a ska style but the lyrics just don’t show any imagination. 'Marbles' is spot on stylish trashing enjoyment with a do I dance or do I mosh sound. 'Blue Gravy' uses a sixties keyboard style that fits in well with the guitar contrast and displays really good composition. Winding up this first CD is '7 Days' which, quite frankly, has nothing to say.
CD 2.
'I Think We're Alone Now' is vocally softer and better presented than a lot of the other tracks here. 'Never Go Back/Blue Noodles' is also well balanced with very good musical counterpoints. 'Don't Fear The Reaper'; you've got to be sh*t hot to pull this one off in comparison to the original and although Snuff put their own spin on this incredible song they don't quite cut it. 'F**ked Up R'n'R Sh*t' sounds like the Sex Pistols crept into the studio during the recording of this number. 'I Can See Clearly Now' begs the question, why rip a classic number like this apart? 'Any Old Iron' and 'Hokey Cokey' bring you back to that party with 'Chas n' Dave'. 'Indie' shows great promise at the start but then descends into a musical mash of sounds. With 'Horse & Cart' they do something different and prove that as a band they really can do it well. 'Dow Dow Boof Boof' is a well executed number that holds a certain musical pathos and 'Sweet Days' is a great song with really good guitar work and rhythm. 'Two Winds' is a production of melody and rhythm with real life lyrics; a great mixture. 'Bacharach' is a track with a rough beauty that demands to be heard. 'Bottom Of The River' has lovely chorded guitar that leads this number through a succession of changing vocals. 'Emperor' is a polished performance and a showcase for this formula. 'A Push And A Shove' is a brilliantly written and performed number, with chorus lines delivered on target and got to get this one written all over it. 'All Over Now' has a shower of sound that will go over and through you. This once again shows what Snuff can produce when on top form. 'Nick Northern Dub' is a version of this number that is definitely on its own journey, taking the scenic route.
These two CD's cover a very long period in the career of any group, but they show Snuff in its development of both sound and style. They are a band that are not afraid to try different things, but having said that there are some things best left undone, and the karaoke night numbers should be left for just that. If you are a Snuff fan then something encompassing sixteen years of music is an absolute must. If not, then you get value for money, but it's very much a love it or hate it track by track affair.