Johnny Moped - Cycledelic

Kings of dumb (and dumber) punk’s finest hour

One of the first wave of souped-up R&B combos to hitch a ride on punk’s careering bandwagon, subtlety was never the Mopeds’ strong suit. The explosive Chiswick debut 45, No One, set the template and this, their sole LP, followed it, with titles such as Wild Breed, Hell Razor and Incendiary Device setting their stall out unambiguously.

Nevertheless, for incurable romantics there’s always the mawkish Darling, Let’s Have Another Baby to calm things down. To call this ramshackle set a charming period piece seems somewhat bizarre, but really, that’s what it is. Still, it’s highly entertaining in its own gormless, high-octane way, and there are enough pop chops on show to earn Moped, Slimy Toad & co a deserved place in the punk Hall Of Infamy, somewhere between Wreckless Eric & The Damned.

Ace | CDHP 029

Reviewed by Steve Rippon
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