Gallon Drunk - Tonite, The Singles Bar / You, The Night… And The Music / From The Heart Of Town

Glorious unholy racket merchants revisited and expanded

Gallon Drunk were much needed in the pre-Oasis early 90s when shoegazing soppiness ruled indie music. Crazed and debauched, they were shot through with rock’n’roll’s untamed gutter spirit as purveyed by Gene Vincent, 60s garage bands, The Stooges, Cramps and, most strongly, The Birthday Party. The latter’s ramshackle car smash incandescence echoes through 1992’s Tonite, The Singles Bar, which sees the early singles joined by a live recording from their 1993 US tour supporting PJ Harvey.

Gallon Drunk understood the importance of maracas in their primal voodoo shuffle, throwing in rusty chain bass, cheesy organ and heaving guitar racket while singerguitarist James Johnston howled at the moon. Subtlety, dynamics and the blues, mambos and spaghetti Westerns highlighted the same year’s You, The Night… And The Music. Extras include their version of Silver Apples’ Ruby and three tracks recorded for German radio. Their crowning glory was 1993’s Mercury Prize-nominated From The Heart Of Town, a further refinement with the reissue adding eight live tracks and B-sides, including slavering covers of Neil Sedaka’s Solitaire and Merle Haggard’s Silver Wings.�

In 2003 James Johnston joined Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds, and Gallon Drunk are recording a new album. Meanwhile, bask in three undervalued UK classics.

Sartorial | FIT 020 CD / FIT 021 CD /

Reviewed by Kris Needs
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