298) Goodbye Mr MacKenzie - Hammer and Tongs

If you read review 111 you would have seen, I was a bit of a fan of this band (https://www.albumsin200words.co.uk/post/111-goodbye-mr-mackenzie-good-deeds-and-dirty-rags).

The band recorded their second album in Germany, but the usual record company nonsense meant it sat on the shelves for months as they were transferred between record companies, and to be honest, commercially, they never really recovered. Not the first or last band this would happen to, but they deserved so much more.

After the injustice of The Rattler not being a hit lets throw in a couple from this record where we the UK record buying public let them down. Blacker than Black storms out of the blocks not letting up from start to finish and Rona Scobie steals the show with some of the best accordion playing I have heard in a song. Now we are Married should have been their second top ten hit. Intelligent pop with magical bass and a chorus to die for it limped to number eighty as The Simpsons sat at number one with Do the Bartman. Let’s all hang our heads in shame on that one.

Diamonds is all atmosphere, again Rona the star with her keyboards (sorry they were not as good after she left, reassuring to have her back in the band now) and Shirley is more upfront here, the song never moves out of first gear but there is no need to do so and The Burning is what the MacKenzie’s do well, building to a huge chorus taking us back down and building us back up.

Sick Baby plays to the bands strengths Martin’s vocal over a taut rhythm section, Big John riffing, Shirley elevating the track with her backing and the usual imaginative keys from Rona and She’s Strong goes up a notch half way through and the accordion is back (the more I listen this may be Rona’s album).

Love Child Shirley steps up ably backing Martin throughout and Tongue-Tied is an atmospheric end to an album that should have moved them up the table instead of relegating them.

Remember when they finally release a new album to give them the time and sales they deserve.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: sadly, the album is not available, listen on YouTube to Now We Are Married and then buy from Discogs or Ebay.