New CD by The Masonics & St Pancras International station

PARSLEY'S COMMLOCK

CD Review : Royal and Ancient - The Masonics (Circle Records)
If you like your drum kits Ludwig, your guitars Burns, and your amplifiers Vox AC30's, then this rock & roll album is going to be a sure-fire hit with you. 'Royal and Ancient' is the latest CD album (their seventh) from The Masonics : former-Milkshakes Mick Hampshire on guitar and lead vocals, Bruce Brand on drums, percussion and backing vocals, and Wildebeest John Gibbs on bass and backing vocals. I'm biased because they are all mates, but nevertheless, it's quite clear that if you ever liked stonking rock'n'roll pop songs, you're going to lap this up:

1. Don't talk to me - slight Spanish feel for this stonking kick off track. Mick's voice strangely clear when you know he's daily rubbing gravel into his vocal chords.
2. You'd better start lookin' - a party number with Mick's more traditional vocal growl.
3. Chicken bomb - fast moving Link Wray style instrumental.
4. I really don't care - slower, mean end-of-love-affair growler. Nice wood block.
5. The way that it is - remembered this from their live set, featuring tremolo guitar.
6. Shig-shag - fast moving 12-bar instrumental, that would suit the beat girl in your life.
7. Who's been taking my place? - upbeat screamer. Phew - don't mess with Micky !
8. Baby move closer to me - now it's time for raunchy lurve with this rocking smoocher.
9. Call me deceiver - harmony backed plea to a woman who thinks she's been deceived.
10. Truth will out - catchy shuffle-beat pop song.
11. I'll learn to forget - waltz-time plaintive reflections on love.
12. Don't look down - quirky tightrope walking with backing vocals from Ludella Black.
13. You're just a means to an end - growling warning to a friend being used by a woman.
14. March of the space goblins - trademark Joe Meek shuffling instrumental rounds it all off.

Mick wrote all the tracks, and all bar one were recorded at Circo Perrotti Studios in Spain. The sleeve, by Bruce's own Arthole design house, features pictures of the boys hanging out at what looks like Stoke Newington cemetery. I recognise it because I was stuck there after it shut making a video with a band one weekend.

It's a little known fact these days that The Masonics supported the White Stripes on their first nationwide tour, when Bruce was their guide to British culture... Mick is a legendary delightful and indelicate wit. When he was introduced to Elvis Costello in one of his more bearded phases, he apparently said to him "I didn't recognise you with all that Weetabix on your mush".

The album is on Circle Records, the brain child of Peter 'Speed' Wild, and it's great to see that a label like this is around and able to put out a top release like this when it remains controlled by 'groups, fans and non-executives'. It's also available on vinyl for the purists - another thing you won't be getting from the worst labels.

So it's official - you can't say there's no good music around when the Masonics are putting out a great album like this. Enjoy.

Travel News : St Pancras International station
St Pancras is a station with amazing architecture which has been restored so it can be appreciated again. Weak link is I can't afford 10 minutes in a museum everyday on my way to work, and it is now a horribly tedious interchange between suburban rail and the tube. In fact they don't even bother putting signs for the tube from the First Capital Connect platform, because it is so barely credible as an interchange.

Kings Cross was regularly getting so packed that it had to be temporarily shut, as it couldn't handle the volume of passengers. The 21st century style of innovation to cure this is to make it so horribly useless as an interchange that people will avoid changing there unless absolutely necessary. Vast walks now separate the main line platforms from the underground. So get on the highest speed train from the continent into London and then spend 15 minutes with luggage walking to the tube before you can get to anywhere useful.

Oh, and of course the sprawling concrete walkways are now home to vast new shopping 'experiences', including Hamley's toy shop, because coming to London is nothing without shopping. Unfortunately this shopping is largely the same as everywhere else in the UK, and quite a lot of Europe.

I think I will favour Kentish Town with my interchange walks from now on. At least when I get stuck there I am within very easy reach of the cheapest late night chicken and chips in London.

Oh, and one last touch of 21st century genius: First Capital connect has taken to replacing bright dot-matrix displays and big digital clocks with very poorly illuminated small text new ones that you have to be standing next to, to be able to read. Of course on its flagship St Pancras International platforms, no doubt being visited by several key investors, they suddenly found they could install a much brighter one with colours. This is on the one covered platform that doesn't need it as much.

parsley@gardenrecords.com [www.gardenrecords.com]