Once upon a time, long, long ago, lived this guy called Socrates. Now lots of people seemed to think that he was a pretty smart man. (Except for this one guy called Eugene who said that Socrates was a cat. But then Eugene went and turned into a Rhinoceros [Which is a story in itself and no mistake] and so nobody took anything that he said very seriously any more.) Anywho, point is that points are soooo 2004, and this band the Beat Up, well they used to be called the Beatings. (A fact.) And two or three years ago when they were still parading around under their old moniker, they were one of the most superific bands in London. Back then there was all this retro-rock posing and getting dressed for success, fueled by NME hype and a realization of the fact that in rock music you don't need an idea, because a quarter of an idea that some other band had thirty years ago is perfectly good enough. (The beginnings of an unnecessary rant.)
In the middle of this, the Beatings were making loud, scrappy, tense garage-paint-stripper-ROCK & ROLL just because they loved it, without caring either way for doing anything other than making really great music and getting onstage to play it. Oh yeah, and they were pretty damn great as well. (Almost a fact.)
But then they had to change their name cos some American guys decided that they thought it up first and decided to sue (clearly the most Rock & Roll course of action they could've taken in the circumstances). And so now they're called the Beat Up and have a record out. It's terrible. (An overstatement.) It's just such disappointingly shallow, emotionless rock-by-numbers fare compared to the white light intensity of this band only a couple years ago. (Not an overstatement -- precisely the problem with this record.) Maybe all that sitting around in suits getting sued in stuffy courtrooms with guys in wigs saying things in a language almost but not entirely unlike English made them forget why they were doing this rock & roll thing in the first place. Maybe they just learned how to play their instruments like a "real" rock band. Maybe a name's not just a name. Whatever. It's a disappointment any way you watch it. Now they're just average. (A shame.)
1. Black Rays Defence
2. Messed Up
3. Alright
4. Bad Feeling
5. The Flame
6. When I Set My Mind To Forget
7. Heartbreak
8. Detonator
9. Hum
10. Dama
More about: The Beat Up
